Scientists at Harvard undertook a study that analyzed diet and lifestyle habits of 120,877 non-obese people. Their weight was measured at four year intervals for 20 years, and they detailed their diets on questionnaires.
On average, participants gained nearly `17 pounds over the 20 years. For each of the four-year period, food choices contributed to an extra four pounds while exercise cut less than two pounds.
"There is no magic bullet for weight control," study leader Dr. Frank Hu told the Associated Press. "Diet and exercise are important for preventing weight gain, but diet clearly plays a bigger role."
The authors recommended eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts while cutting back on the top twelve foods for weight gain, listed below.
12. Butter: Individuals that ate a lot of butter gained about .30 pound every four years.
11. Fruit juice: Even 100-percent fruit juice had too much sugar to be considered healthy--it added .31 pound of extra body weight every four years.
10. Fried Foods: Eating fried foods at home added .36 pound every four years, while eating lots of it at restaurants added .28 pound over the same interval.
