That’s the advice of seafood and health expert Roy Palmer, who says eating seafood at least two to three times every week is a great way to help shed unwanted kilos.

Roy Palmer has a vested interest, as he is Chief Executive Officer of Seafood Experience Australia (SEA), an organisation whose task in part is to promote greater consumption of seafood but says that does not diminish the value of his advice.

"It is acknowledged that obesity in Australia is generally a reflection of changing lifestyles, with more Australians than ever before now overweight or obese: in fact, more than 60% in some age categories. That means predictable increases in chronic disease like heart problems, type-2 diabetes, some cancers and joint (especially knee and hip) failure.

"Total dietary fat is a large contributor to obesity and seafood is a comparatively low-fat food. Seafood averages 2% or less fat, lower than most other meats, and, even then, much of that fat is healthy fish oil, what’s known as long-chain Omega-3.

"So, seafood is an excellent choice as the centrepiece in a low fat diet, popular for reducing weight. At the same time, it will reduce consumption of unhealthy saturated fats, which is what doctors are telling us to do.

"Many people like to follow a high-protein diet when trying to lose weight and, again, seafood is an excellent choice because it is high in protein but low in fat, so the seafood protein doesn’t come at a high cost in calories.

Mr Palmer said Australian research published last year (2009) suggested the longchain Omega-3 oils in seafood directly assisted in losing weight and improving body composition, though the mechanisms were uncertain and more research was required.

Also, an overseas study had indicated that, even where obesity was a problem, higher consumption of seafood was likely to reduce the incidence of type-2 diabetes.

Normally, higher rates of obesity lead directly to higher rates of type-2 diabetes.

"It is also telling that, in the past week (5 January 2010), research has been published showing that obesity is now responsible for a bigger burden of ill-health than smoking in the United States. With smoking decreasing and obesity increasing, obesity will likely go even further in the lead as the number one cause of ill health, and preventable ill-health at that, in the United States and, no doubt, in Australia and elsewhere throughout the western world.

"Obesity is responsible for a massive burden in our health care system and it could be significantly reduced if people simply ate better and exercised more, and that includes eating more seafood.”

Mr Palmer said the latest international research into improving health through greater seafood consumption would be examined at a conference to be held in Melbourne late this year (2010).

"The aim of the conference is simple: make Australians and all populations throughout the world healthier by encouraging them to eat the right amounts of the right types of seafood,” Mr Palmer said.

"The conference will cover health-related problems such as obesity, mental health, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and the role seafood can play in reducing the personal and public cost of these problems.

"The International Seafood & Health Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre from November 6 to 10.

"The conference will have three streams: Medical Science & Research; Food Security & Sustainability: and Human Behaviour & Communication.

Mr Palmer said: “In the meantime, the message is simple: eat seafood two to three times every week, cut back on ‘empty’ calories and get more exercise.

"And one of the most beneficial forms of exercise is likely to be walking regularly into a seafood retail outlet and carrying plenty of their product home.”