The skinny on chocolate

If you think chocolate will ruin your figure, think again! A study by the University of California found that people who regularly enjoy chocolate are slimmer than those who don't.

Chocolate calories don’t count

Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, and her research colleagues dared to hypothesise that modest, regular chocolate consumption might be ‘calorie-neutral.’

The term ‘calorie neutral’ means that the metabolic benefits of a certain food, like chocolate, would lead to reduced fat deposition per calorie and offset the added calories. In other words, the calories wouldn't count!

Chocolate eaters are slimmer

To prove it, researchers examined dietary information of approximately 1 000 adults in San Diego, for whom weight and height had been measured.

They not only found regular chocolate eaters to be slimmer, but that slim 'chocolate connoisseurs' did not eat fewer calories or exercise more than those who consumed less chocolate.

"Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories matters, not just the number of them, for determining their ultimate impact on weight," said Golomb. "In the case of chocolate, this is good news - both for those who have a regular chocolate habit, and those who may wish to start one."

So, as it turns out, a little bit of chocolate on the lips actually trims the hips!

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