WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Video
WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Video
This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

Is Eating Before Bed Actually That Bad For You?

Is Eating Before Bed Actually That Bad For You?

A Diet High In Fibre And Yoghurt May Decrease Your Risk Of Developing Cancer

A Diet High In Fibre And Yoghurt May Decrease Your Risk Of Developing Cancer

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

Eating At This Time Raises Your Risk Of Heart Attacks And Diabetes

Eating At This Time Raises Your Risk Of Heart Attacks And Diabetes

{headline}

{headline}

The Major Change You’ll See Just Four Days After Starting The Mediterranean Diet

The Major Change You’ll See Just Four Days After Starting The Mediterranean Diet

How To Eat Out On The FODMAP Diet

How To Eat Out On The FODMAP Diet

PSA: This Weight Loss Method Is Setting You Up For Failure

PSA: This Weight Loss Method Is Setting You Up For Failure

{headline}

{headline}

Study Finds Stress Causes Women To Eat More Junk Food

Study Finds Stress Causes Women To Eat More Junk Food

12 Surprising Things Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth

12 Surprising Things Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth

An Avocado A Day May Improve Heart Health, Study Suggests

An Avocado A Day May Improve Heart Health, Study Suggests

Kristen Bell Just Shared Her Day On A Plate And Good Lord Her Snack Game Is Strong

Kristen Bell Just Shared Her Day On A Plate And Good Lord Her Snack Game Is Strong

Snacking On Nuts Found To Help Prevent Weight Gain

Snacking On Nuts Found To Help Prevent Weight Gain

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

The Heart Foundation Recommends We Eat More Cheese And Less Meat

The Heart Foundation Recommends We Eat More Cheese And Less Meat

  1. Home
  2. Food

Here's What Eating Processed Food Can Do To Your Body In Just Two Weeks

😳 - by Alex Pierotti
  • 21 May 2019
Here's What Eating Processed Food Can Do To Your Body In Just Two Weeks
Getty

Sure, dipping into the snack draw might seem like a good idea at the time. How much damage can one cup of two-minute noodles to do to the rig, anyway? Well, you might be a little surprised to hear how quickly these cheeky treats can impact your waistline. 

New findings published in the journal Cell Metabolism has found that just two weeks of a diet high in processed foods can lead to weight gain and body fat increases regardless of sugar and fat contents. 

“I was surprised by the results,” says Kevin Hall, lead author of the study and senior investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

“It’s the first trial that can actually demonstrate that there is a causal relationship between something about ultra-processed foods—independent of those nutrients—that cause people to overeat and gain weight.”

RELATED: 6 Reasons To Ditch Processed Sugar ASAP

EATING
Getty

Twenty healthy adults were recruited for the study. They all lived in a lab for a month with their meals and snacks prepared for them. For the first two weeks, volunteers were divided into two groups.

The first enjoyed a meal plan full of highly processed foods (think canned foods, fried nibbles and diet soft drinks) while the others ate only unprocessed foods (think fresh produce such as salads, nuts as well as eggs and oatmeal).

After the first two weeks, the groups switched to eat the other diet.

Interestingly, both diets included the same amount of sugar, fat, sodium and fibre. However, the highly processed diet resulted in an extra 500 calories consumed a day. Participants gained up to two kilos during the two weeks they were on that diet. Meanwhile, when they switched to the unprocessed diet, they lost that same amount of weight. 

The authors put the weight gain down to how fast the participants were eating.

“Ultra-processed food tends to be softer, which makes it easier to chew and swallow,”continues Hall.

“One of the theories is that if you’re eating more quickly, you’re not giving your gut enough time to signal to your brain that you’ve had enough calories and that you’re full and to stop eating. By the time the brain gets that signal, it’s too late—you’ve already overeaten.”

BRUGER
Getty Images

It wasn't just their waistlines that changed, however. Hormones were also impacted by the eating plans. The unprocessed diet increased the appetite-suppressing hormone PYYY while decreasing the hunger hormone ghrelin. 

“Both of these hormonal changes that took place, for reasons we don’t fully understand, tend to support our observation,” adds Hall.

“(Eating fresh food) people spontaneously reduce their calorie intake, leading to weight loss and body fat loss, without them having to count calories or even intentionally do so.”

This article originally appeared on Men's Health US. 

RELATED: New Study Reveals The Household Food Group That Is Making You Fat

  • Health
  • Food
  • Weight Loss
  • Diet Plans
  • Diet
Alex Pierotti
A one-time third-grade try-scorer, Men's Health's Digital Content Editor, Alex Pierotti, is obsessed with two things: the beach and his footy team. When he’s not researching the latest studies, figuring out the latest style trends or snacking on cashews you'll find Alex cruising on his board through Bondi Beach

Subscribe Now-6 Issues just $39

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-6 Issues just $39

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

Is Eating Before Bed Actually That Bad For You?

Is Eating Before Bed Actually That Bad For You?

A Diet High In Fibre And Yoghurt May Decrease Your Risk Of Developing Cancer

A Diet High In Fibre And Yoghurt May Decrease Your Risk Of Developing Cancer

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

Eating At This Time Raises Your Risk Of Heart Attacks And Diabetes

Eating At This Time Raises Your Risk Of Heart Attacks And Diabetes

{headline}

{headline}

The Major Change You’ll See Just Four Days After Starting The Mediterranean Diet

The Major Change You’ll See Just Four Days After Starting The Mediterranean Diet

How To Eat Out On The FODMAP Diet

How To Eat Out On The FODMAP Diet

PSA: This Weight Loss Method Is Setting You Up For Failure

PSA: This Weight Loss Method Is Setting You Up For Failure

{headline}

{headline}

Study Finds Stress Causes Women To Eat More Junk Food

Study Finds Stress Causes Women To Eat More Junk Food

12 Surprising Things Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth

12 Surprising Things Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth

An Avocado A Day May Improve Heart Health, Study Suggests

An Avocado A Day May Improve Heart Health, Study Suggests

Kristen Bell Just Shared Her Day On A Plate And Good Lord Her Snack Game Is Strong

Kristen Bell Just Shared Her Day On A Plate And Good Lord Her Snack Game Is Strong

Snacking On Nuts Found To Help Prevent Weight Gain

Snacking On Nuts Found To Help Prevent Weight Gain

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

The Heart Foundation Recommends We Eat More Cheese And Less Meat

The Heart Foundation Recommends We Eat More Cheese And Less Meat

WomensHealth
  • About Paragon Media
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • About Paragon Media
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
  • Men’s Health
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-6 Issues just $39

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now