"Does eating meat cause weight gain? Some say this hotly debated question holds the key to weight management success in our modern day. Well, after a five year European study, we finally have an answer for you. Read below to learn about the study, the findings, and what those findings mean for you."
Lately it’s been all over the news that eating meat is a major cause of weight gain. In fact, I’ve been sent several articles like this from readers in the last few days asking my opinion.
These news reports are the result of a recently held 5 year, 360,000 participant European study. The study controlled for total energy intake, physical activity levels, education, dietary patterns, age, sex, and smoking habits. After all of these controls, the final outcome was that all calories are not created equally and in fact, eating meat does cause weight gain.
At the end of the five year study, the average meat eating subject gained 4.4lbs (2kg) in comparison to the person that ate little to no meat.
Based on these findings, various news outlets have taken to saying high protein diets are not conducive to weight loss. Some even say that high carb diets are best for fat loss.
While this has been all over the health newswires, the study (which allowed for red meat, poultry, and processed meat) may not be quite as cut and dry as the media has been portraying it to be. Let’s take a little closer look at some of the potential problems with this study.
Self reporting…
The study claimed that two people with the same habits and caloric intakes would differ in weight gain based on meat consumption. In order to keep track of 360,000 people for 5 years, the participants (that self reported their weight) also self reported their diets, caloric intake, and physical activity levels. It’s long been known that vegetarians typically over estimate their total caloric intake while your average omnivore typically under estimates their intake. Therefore, any study that does self reporting is flawed from the onset.
That said, meat has considerably more calories than say broccoli which has only 20 calories per cup.
Body composition…
Being that weight was self reported, one thing that wasn’t required was body fat percentage. Typically, meat eaters will have considerably more muscle on their body than their vegetarian brethren. Since muscle is far more dense than fat, it would make sense that they would weigh more overall. In this case, added weight would not be a negative. However, since this widely quoted study didn’t take this into account, we’ll never really know.
Meat quality…
The last thing worth mentioning is something I harp on often. Was this meat even something you should consider food? Was it from a humanely raised healthy animal that spent it’s like out in the sun, happily grazing the fields or pecking the dirt for seed and insects or was this the fat, sick, genetically altered, hormone and drug filled “meat” they try to pass off on us that is unfit for human consumption? I guarantee you it’s the latter. It always is because that is what they make available. Once again, this one vital piece of information is skipped as they make their case that food is bad for you.
While the media touts this as the final answer we’ve all been waiting for, the truth is the study is heavily flawed and the determinations that have come from it have no basis in fact. Even if it weren't flawed, by leaving out such information as to whether the added weight is muscle or fat is enough to render it useless in terms of health. Unfortunately it is this style of testing and reporting that leads to so many of the myths regarding our food and health. Flawed study comes out and the media jumps on it and while adding their own twists. Then fitness and nutrition "experts" read it and repeat it enough times that it becomes the "truth". Then you hear it, try your best to follow it, and then get discouraged when you fail to reach your goals and damage your health. It should be a crime.
I want to thank the many of you that sent in these articles. There is a lot of amazingly inaccurate information out there and as always it is my intention to make sure the truth is just as easily accessible to you.
Until next time,
Kris
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