| Deus,
You make a good point about calories. Even with all the hype regarding low fat in the 90's and now low carb, here in the US, as a people, we are fatter. Since 1990 the average weight has been going up. A recent article in Men's Health suggests that far too many people are overindulging in supposed low fat, low carb, sugar free and no sugar added foods. Rather than using those foods as part of a well-constructed eating plan, too many of us are using the 'low' as an excuse for gluttony.
No matter what the current hype says, to lose weight one must burn more calories than one ingests. Reduced caloric intake and/or increased physical activity are the only proven methods to do that.
Travis | 
