A Finnish study has found that eating a lot of meat can lead to an unfortunate side effect: an increased likelihood of being overweight.
Meat Consumption and BMI
The study, conducted by Finnish health authorities, involved 4,494 people aged 18 to 74.
Participants answered a questionnaire about their eating habits over the past year, and their weight and height were measured to calculate their body mass index (BMI).
Researchers discovered a link between high meat consumption and being overweight, defined as having a BMI of 30 or above.
On average, men in the study ate 144 grams of meat per day, while women ate 86 grams per day.
The study showed that women who ate the most meat were more than three times as likely to be overweight compared to women who ate the least meat.
For men, those who ate the most meat had slightly less than three times the risk of being overweight compared to those who ate the least meat.
The researchers accounted for other habits and educational levels that could affect health. Interestingly, no statistical link between meat intake and being overweight was found in men who had nine years or less of schooling.
Laura Sare-Jäske, one of the researchers, told Finnish media YLE that there might be other factors influencing the results that were not considered in the study.
The research has been published in the scientific journal Public Health Challenges.
