Obesity in New Zealand is rising. This video outlines the statistics around obesity in NZ and where we rank in the world.
While we all know the outcomes of too much sugar and fat in our diet, many people don't know the danger lurking in one presumably "healthy" staple pantry item.
Soybean oil, the most commonly known form of vegetable oil, is found in a huge variety of packaged foods residing inmany kitchen cupboards.
This type of oil has previously been considered a healthier choice than other oils, but a recent study published in science journal PLOS One has found otherwise.
In a study conducted on mice at the University of California the popular ingredient was found to be potentially worse than sugar.
Control groups were each given a slightly different diet, but each diet contained 40 per cent fat - similar to the common American diet.
The results showed that the mice who ate a diet containing soybean oil gained around 25 per cent more weight than the mice consuming coconut oil instead.
And in a group of mice eating a high sugar diet, they only gained 12 per cent more than those eating coconut oil. Meaning the group on soybean oil had by far the largest weight gain.
