Diverse diets may lead to overeating

Thursday, December 13, 2018
Could too much diversity in your diet be a bad thing?
Could too much diversity in your diet cause you to overeat?

You may be able to save money and stay healthy by limiting your snack choices at work to just one. An advisory from the American Heart Association shows eating a large variety of foods may backfire.

Here's why - the AHA says there's no consistent evidence that more diversity promotes healthy weight or optimal eating.

In fact, Houston Dr. Marcia Otto from the UT Health School of Public Health says it could be the opposite.

She says there's evidence the increase in options may delay the feeling of fullness, contributing to overeating and weight gain.

"In my office, for example, I keep one chocolate bar -- dark chocolate that I love -- and that's my snack for the day. I know that if I had a number of different snack options, I would be eating a lot more snacks," said Dr. Otto.

The AHA says you should instead focus on getting a few of the right foods.

Think fish, poultry, nuts, vegetables, beans, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.