It turns out that there are some specific foods that may be the biggest culprits behind weight gain according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The AP reports that for the study, which received funding from the National Institutes of Health, physicians “analyzed changes in diet and lifestyle habits of 120,877 people from three long-running medical studies. All were health professionals and not obese at the start.”
Participants’ “weight was measured every four years for up to two decades, and they detailed their diet on questionnaires.”
USA Today reports that participants “gained an average of 3.35 pounds over four-year periods and almost 17 pounds over the two decades.”
The Washington Post reports, “Among all the foods studied, potatoes stood out.”
The researchers “found that even mashed, baked, or boiled potatoes were unexpectedly plumping, perhaps because of their effect on the hormone insulin.”
CNN/Health.com reports that “eating one serving of potato chips per day was associated with an extra 1.7 pounds every four years, while a daily serving of french fries was associated with an extra 3.4 pounds.”
The Los Angeles Times reports that the researchers also found that “for each additional sugary soft drink consumed per day, participants in the study gained an average of 1 pound over four years.
“Extra servings of red meats and processed meats did only slightly less damage.”
Meanwhile, “consuming an extra alcoholic drink translated into close to half a pound more on the scale every four years.”
What foods can help you lose weight?
Bloomberg News reports that “yogurt helped people lose about 0.82 pounds, the study found.”
Meanwhile, “eating nuts … lowered weight by 0.57 pounds.”
Lots of good tips here for us all. Now, for the fortitude to begin applying the information to ourselves and our family.
For more tips on improving your family’s nutrition, consider picking up a copy of my book, SuperSized Kids: How to protect your child from the obesity threat. While supplies last, it is on sale at my online bookstore, here.