People who turned to a vegetarian diet gained less weight over a period of 5 years than those who did not make such major changes. These data result from a study in which 22,000 meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans took part. "Contrary to the current popular views that a diet low in carbohydrates and high in proteins keeps weight down, we found that the lowest weight gain came in people with high intake of carbohydrate and low intake of protein," stated research team leader Prof. Tim Key of Oxford University. The weight gain among meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans was compared. It showed that on average 2 kilos were gained during the 5 years. Processed meat remains one type of food that has consistently been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. Also, a vegetarian diet does not always mean a low fat one. French fries and soda do not provide essential nutrients needed daily. "The weight gain was less in the vegans than in the meat-eaters and somewhere in between in the other groups. The lowest weight gain was in people who changed their diet to eat fewer animal products. The data also showed that people who became more physically active during the five-year period gained less weight than people who did very little exercise," Key stated. He summed up that the best way to escape the ever growing threat for obesity is to combine a healthy diet with physical exercise.