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There is no need to stay hungry for days or work out day and night at the gym. Keep it simple and cut down on fat to lose those extra pounds that bother you, say scientists.

Cutting down on fatty food such as butter and cheese, snacking on biscuits, cakes and crisps and swapping to low-fat milk and yoghurt could help you lose three and a half pounds, says a new study from the University of East Anglia, according to Mail Online.

According to the study, in just six months, people can lose considerable weight, without even hitting the gym. Also, the weight loss acquired this way is directly proportional to the amount of fat one has cut down.

The results of the study are evidence to the fact that weight loss can be attained simply by opting for low fat foods despite there being much publicity to the benefits of low-carbohydrate and no-carb diets, the report said.

For the study, the researchers analyzed results of 33 clinical trials involving 74,000 people.

According to lead author of the study, Dr Lee Hooper from UEA's Norwich Medical School, the regime led to consistent lower weight for at least seven years.

"The weight reduction that we found when people ate less fat was remarkably consistent - we saw it in almost every trial. Those who cut down more on fat, lost more weight. The effect isn't dramatic, like going on a diet. The research specifically looked at people who were cutting down on fat, but didn't aim to lose weight - so they were continuing to consume a normal amount of food," Hooper was quoted as saying by Mail Online.

"What surprised us was that they did lose weight, their Body Mass Index decreased and their waists became slimmer. On top of this, they kept their weight down over at least seven years. There isn't a specific goal, the more fat you cut down, the more your weight falls," she added.

The researchers followed up the participants involving men, women and children, who were in different states of health.

The researchers compared the BMI and waistlines of those who ate lesser fat than usual and those who continued eating their usual amount of fat, after every six months.

The finding of the study revealed that cutting down on fat reduces body weight by 1.6kg, apart from cutting down BMI and waist circumference by 0.5cm.

According to Dr Hooper, saturated fats are regarded as having a worse effect on health.

"Cutting down on saturated fat reduces our risk of heart disease and strokes, so the healthiest way to cut down on fat is to cut down on saturated fats. This means having low fat milk and yogurt, cutting down on butter and cheese, and cutting the fat off meat. Most importantly have fruit instead of fatty snacks like biscuits, cake and crisps. And remember, this isn't a diet, so don't take it to extremes, but work out a way of eating that you can stick to permanently," Dr Hooper Said.

"Keeping healthy is not just about fat and weight - but cutting down on fat, especially saturated fat, is a great start. Being physically active, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, and drinking plenty of fluid also help to keep us healthy. We just need to get in the habit of doing these things," she added.

"A healthy diet is a way of eating that people can sustain over time. That's the trick, to find a comfortable way to eat that you can stick to for life which helps you maintain your weight. Cutting down on fat will help," co-author Prof Carolyn Summerbell, from Durham University said according to the report.

The research is published in the British Medical Journal.