In an effort to help curb America’s obesity epidemic — and perhaps to capitalize on a disease that affects one in every three American adults — many food manufacturers and restaurants are starting to market “skinny” foods. “Skinny” flatbread sandwiches, “skinny” paninis, “skinny” fried foods, and even “skinny” margaritas have now taken up prominent spots on menus countrywide. But will these types of foods really make you skinny?
While the manufacturers that offer skinny products may mean well, it’s best to avoid these products if your goal is to lose weight and become healthier. In most cases, skinny products often swap out healthy calories for those in the form of chemicals and additives that can actually hinder your weight-loss efforts.
Here are five reasons to avoid indulging in skinny foods indefinitely.
1. They’re increasing your fat intake
Manufacturers of skinny foods will omit healthy fats such as protein and carbohydrates due to their high caloric content, and replace these ingredients with added sugar, which is usually comprised of fewer calories. You may be consuming overall fewer calories, but the quality of your food is being affected, and you’re actually consuming more sugar.
2. They fail to take hormones into consideration
Considering skinny foods contain more sugar than their counterparts, your body’s hormone levels may fluctuate as a result of consuming higher amounts of sugar. Hormonal imbalance can lead to side effects such as intense, unhealthy food cravings, inflammation, lack of sleep, mood swings, infertility, and various other health problems associated with hormones.
3. They adhere to outdated rules of science
Decades ago, it was thought that reducing calories would equate to weight loss, regardless of the foods you were consuming. Today, research and findings reveal that not all calories are created equal. For instance, which item do you think benefits your health more: 300 calories of steamed sweet potatoes, or 300 calories of greasy potato chips?
