If your body burns 64 fewer calories per meal because you eat processed food, you’ll gain a pound of fat in a month without eating more.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Postprandial energy expenditure in whole-food and processed-food meals: implications for daily energy expenditure
This study found that eating processed food burns about 64 fewer calories after eating than eating whole food — exactly the number claimed to cause a pound of fat gain per month. It’s the first direct proof of how processed food might make us gain weight by slowing down calorie burning.
Contradicting (1)
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Relationship between Ghrelin and Energy Expenditure in Healthy Young Women
This study found that a certain hormone (ghrelin) is linked to burning fewer calories after eating, but it didn't test ultraprocessed foods or measure weight gain — so it doesn't prove the claim about eating those foods causing 1 pound of fat per month.