The Fruit and Veggie Diet: Eating These Healthy Foods Helps Weight Loss

Want to control your weight? Then you may want to eat more fruits and veggies. Scientists have found that increasing your consumption of non-starchy vegetables and fruits is inversely associated with weight change.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans actually recommend that adults and children should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in order to help them achieve and maintain a healthy weight. But exactly how much of an effect does it have? In this study, the scientists examined the associations between changes in the intake of specific fruits and vegetables and weight changes.

So what did they find? After adjusting for self-reported changes in other lifestyle factors, such as smoking status and physical activity, the researchers found that increased consumption of fruits and veggies was inversely associated with weight change. However, starchy vegetables, such as peas and corn, were associated with weight gain.

The findings, while interesting, may not be generalizable. Nearly all of the participants were well-educated white adults. In addition, the use of dietary questionnaires and self-reported weight measurement may have introduced measurement errors. However, the study strengths do include a very large sample size and long follow-up, with consistent results across three cohorts.

While the study does have its downsides, it also shows that eating more fruits and veggies does have its upsides. Certainly, increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables and replacing them for things like sweets couldn't hurt your diet.

The findings are published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

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