Eat Less Meat To Lose Weight & Cellulite
High protein, meat diets may not be the best way to lose weight or cellulite, according to scientists. Researchers studying the eating habits of over 400,000 people across Europe found that eating meat was strongly linked to weight gain, even when taking in the same number of calories.
Processed meats, such as ham, bacon and sausages were found to be the most strongly linked.
The results of the experiment, which have been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, appear to lend credence to the governmental and health campaigns asking people to reduce their intake of meat products, switching instead to veggie alternatives.
The researchers used data from a study in European adults who were taking part in a comprehensive study looking at the link between diet and the likelihood of cancer development.
People from ten European countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Greece and Denmark participated for over five years in what is one of the widest ranging studies of its kind ever undertaken. Each participant was weighed and had their height measured at the beginning of the study and then reported back five years later and filled in a detailed questionnaire about their diet.
Meat Linked To Weight Gain
The research concluded that there was a strong positive correlation between weight gain and meat consumption in both men and women, irrespective of them being smokers or non-smokers.
Further analysis of the data revealed that the significant link remained even factoring in overall diet quality, physical exercise and other lifestyle considerations that may skew the outcome.
The study results indicated that for people who ate the same number of calories, an additional 250g of meat (approximately a small steak) saw an additional weight gain of 2kg (5lbs) in five years. Clearly this study runs counter to the recent weight loss trends that have advocated low carbohydrate, high protein diets, usually with a particular emphasis on meat consumption.
What is not clear from the study is the precise mechanism by which meat consumption leads to increased weight. The leading theory contends that meat, being an energy-dense food, alters how the body regulates appetite. There may also be additional lifestyle reasons for the weight gain that were not considered in the research.