I Don't Think I Need To Lose Weight, So Why Do I Need To Eat Healthy?

Dr. Willett answers the question: 'I'm Not Overweight. Why Eat Healthy?'

By
Walter Willett, M.D., M.P.H., Professor and Chairman, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
December 22, 2008, 3:55 PM ET
1 min read

February 1, 2009 -- Question: I don't think I need to lose weight, so why do I need to eat healthy?

Answer: In general, it's helpful to think that a good diet means paying attention to the quantity of food we eat, as well as the quality of food that we eat. Of course the quantity is related to overweight and obesity if we eat too much. But even if we're not overweight our food choices still make an important difference in our long term health and wellbeing. That means paying attention to the types of fat in the diet, the forms of carbohydrate, getting plenty of fruits and vegetables, and keeping sodium intake low.