
As presented in an amazingly well-made Atlantic Monthly slideshow, the researchers distill for simplicity's sake 5 foods that help us gain excess body fat (i.e., make us fat) and 5 foods that help us from gaining excess body fat (or stay lean). Read on to see the foods and accompanying graph.

1. Potato chips
2. Potatoes
3. Sugar-sweetened beverages
4. Unprocessed red meats
5. Processed meats
And foods in our American diet today that help us stay skinny?
1. Vegetables
2. Whole grains
3. Fruits
4. Nuts
5. Yogurt
The graph above summarizes how much weight gain or less was seen with total pounds gained or lost over 4 years on average as a result of consuming an additional daily serving of that particular food.