People who are looking to reduce their weight by stocking up on protein have been told to check the printed label on food packages before purchasing.

Exercise physiologist at Loyola University Medical Centre Lara Dugas told Illinois-based news broadcaster WLS-TV that too many people fail to notice the huge number of calories present in some protein-rich items.

Many high protein supplements are turning up on the shelves of supermarkets these days and plenty utilise custom print labels to emphasise their nutritional value.

However, Ms Dugas has insisted that the fad diet may not be worthwhile and the average person's daily food intake should provide ample amounts of protein.

"If you look on the back of a label of your average protein bar, they're delivering about 200 calories, so that is half a meal right there," Ms Dugas told the news provider.

The UK's first specialised bariatric cook Carol Bowen Ball recently wrote a piece for Weight Loss Surgery Information that stated that protein advice often gets cast aside in Britain.

Denny Bros Ltd, 11 July 2011