The number one cause of obesity in the United States is the potato chip. A new study reports that more than any other food or drink, potato chips are packing pounds onto millions of Americans.

The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine and was paid for by the National Institutes for Health. It concludes that just a single serving of 15 potato chips per day will add over a pound and a half to your frame every four years. Researchers say the chips are worse for you than sugary drinks or sweet deserts. Soda will add a pound every four years while sweets add just four tenths of a pound.

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The study looked at other foods and activities that are associated with weight gain and found that they are not nearly as significant factors as eating chips. A beer or glass of wine is equivalent to eating sweets and will put on .4 of a pound over four years. Watching TV for an hour a day adds three tenths of a pound over a four year period and the study found that quitting smoking can lead to a quick weight gain.

This study reinforces the importance of watching what you eat and getting some exercise. A person who eats all of the things that can lead to weight gain and watches a lot of TV could easily pick up ten pounds in four short years and that could turn into 20 or 40 pounds as you continue to age. The study shows people who ate a regular diet of fruits and vegetables did not gain as much weight.