What REALLY makes us gain weight -- and how best to lose it? (Or not gain?)

Eat more yogurt!

Diets don't work. Counting calories doesn't work. Even dedicated exercise is no guarantee that you won't gain pounds every year until you're a middle-aged overweight or even obese person wondering how I got that way, and what on earth can get these pounds off?
The latest research reinforces what nutritionists have been saying for years: it's what you eat that makes all the difference. And not just HOW MUCH you eat, but what those foods actually are.
For a lengthy discussion of the most up to date research on how to avoid long-term weight creep, check out this article in the New York Times Health section.
Short version: avoid bad foods and pile on the good foods. No surprises what the bad ones are: French fries and potato chips are the main offenders in causing Americans to be fat, followed closely sugary drinks and red or processed meats.

Step away from the fried potatoes

And what are the good foods we should be chowing down at every opportunity? Again, no surprises: fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Slightly more surprising is that nuts are every bit as good for you as we've been hearing, and the big surprise? The one food most associated with people NOT gaining weight over the years is YOGURT. That's right -- eat more yogurt!