What's the worst thing that someone hoping to slim down can eat? A new study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Medical School points directly to potato chips. And the best thing? The researchers put yogurt at the top of that list.
MedPage Today reports on the study, which pooled results from the Nurses' Health Study I and II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study for a total of 120,877 women and men who were followed for weight gain from 1986 to 2006, 1991 to 2003, and 1986 to 2006, respectively. Weight gain averaged 3.35 lb across all groups during each four-year period, representing 2.4 percent of body weight, and added up to an average 16.8 lb over 20 years.
Other foods topping the worst-things-you-can-eat list were sugar-sweetened beverages, unprocessed red meats, and processed meats.The best foods for weight-loss, following yogurt, were nuts, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.
Read an abstract of the study in the New England Journal of Medicine.