More fruits, non-starchy veggies can help you shed those extra kilos

Washington D.C.: You may want to start eating more fruits and non-starchy vegetables as a new study has associated them with less weight gain.

Increased consumption of fruits and non-starchy vegetables is inversely associated with weight change, according to the longitudinal study conducted by Monica Bertoia of Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues.

The research shows differences by type of fruit or vegetable, suggesting that characteristics of these foods influence the strength of their association with weight change.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults and children should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to help them achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

After adjusting for self-reported changes in other lifestyle factors such as smoking status and physical activity, an increased intake of fruits and of several vegetables was inversely associated with 4-y weight change (-0.53 lb (- 0.24 kg) for each extra daily serving of fruit, -0.25 lb (-0.11 kg) for vegetables).

However, starchy vegetables, for example peas (1.13 lb; 95 percent CI 0.37 to 1.89 lb) and corn (2.04 lb; 95 percent CI 0.94 to 3.15 lb), were associated with weight gain.

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

The authors stated that their findings support benefits of increased fruit and vegetable consumption for preventing long-term weight gain and provide further food-specific guidance for the prevention of obesity, a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and many other health conditions.

The study is published in PLOS Medicine.