Foods and factors most associated with weight gain and weight loss

TAMPA - It likely that most of us can rattle off at least five fad diets, and some of us have likely tried a few.

But when it comes to long-term weight management, the golden rule is “healthy food choices and exercise.” 

Boring?  Yes.  Effective?  Also yes.  And a new study lays it out by the pound.

The authors of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine combined data from 3 separate long-term studies which involved keeping track of study participants over long periods of time and measuring various health factors at regular intervals.

The study ended up assessing the lifestyle factors and weight changes for over 120,000 American men and women from 1986 to 2006. As participants aged, they gained an average 3.35 pounds every 4 years.   But here’s the breakdown:

4-year weight gain was most associated with intake of:

• Potato chips: 1.69 lb
• Potatoes: 1.28 lb
• Sugar-sweetened beverages: 1 lb
• Unprocessed red meats: 0.95 lb
• Processed meats: 0.93 lb

Other factors: alcohol use (0.41 lb per drink per day), smoking (new quitters with 5.17 lb), less than 6 or mor than 8 hours of sleep per day (0.31 lb per hour per day

4-year weight loss was most associated with intake of:

• Yogurt: -0.82 lb
• Nuts: -0.57 lb
• Fruits: -0.49 lb
• Whole grains: -0.37 lb
• Vegetables: -0.22 lb

Other factors: physical activity (-1.76 lb)

The research was done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.