One of the number one reasons why some people eat too much, and ultimately gain weight, is due to a diet high in processed foods.
A new study in the journal “Cell Metabolism” provided evidence for this by examining 20 subjects in a metabolic ward. Half of the subjects were provided with natural, whole foods, while the other half only had access to processed foods. The subjects eating processed foods required an extra 508 calories per day in order to feel full. After two weeks, subjects eating only processed food gained 1.7 pounds. Subjects eating only whole, natural foods ended up losing 2.4 pounds.
Conclusions
Unlike natural, whole foods, processed foods often require more calories to be consumed in order to feel full and are not conducive to maintaining a healthy body weight.
References
Hall, K. D., Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., Cai, H., Cassimatis, T., Chen, K. Y., … & Fletcher, L. A. (2019). Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell metabolism.