A specialist in the world's rare 'Blue Zones'has shared what he claims is an easy-to-follow rule for bothweight lossand longevity. Dan Buettner, 65, is a researcher of several regions around the globe where people reportedly have a greater chance of reaching 100 than a typical person in the US.

While sticking to a plant-based diet, eating plenty of beans, and even regular gardening are among the longevity tips Dan recommends, he suggests that one of the 'easiest' to follow concerns snacking habits. In a TikTok published last week, he shared his thoughts.

"One of the easiest things to remember if you want to lose weight and live longer through diet is simply stop snacking," Dan claimed. "Marketers will tell you all the time that you need this extra little boost of Omega-3s or nutrients or fibre, protein. You don't.

"The pattern we see very clearly in the Blue Zones is you have a big breakfast, a medium-sized lunch and a small dinner, and then you let your digestive system rest for 14 hours and also let it rest between meals. And we'll see you when you're 100."

In the caption, he also added: "One of the simplest, most practical rules for weight loss and longevity: stop snacking." Dan certainly isn't alone in his perspective either. A wealth of previous research has also warned that unhealthy snacking may undo the benefits of nutritious meals, including a 2023 King's College study.

Scientists found that among more than 1,000 participants, a quarter reported eating healthy main meals alongside 'poor-quality snacks', such as highly processed foods and sugary treats. These snacks were associated with various negative health markers, including a higher BMI, higher visceral fat mass and greater triglyceride concentrations, all of which are associated with metabolic diseases such as strokes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

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At the time, Dr Sarah Berry from King’s College London and chief scientist at ZOE said: "Considering 95% of us snack, and that nearly a quarter of our calories come from snacks, swapping unhealthy snacks such as cookies, crisps and cakes to healthy snacks like fruit and nuts is a really simple way to improve your health."

As Dr Berry suggests, it is important to recognise that the unhealthiness of snacking depends strongly on the snack a person chooses. This was similarly highlighted in another 2023 study from the American Society for Nutrition.

Kate Bermingham, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at King's College, who worked on the study, explained: "Our study showed that the quality of snacking is more important than the quantity or frequency of snacking, thus choosing high-quality snacks over highly processed snacks is likely beneficial.

"Timing is also important, with late-night snacking being unfavourable for health."

TheNHS Better Health initiative has delved into various potential snack ideas and recipes on its website. We've summarised five of these below:

The website adds: "DIY snacks can be healthier and often cheaper than packaged ones. Making them with the kids can also be lots of fun and a great activity to do together. Give these great, easy-to-prepare snack ideas a try today!"

For more information, click here.

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