- Forget about
calories and focus on ingredients to lose weight, Dr. Tim Spector told Insider. - Ultra-processed foods can be less satisfying than whole foods, causing us to overeat.
People should eat fewer ultra-processed foods (UPFs) instead of counting calories to lose weight and improve their
A calorie deficit is required for weight loss, but Spector said that calorie tracking is inaccurate because labels are often incorrect, and people will naturally consume fewer calories if they prioritize eating whole foods without any artificial ingredients.
"We've got to stop talking about calories," Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, UK, said. "Ultra-processed food is the enemy."
Spector is the author of best-selling book, "Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything We've Been Told About Food is Wrong."
Lots of foods are processed in some way, such as oats, yogurt, or flour. But UPFs are generally mass-produced in a factory and contain additives such as colors and preservatives to maintain taste or texture, which have been linked to various health problems. Examples of UPFs include packaged cakes and cookies, and bags of chips.
Research suggests that more than half of the foods consumed in high income countries are UPFs.
A small 2019 study from the National Institutes of Health found that diets high in UPFs led people to eat on average 500 more calories a day and gain more weight when compared with those eating fresh food, as Insider's Hilary Brueck reported. Scientists aren't sure why this happened, but they think there may be something unique about how our hormones interact with processed foods.
UPFs have also been linked to people dying earlier and a higher risk of heart disease, according to a 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, as Brueck and Insider's Gabby Landsverk reported.
'It's a myth that calories are useful'
Spector believes that the biggest myth damaging people's health is that calories are useful. Their importance is "vastly overblown" and we should be more concerned with the ingredients in food, he said.
"We all have very different metabolic needs so you can't rely on how someone else did on some calorie-controlled diet or stick to some totally arbitrary 2,000 calories for women, it's complete rubbish," he said.
For example, while a croissant is generally fewer calories than avocado and eggs on sourdough toast, the latter has a higher nutritional value and will keep you fuller for longer due to the fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Whole foods can keep you fuller than ultra-processed foods
Spector said calorie-counting drives people to eat more UPFs because they will seek out low calorie versions of food.
Brands remove fat and sugar from foods to reduce the number of calories, and sometimes add chemicals and sweeteners to ensure they are still palatable.
Research shows people can end up overeating low-calorie but highly processed foods which aren't always as satiating, which can lead to weight gain.
Whole foods are more satiating than UPFs because they are usually higher in fiber and protein, so they release energy slowly and keep people full, making them less likely to reach for more food soon after, Spector said.
Nick Shaw, a bodybuilder, personal trainer and diet coach at RP Strength previously told Insider that he encourages people to prioritize whole foods when losing weight, even if less nutritious foods have the same calories and macros.
"The best idea is to use food quality as a means to easier control your food quantity," he said. "If you stick to mostly whole food choices like lean proteins (eg. chicken breast), lots of vegetables, healthy fats, and then some healthy carbs (eg. sweet potato or whole grains) you will feel more full, have fewer cravings, and you can still hit your food quantities needed to help with fat loss."
Avoid foods with more than 10 ingredients
While some foods are technically processed, they aren't ultra-processed and can fit into a healthy diet and don't need to be avoided. These include canned fruit, frozen vegetables, and yogurt, Spector said.
To work out whether a food is ultra-processed, look at the ingredients list and see how long it is — if a food has more than 10 ingredients, it might not be a great choice.
See how many names you recognize, too — if you see something you wouldn't have in your kitchen cupboard, it's best to steer clear, Spector said.