Overweight women who made eggs part of breakfast on a restricted diet lost more weight in eight weeks than those who had bagels at breakfast, according to a new study.

The research, which was funded by the American Egg Board, was performed by Nikhil Dhurandhar at Lousiana State University.

In the study, 160 overweight or obese women were broken into four groups, including two that had diets about 1,000 calories lower than typical. One special diet group had two eggs as part of breakfast, the other had a bagel instead, though they were the same in calories.

The average woman on the egg diet lost six pounds, while women on the bagel diet lost 3.2 pounds, a 65 percent difference.

Researchers also reported that waist size dropped 83 percent faster for women on the egg diet. They said that there were not significant changes in cholesterol or triglcerides between the two groups.

The study's results are considered statistically unlikely to be due to chance, but were near the mathematical limit for that distinction.

Representatives said that the preliminary results are being compiled into a full report that will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.