Obesity blamed on white bread

PEOPLE who eat three slices of white bread a day are more likely to be overweight or obese, a study has found.

Research in Spain found students who ate that amount a day were 40% more likely to be obese or overweight five years later when compared with people who ate it once a week.

The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria.

There was no link with obesity and wholemeal bread consumption, the researcher said. This might be because of the fibre and complex carbohydrate content, which makes people feel fuller for longer.

The team carried out a 136item food questionnaire among 9 267 Spanish university graduates and followed them up for an average of five years, calculating their weight gain over time.

They found that total bread consumption was not linked with obesity. But when they looked at people who ate only white bread, it was found that those who consumed two or more portions a day, or 60g, were 40% more likely to be overweight or obese five years later compared with those who had one portion or less a week.

The research may suggest that people who eat a lot of white bread have more unhealthy diets overall.

“Refined grains such as white bread start to taste sweet in the mouth almost as soon as you eat it. That is the starch being broken down into sugar,” said lead researcher Professor Miguel MartinezGonzalez from Navarra University. “It is this feeling that leaves you wanting more. When white bread is a staple food eaten at one or two main meals a day, it is a lot of extra calories on a daily basis.”

He said there was no link with obesity and wholegrain bread found and suggested that eating wholegrain bread might protect against obesity.

This was because wholegrain bread contained more fibre, vitamins and minerals and the carbohydrate was broken down and absorbed more slowly, he said.