It’s a frightening statistic: Over 65% of US adults are either overweight or obese, and the number continues to rise. It’s amazing how many people say that they want to lose weight, yet never do. As the new year starts, you may be wondering why you haven’t gotten around to losing weight yet. If you’re like most people, you are putting off your New Year’s resolution even though you know it’s important for your health.
The best way to avoid the health risks of obesity is to make 2022 the year you reach your ideal body weight. To do that requires a focus on nutrition. What you eat matters, but so is what you don’t eat. Here are five types of foods to avoid if you want to lose weight in 2022.
Soda
If there’s one food that contributes to weight gain more than any other, it’s sugar-sweetened beverages like soda. The reason? They’re high in sugar and empty calories, but they also don’t satisfy hunger as food does. When you drink a 12-ounce can of soda, you get 36 grams of sugar, and you’re still hungry when you finish. Too often, people don’t consider the impact liquid calories have on their waistline. Replace those sugary beverages with unsweetened green tea in 2022, and watch your waistline shrink. Soda also has no nutritional value, making it a poor choice if you’re trying to improve your health.
Foods that Contain Artificial Sweeteners
Foods and beverages that contain artificial sweeteners might sound like a sweet deal since they’re lower in calories, but there’s evidence that artificial sweeteners may contribute to weight gain too. One reason is calorie-taste mismatch. When you eat something sweet your brain expects calories to follow, and when your stomach doesn’t get them, your hunger persists. Artificial sweeteners won’t satisfy your hunger. Plus, there’s evidence that artificial sweeteners negatively affect the gut microbiome in a way that triggers weight gain.
Fried Foods
Fried foods are not only higher in calories, but they’re also bad for your health. Plus, frying oil contains high levels of unhealthy fats, which increase your risk for heart disease and other health problems. If you want to lose weight and stay healthy, steer clear of fried foods in favor of healthier options like steamed vegetables or grilled fish. Studies show that fried foods are one of the biggest causes of weight gain. Fried foods like French fries, chips and even chicken fingers are full of fats and oils. These unhealthy fats can clog your arteries and eventually lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other serious health problems.
Anything That Comes in a Fast-Food Wrapper
Fast food is bad news for your waistline and your health. Studies show that living close to fast food restaurants can even increase the risk of becoming obese. The convenience of fast food only applies in the short term. The longer-term risks of eating these foods outweigh the immediate convenience of satiating your hunger with drive thru fare. Plus, fast food restaurants reel you in with offers of value meals that are of no value to your health. For the first time in history, Americans are getting more than half of their calories from food prepared outside the home. This has changed the way we eat and perceive food and portion sizes.
Foods High in Sugar
Can’t seem to lose those extra pounds? There’s a good chance sugar is to blame. While it’s not the only reason people gain weight, sugar plays a major role in most people’s daily calorie intake. From food to beverages, sugar is in almost everything, even items that don’t taste sweet.
How much sugar should you eat? The World Health Organization recommends limiting daily consumption of added sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake. That means if you normally consume 2,000 calories a day (the recommended daily allowance for women), you would cap your daily added sugars at around 200-300 calories (40-60 grams). Most people consume far more than that.
Sugar is a major factor in weight gain, not only because of its high-calorie content but also because of the body’s complex relationship with insulin, which regulates blood sugar. The link between sugar and weight gain is understandable if you consider how your body reacts to it.
Here’s a recap of how sugar affects your body and waistline. Sugar causes a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. This triggers your pancreas to secrete insulin, which helps cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream so it can be used as energy or stored as fat. That sudden rush of energy makes you feel hungry again shortly after eating something sweet, so you’re more likely to have another snack soon afterward.
The more pronounced insulin response to sugary food also makes it easier for your body to store fat. So, sugar makes you hungry and makes it easier to gain weight too. That’s a double whammy! Plus, there’s evidence in animals that sugar is addictive.
The solution? Work on gradually lowering your sugar intake. If you do it slowly, sugar will gradually lose its hold over you, and you won’t desire sweet things as much.
The Bottom Line
The quality of your diet matters when you’re trying to get leaner. Exercise matters too, but as the experts point out, you can’t out exercise a poor diet. Physical fitness, soda, and fast food don’t play well together. Choose your foods wisely, as what you eat is more important than exercise for weight control. Think twice before making these foods a major part of your diet and lifestyle and add healthier replacements to your plate.
References:
- Wolff E, Dansinger ML. Soft drinks and weight gain: how strong is the link? Medscape J Med. 2008;10(8):189. Epub 2008 Aug 12. PMID: 18924641; PMCID: PMC2562148.
- Sayon-Orea C, Bes-Rastrollo M, Basterra-Gortari FJ, Beunza JJ, Guallar-Castillon P, de la Fuente-Arrillaga C, Martinez-Gonzalez MA. Consumption of fried foods and weight gain in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN project. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2013 Feb;23(2):144-50. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2011.03.014. Epub 2011 Aug 6. PMID: 21824755.
- “The Effect of Fast-Food Restaurants on Obesity and Weight Gain.” eml.berkeley.edu/~moretti/obesity.pdf.
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