A European study of almost 400,000 adults found that eating meat was linked with weight gain, even in people taking in the same number of calories.

The strongest association was found with processed meat, such as sausages and ham, the Imperial College London team reported.

It suggests that high-protein diets may not help slimmers in the long run.

Sian Porter, a dietician and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, said:

"We eat more meat than we need.  What I say to my patients is to think about variety - so have an egg for breakfast instead of bacon, cheese for lunch instead of ham and fish for the evening meal.

She advised people to eat lots of lentils and pulse, wholegrains, fruit and veg and oily fish as well as meat.

"Portion size is the other thing - a portion of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards."

With thanks to www.bbc.co.uk.
 
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