Good news for chocolate lovers – it’s slimming

Published on 27/03/2012 00:35

FAR from piling on the pounds, a chocolate habit can help keep you slim, new research suggests.

Just in time for Easter, scientists have announced the discovery every chocolate lover has been waiting for.

A study has found that despite boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption is related to having a lower body mass index (BMI).

The effect is modest, but is greater than can be explained by chance, say the US researchers, who took account of influencing factors such as overall fat consumption and exercise.

BMI is the standard measurement used to assess levels of obesity. The results showed that chocolate was not only “calorie neutral”, but actually appeared to make people slimmer.

Participants who ate chocolate on more days of the week than average were statistically likely to have a lower BMI than those who did not.

The findings appear in Archives of Internal Medicine, published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Study leader Dr Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, said: “Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight.

“In the case of chocolate, this is good news – for those who have a chocolate habit, and those who may wish to start one.”