ITWire

A Harvard University study examined different foods eaten by 120,877 men and women from the United States over a span of 12 to 20 years. The researchers also looked at lifestyles of these people.

The title of the June 23, 2011 article is 'Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men' (N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2392-2404).

It was authored by Drs. Dariush Mozaffarian, Tao Hao, Eric B. Rimm, Walter C. Willett, and Frank B. Hu.

Their results found that the following foods caused the most weight gain of the people studied:

1.    potato chips (1.69 lb)
2.    potatoes (1.28 lb)
3.    sugar-sweetened beverages (1.00 lb)
4.    unprocessed red meats (0.95 lb)
5.    processed meats (0.93 lb)

The foods that caused loss of weight were the following:

1.    vegetables (−0.22 lb)
2.    whole grains (−0.37 lb)
3.    fruits (−0.49 lb)
4.    nuts (−0.57 lb)
5.    yogurt (−0.82 lb)

Page two talks about what lifestyle changes causes the most changes (good and bad) in weight.