A recent study has confirmed that women who thrive on a diet which is rich in helpings of white bread, sugary syrups and pastries and the like which is highly refined energy food gain more weight and flab around their midriff than women who conscientiously take a diet rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Highly refined food is easily broken down to simple sugar, glucose, increasing the circulating sugar in the body in a sudden surge which is termed as a high glycaemic diet. Where as vegetables and whole grain foods take time to break down and are classified as low glycaemic foods.

Recent studies have revealed that women on a high glycaemic diet are prone to feel hungry more often at shorter intervals through the day causing them to eat more than what their bodies need .this craving leads them to finally land up extra padding around their waist.

Dr. Helle Hare-Bruun and colleagues studied 376 men and women between ages 35 to 65 years within normal ranges of body weight over a period of six years to study how glycaemic index actually affects weight gain and their study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Their research brought to light that women with moderately high glycaemic index showed a greater tendency to gain weight, and gain inches around their waist in general .Lack of physical activity and a sedentary life style can add on to the chances of diet induced weight gain. Surprisingly glycaemic index showed no effect on the men that underwent the studies.