When choosing a diet high in protein, make sure carbohydrates are accounted for to prevent nutritional deficiencies such as insufficient fiber intake. A study suggests that high-protein weight loss programs like the Atkins Diet are a more effective way to drop unwanted pounds compared to calorie counting, Medical Daily reported.

Nutritional ecologist from the University of Sydney, Professor David Raubenheimer, said in a statement. "We need to get the balance of fats: carbs right…high protein diets might help us to lose weight, but if they involve other imbalances then other health problems will be introduced.”

Raubenheimer and his colleagues analyzed the feeding habits of baboons living on the edge of human settlements. Their research also reflected comparable studies featuring spider monkeys and orangutans, which also forage for a balanced diet. Although the baboons used for this study ate a variety of foods throughout the day, around 20 percent of the energy they required came from proteins. To achieve the right amount of protein, primates will eat too much or too little fats and carbs to compensate for seasonal changes that prevent a balanced diet.

"This suggests that foods are complex mixtures of nutrients and these do not act independently but interact with one another. The appetite systems for different nutrients compete in their influence on feeding”, explained Raubenheimer.

Defining the nutritional value of food by calorie count tends to underscore macronutrients like carbs, fats, and proteins which ultimately regulates appetite and energy intake.

"A simple rule for healthy eating is to avoid processed foods – the closer to real foods the better,” Raubenheimer added.