Having trouble losing weight just by counting calories? You're not alone. And one of the reasons might be that you have some undiscovered food sensitivities.

According to a new study from Dubai, patients unable to lose weight were largely helped when they avoided foods that had been shown to excite their immune response. The authors, led by Dr. M. Akmal of the Dubai Specialized Medical Centre, pointed out that hidden food allergies, or food sensitivities, are unique to each individual and can cause inflammatory diseases, and an inability to lose weight.

Food sensitivities often provoke delayed and chronic symptoms, like irritable bowel syndrome, migraine and arthritis, that are not as obvious as the dramatic and immediate onset of "true" food allergies, such as peanut anaphylaxis. But over the long term, these reactions can be just as devastating and are more difficult to detect.

The only "treatment" the patients underwent during the 12-week study was to avoid all foods that showed up (in testing) as being problematic. The results were substantial.

By just eliminating the foods to which they were sensitive, study participants dropped an average of 37 pounds in 12 weeks -- a very impressive amount. They also dropped an average of six points on their BMI (body mass index) and reduced their body fat by a stunning 30 percent.

My friend Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of "The Hamptons Diet" and former medical director of the Atkins Center commented: "I'm not surprised by these results, dramatic as they may appear."

"Now we know that chronic inflammation, caused primarily by exposure to incompatible foods, is at the root of metabolic problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. The immune system chemicals block insulin receptors; so, guess what happens to the sugars we eat? They get stored as fat. Cut the inflammation, cut the fat storage," said Roger Deutsch, co-author of the excellent book, "Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat."

So if nothing's worked for you, perhaps it's time to try some experimentation. A rotation diet or an elimination diet is one low-tech way to see if certain foods are contributing to weight loss resistance (or even to vague symptoms like headaches, fogginess, aches and pains and low energy). I explain how to do it in "Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth."