Eating eggs may help overweight adults lose weight and feel more energetic, according to U.S. researchers.

Their two-month study of overweight or obese adults, ages 25 to 60, found that those who ate two eggs for breakfast as part of a calorie-reduced diet lost 65 percent more weight, had a 61 percent greater reduction in body mass index, and had higher energy levels than those who ate bagels for breakfast.

Blood levels of HDL ("good") and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, remained the same in both groups.

"People have a hard time adhering to diets, and our research shows that choosing eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve the success of a weight loss plan.

"Apparently, the increased satiety and energy due to eggs helps people better comply with a reduced-calorie diet," lead researcher Nikhil V. Dhurandhar said in an Egg Nutrition news release.

Dhurandhar is an associate professor in the laboratory of infection and obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, part of the Louisiana State University system.

The study, funded by the industry-affiliated Egg Nutrition Center, was published online last week in the International Journal of Obesity.