It’s not enough to count calories to lose weight and avoid being overweight or obese. The most important thing is to choose foods that are less fattening, suggests the latest research on this topic published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
For years, the prevailing belief is that you should eat everything as long as you eat it in moderate amounts. It is also recommended that you avoid fatty foods (containing animal fat) and closely monitor your calories.
“But that’s not the best solution,” said lead author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. In his opinion, it is important what we eat, not only how many calories we eat.
The scientist cites 12 to 20 years of observations of over 120 people. US healthcare professionals participating in three studies: Nurses ‘Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Every two years, they completed a detailed questionnaire in which they reported both their current body weight and how they ate and how often they adhered to any physical exertion.
Research has confirmed that physical activity plays an important role. While study participants gained an average weight of almost 0,5 kg each year, or almost 10 kg in 20 years, those who played sports frequently – more than half as much. Of course, those who were the least physically active reared the most.
However, physical activity is not enough to avoid gaining weight. Recent research suggests that diet is more important than exercise. “People who are reasonably physically active, but do not pay attention to what they eat, may still gain weight,” warns study co-author Dr. Walter Wiolett of the Harvard School of Public Health.
So what should you eat? The authors of the research mainly pay attention to what should be avoided. There is no surprise in this case. The fries turned out to be the most fattening. People who often used them gained more than 1,5 kg after four years. Chips turned out to be 0,7% less fattening – in the same period they increased body weight by XNUMX kg.
Sweet drinks as well as meat and its products meant that after four years, the participants of the research gained an average weight of about 0,5 kg. Boiled potatoes, sweets and desserts turned out to be 150% less fattening. In contrast, frozen foods, fresh fruit juices, and butter caused weight gain by only XNUMX grams after four years.
Vegetables do not make you gain weight. They are also the most helpful for weight loss. According to the Nurses’ Health Study, people who successfully lost weight ate three times more vegetables.
To lose weight, it is not enough to eat less fat. The greatest weight loss was achieved by people who ate more yoghurts and nuts, and even peanut butter. Nuts contain a lot of plant-friendly fats, while peanut butter helps you lose weight, possibly because it makes you feel full.
It is surprising that gaining weight (and weight loss) is not significantly influenced by the consumption of milk (both fatty and skimmed) or cheese. Only larger amounts of yogurt can help you lose weight by an average of 4 kg within 0,4 years, research suggests.
Dr. Frank B. Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, also co-author of the JAMA report, explains that yogurt contains many valuable bacteria. They stimulate the intestines to produce hormones that increase the feeling of fullness and speed up the metabolism.
The metabolism is most adversely affected by the so-called refined carbohydrates, mostly devoid of fiber, found in white bread, cakes, white rice, corn flakes and popcorn. They cause a slowdown in metabolism, which promotes weight gain.
Lifestyle also affects weight gain. People who sleep too little (less than 6 hours a day) and too much (more than 8 hours) are more likely to have trouble maintaining a healthy body weight. Watching TV often also contributes to weight gain, possibly because many people eat more during this time.
Alcohol is high in calories, but wine is relatively the least fattening. Quitting smoking has been proven to promote weight gain. Research shows that people who rightly got rid of this addiction gained an average of 2,5 kg in the first four years. But in the years that followed, they no longer had any problems with that.
Nobody is gaining weight suddenly. The authors of the report emphasize that most people gain weight gradually and usually go unnoticed. It is only during weighing that it turns out that after a few years, several kilograms have gained (PAP).