How To Avoid Food That Makes You Fat

When it comes to weight gain, it's all about what you put in your mouth. Now Harvard researchers have come up with a list of food that makes you fat, and five foods that will keep your weight under control if they're a regular part of your diet.

Beyond eating less and being more active, cutting down on some foods you eat, as well as getting 6 - 8 hours of good quality sleep each night and switching off the TV more often are all ways you can keep a handle on your weight as the years pass.

The team wanted to uncover what leads to weight gain in the long term, and just why average adults put on almost a pound annually as they age. It's quite possible that a regular energy imbalance of from up to 100 calories per day might be enough to bring on the gradual, age related weight gain in most adults.

To do this, the researchers kept track of 120,000 subjects in three large, well-defined studies. At four-year increments the team looked for links between a change in lifestyle and a subjects' weight.

The participants gained, on average, just under 3.5 pounds over each of the four-year periods - which added up to 17 pounds in 20 years. When the researchers examined just what people ate, they discovered five foods that were associated with the biggest gains over the years. These five are:

1. Potato chips
2. Other potato based foods
3. Sugar sweetened drinks
4. Red meats
5. Processed meats

And, on the other side, there are five foods that were associated with reduced weight gain, or perhaps even weight loss. These are:

1. Vegetables
2. Whole grains
3. Fruits
4. Nuts
5. Yogurt

Yogurt was a surprise. Maybe it has something to do with good bacteria, or perhaps yogurt-eaters have another behavior that helps to keep the weight off.

The foods and drinks we choose are incredibly important and show plainly how different choices of lifestyle might encourage weight gain over the long term.

Choosing quality foods and not worrying so much about total calories or grams of fat of the food you eat appears to be most important in terms of keeping the weight off over the years.

Another key to weight control was getting the right amount of quality sleep on a regular basis - no more than 8 hours, no less than 6. Naturally how much TV watching, and an individuals activity level also were seen to have an impact on weight, just not as substantial as the other factors measured.

The take home message? If you don't pay attention and minimize food that makes you fat, the pounds can sneak up on you. If you are working to be healthier as you age, some small changes can really make a big difference. You don't have to avoid the foods linked to weight gain altogether, but best to eat them rarely, and be sure other healthy habits are maintained as you do so.


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