New research suggests that it is the quality of what you include in your diet that is important rather that the amount of food you eat.
This brand new study highlights the so called best and worst foods for to maintain a healthy body weight.
Crisps are the worst food for putting on weight as they cause more weight gain per serving than other foods. Yogurt is the best food as it causes the least weight gain.
The study authors do not accept that staying slim is a matter of reducing your food intake and increasing your level of exercise .
Usually the focus with diets is on the total number of calories eaten. However, this study emphasises that the quality of the diet, that is, the kinds of food and drinks we consume, is very much related to weight gain or weight loss .
The study demonstrated that every extra daily serving of crisps meant a gain of 1.69 lbs every four years. Each extra daily serving of French fries was linked to an average 3 lbs over four years. Extra daily servings of red meat, refined sugars, white flours and sugar-sweetened beverages are all linked to a 1 lb of weight gain every four years.
The study monitored 400,000 people and found that high quality vegetarian foods, such as, fruits, veg and whole grains meant the least weight gain. Other factors, such as, watching excess television, sleeping too much, being inactive and drinking alcohol excessively also affected weight gain over the four years.