New Study Suggests Not All Snacking Causes Weight Gain

DERBY, Conn., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- A study just completed by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center indicates that when it comes to effects on weight, not all snacking is created equal.  In contrast to some recent studies linking snacking to weight gain, this study, which provided two KIND Fruit & Nut bars per day as snacks to 94 overweight adults, found that no weight gain occurred.

"A pilot study of this same intervention actually suggested that two daily KIND bars might lead to weight loss," said Dr. David L. Katz, Director of Yale's Prevention Research Center, and principal investigator of the current trial.  "We didn't see that, but we saw no weight gain at all either – despite the fact that we added the KIND bars to baseline diets and didn't provide any particular guidance to the study participants on  how to make room for these calories."

Study participants were assigned to either the control group or the experimental group.  Members of the control group were advised to follow their normal daily diet while members of the experimental group where asked to add two KIND Fruit & Nut bars to their habitual diet for the duration of eight weeks.  At the culmination of the study, Katz and his team of researchers found that members of both groups successfully maintained their weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist size – despite the fact that the experimental group had added approximately 350 calories to their daily diet.  

"We know that high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks can contribute to weight gain and poor health," said Katz.  "Our hypothesis was that snack foods that are highly nutritious and filling could help control appetite, reduce consumption of other foods, and add nutrients to the diet without adding calories.  That, apparently, is just what happened."

Recent reports from Health Affairs estimate that our nation's youth are eating an average of three snacks per day, lending greater significance to the findings from this study.  This trending toward increased snacking occasions gives rise to the need for people to educate themselves on what constitutes a healthy snack.  

"Our nation's search to find a cause for the obesity epidemic has led many to fault snacking," explains Dr. Katz, Center Director of PRC.  "However these study results demonstrate that snacking cannot be generally categorized.  Instead, these results substantiate the theory that snacking on nutritious foods packed with protein and fiber can help to control appetite and prevent overeating.  Further, snacking on healthy foods in between meals can help to achieve daily recommended levels of valuable vitamins and nutrients."  

"We are pleased with the findings from Dr. Katz's study as it supports the fact that KIND bars are a nutritionally beneficial part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle," explained  Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO of KIND Healthy Snacks.

The study was partially funded by KIND, LLC.

About Dr. David Katz

David L. Katz MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP is an Associate Professor, adjunct, of Public Health at the Yale University School of Public Health and directs the Yale Griffin Prevention Research Center, which he co-founded in 1998. For more information, visit www.davidkatzmd.com.

About KIND

Launched in 2004, KIND Healthy Snacks is a healthy foods company headquartered in New York, NY that produces foods that are "KIND to your body, your taste buds and the world."  Currently KIND offers two lines of award-winning, all-natural whole nut and fruit bars – KIND Fruit & Nut and KIND PLUS. Since its launch in 2004, KIND's handmade bars have quickly ascended the ranks of the nutrition bar category to become one of the top four selling brands in natural food stores across the United States. Available in more than 35,000 locations, KIND offers a delicious, wholesome, and healthy alternative to the mashed-up energy bars largely composed of emulsified fillers like high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Among other high praise and awards, KIND won Health Magazine's "Snack of the Year", and KIND PLUS won the "Best New Product" Award at Natural Products Expo East in October 2008. Learn more about KIND by visiting us online at www.kindsnacks.com.

About Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center

The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (PRC) was established in 1998 through funding from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). One of 35 such centers nationwide representing academic/community partnerships, the Yale-Griffin PRC is engaged in interdisciplinary applied prevention research in collaboration with community partners, federal, state, and local health and education agencies, and other universities. The goal the PRC is to develop innovative approaches to health promotion and disease prevention that will directly benefit the public's health, first locally, and then nationally. For more information, visit www.yalegriffinprc.org.

SOURCE Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center