It's a shocking fact that the majority of Americans are now overweight or obese -- a 61% increase over the last 10 years. One surprising clue to how we got so big so fast might involve the deficiency of a little-known dietary substance that wasn't even discovered until 1978 -- CLA.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) has benefits for athletes, bodybuilders and dieters of any age. It helps speed up the body's fat metabolism so more fat gets flushed out of the system instead of getting deposited in our cells. CLA also helps the body to metabolize existing fat deposits -- a key to losing fat.*

Better yet, CLA increases the proportion of lean muscle to fat in our bodies.* Because muscle burns more calories that fat, people who use CLA may experience a positive snowballing effect -- the more muscle they create, the more calories they burn.

In human studies, obese people who took CLA lost about a full inch from their waistbands over 12 weeks -- compared to no significant change in the control group who did not take CLA. Neither group changed eating or exercise habits during the study. Another study showed 1,800 mg of CLA take daily for three months decreased body fat 20%.

Research suggests the average American gets between 15-175 mg of CLA daily -- far below the amount needed for optimal fat-fighting, muscle-building effects. We may be able to restore CLA's benefits and make up for any deficiencies simply by taking supplements.