Eating meat now could mean packing on the pounds later, AOL reports. Researchers at Imperial College London tracked the dietary habits of 370,000 adults across Europe for five years. Those who ate the least meat also gained the least weight. Eating an additional 250 grams of meat meant an extra 4.4 pounds over five years.

I know what you’re thinking…meat has a lot of calories! And while that’s true, the study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, actually controlled for caloric intake and overall dietary pattern. So people ate the same amount of calories – and the meat-eaters gained more weight. The researchers also controlled for education, physical activity and smoking habits.

So although high-protein, low-carb diets like the Atkins diet might promote quick weight loss by sending your body into a state of ketosis, loading up on burgers and steak may not be a good decision for long-term weight maintenance.

“More importantly,” the paper reads, “our results do not support that a high-protein diet prevents obesity or promotes long-term weight loss, contrary to what has been advocated.”

Cutting back on meat can also be good for the environment, reduce diabetes symptoms and lower your stress levels! Who wants some veggies?

Photo: VirginMedia