Spending more on food is associated with a healthier diet: study

Washington: You may want to start spending more on food to keep those extra kilos at bay as a new study suggests so.

According to the epidemiological study carried out by researchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), increasing the money you spend on food is linked to a better quality diet, particularly increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, leading to a healthier weight and decreased risk of cardiometabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.

The researchers monitored a group of 2181 Spanish men and women aged 25 to 74, all part of the REGICOR (Registre Gironi del Cor) programme, for a period of ten years. They measured their height and weight, and recorded dietary data obtained from a scientifically validated food frequency questionnaire. The average food cost was calculated using official government data.

Researcher Helmut Schroder said that they have seen that a 1.4 Euro increase in average spending on food is associated with the consumption of 74 grams more vegetables and 52 grams more fruit, per person per day, for a 1000 kcal diet.

Schroder noted that a reduction of 0.06 Euro in average spending is linked to a decrease of 121 grams of vegetables and 94 grams of fruit, as well as increased consumption of foodstuffs like fast food and baked goods. This implies weight gain that could be related to a higher risk of cardiometabolic complications in the future.

The study appears in British Journal of Nutrition.