The foods you’re most likely to overeat - and how to avoid doing so

Some smoothies contain up to six servings of fruit, which exceeds the recommended daily allowance

Never before have we lived in a land of such plenty. Hungry for meat? A rib eye steak is probably within touching distance. Thirsty? Try your local shop for 86 varieties of fruit smoothie, juice and fizzy drinks.

Perhaps it's no surprise that the latest statistics show that 1 in 4 British people will be obese by 2025 - putting the UK on course to be the fattest nation in Europe.

We have become a nation of overeaters, driven by gluttony, convenience, lack of nutritional knowledge, habit and cultural shifts. 

But having such an abundance of readily-to-eat food is only a recent development, in evolutionary terms, and our bodies are struggling to process the plethora of fats, starches and sugars we throw at it. 

"Our bodies are still geared towards making the most of whatever food they can get their hands on," explains Dr Adam Simon, chief medical officer at PushDoctor. "This biological set-up was vital when humans were subject to regular food shortages, but can prove highly detrimental in our current food-rich lifestyles."

To help you along the path of nutritional rediscovery, here are five of the worst, least-expected, offenders of over consumption - and how to tackle them. 

Nuts and seeds 

Nuts and seeds are a dense source of fat and calories. They easily portable, cheap, freely available and deliciously satisfying.

Obesity expert Dr Zoë Harcombe, author of Why do You Overeat? When All You Want is to be Slim, explains our obsession: “There are three macro nutrients. We know them as carbohydrate, fat and protein. Nature rarely puts all three macronutrients in good measure in the same food. Nuts and seeds are the prime exception. Maybe the body registers this trilogy of nutrition; maybe they just taste delicious. Either way, nuts are the most moreish real food on the planet. Don't eat them - they are dieting devils.”

Nuts are the most moreish real food on the planet but they are devils to dietsObesity expert Dr Zoë Harcombe

Salted nuts, eaten in large quantities, also contribute to high blood pressure. The Harvard Medical School suggest subtracting the equivalent amount of calories elsewhere if you add a lot of them to your diet. Dr Simon says ideal servings depend on the type of nuts and seeds and the amount of fat you have from other elements o fyour diet. As a rule, he suggests sticking to a tablespoon a day (75g). 

Fruit smoothies

The government suggests five portions of fruit and vegetables a day yet we slurp smoothies by the gallon. Supermarkets and yoga studios are saturated with them and NutriBullets have never been more popular. But whizz up a smoothie and you can be putting away six servings of fruit in one serving - a food group that is high in the sugar fructose. A smoothie can have as many as 500 calories and 30g of sugar per 250ml serving, which is a third of your daily intake in just a small glass

Studies have found too much fructose leads to insulin resistance, elevated blood cholesterol and increased weight gain, especially around the stomach. High sugar fruits (watermelon, plums and grapefruit) cause a spike in blood sugar which can lead to diabetes.

There is also research that says fructose raises the hunger-promoting hormone ghrelin to encourage you to overeat some more. If you can’t manage without a daily hit try diluting half the amount with half a cup of water.

Dr Simon suggests opting for lower fructose level fruits such as bananas, apples or pears or adding low sugar vegetables to your smoothie such as beetroot, carrot, cucumber and spinach.


In the history of mankind dairy products are relatively recent additions to the food chain and consequently more likely to be something to which we are intolerant. “We’re not talking food allergy here, but intolerance – commonly the result of having too much of something, too often, too fast,” says Dr Harcombe.

“Lactose intolerance is far less common among northern Europeans than other ethnicities, but is becoming increasingly prevalent in the UK with the pints we now drink in high street coffee chains. The irony with food intolerance is that we can develop withdrawal symptoms when we don’t have our daily fix, so we crave the substance to avoid the cold turkey symptoms.”

Lactose intolerance can cause symptoms such as bloating, nausea and diarrhoea between 30 minutes and two hours after drinking milk or a dairy product. 

The amount ingested before intolerance might build up cannot be quantified as it varies so widely from person to person. "Someone with lower general health will be more susceptible than someone who consumes more but with good health."

Dr Simon recommends that more than three glasses a day is "too much".  Those who struggle to digest the milk sugar lactose should avoid all types: full-cream milk, semi-skimmed and skimmed cow's milk. Dr Simon suggests switching to soy or almond milk for an alternative, which is lower in fat but also fortified with naturally-occurring calcium and vitamin D.

Broccoli, sprouts and kale

Cruciferous vegetables are a family of greens that include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage and other collard greens. Kale, so over consumed that farmers declared a worldwide shortage in 2014, has never been more fashionable thanks to original advocates Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston – and we put away kilos of the rest too, blitzed into ultra healthy green juices.

While the health benefits are vast (including a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease), the vegetables also harbour a compound called thiocyanates that can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iodine.

Our bodies are still geared towards making the most of whatever food they can get their hands onDr Adam Simon

This, in turn, contributes to hypothyroidism, symptoms of which include an enlarged thyroid, weight gain, dry sky and general sluggishness. Experts warn that those with thyroid problems should be especially wary of consuming large amounts, so ensure your vegetable plate has a diverse mix of colours when serving.

Vinegar and pickled foods

Pickled gherkins, onions, carrots and beetroot might make for cheap and easy hors d’oeuvres but consuming too much vinegar – white, balsamic, red wine and rice - can deplete the stomach of acid and cause an increase of yeast (otherwise known as candida) and gut inflammation. “If candida stays in balance with other gut flora all is well," says Dr Harcombe. 

“Our modern lifestyle of antibiotics, refined carbohydrates, the pill and other alien substances all too easily upsets the natural balance, allowing candida to thrive.

Vinegar and pickled foods are banned by all the original practitioners studying this condition.” Over consumption of pickles is also attributed to bloating and high blood pressure.

Start using apple cider vinegar instead. It's the only exception to the vinegar rule; with studies showing a spoonful of it can actually combat yeast overgrowth.

As with milk and other food groups, the amount necessary before problems and intolerance may emerge is dependent on other dietary and lifestyle factors. Dr Simon says, ""Just a couple of teaspoons served with, or on, your food (such as salads) is sufficient. You can also swap vinegar for a squeeze of lemon or lime juice on your food and salads."