counting calories? stop! there's new info on food and exercise

And despite conventional advice to eat less fat, weight loss was greatest among people who ate more yogurt and nuts, including peanut butter, over each four-year period.

via nytimes.com

An extensive study of over 100,000 men and women over 20 years has had some interesting results about weight gain in midlife.

Reducing the fat in your diet and counting calories, surprisingly, had no positive impact. Another surprise was that, contrary to conventional wisdom, eating everything in moderation isn't all that healthy: there are good and bad foods. French fries, chips, colas, white bread and fruit juices will fatten you up while yoghurt and nuts will make you lean, as will eating more fruit and veggies. For all the details click on the link above.

Really the researchers could have saved a lot of time and effort if they'd just consulted my kids, who for years have been singing the ditty:

"French fries, French fries

Greasy greasy

Make you fat

Easy, easy."

Filed under: Miscellany