The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, looked at the eating habits of over 2,000 adults who were part of the National Institutes of Health's National Weight Control Registry. People who cooked at home at least three days per week, but not those who rarely or never cooked at home, lost more weight than those who only prepared meals away from home. Even more surprising, participants who consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day lost more weight than those who did not consume the recommended amount of produce; however, this difference was only statistically significant among individuals who maintained their weight loss for at least a year. More research is needed to better understand why this occurs. "While this study focused on people attempting to lose weight through dieting, maintaining a healthy weight should be a lifelong goal for all Americans," says the study's lead author Jennifer Bartos.

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