A Kansas State University professor proved that losing weight might be as simple as counting calories—even if most of them come from junk food.
Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition, spent two months eating mostly snack foods like Twinkies, Oreos, and Doritos. By restricting his daily intake to under 1,800 calories, he shed 27 pounds and saw unexpected improvements in his cholesterol levels and body fat percentage.
Despite these results, Haub remains conflicted about whether his diet was truly “healthy.”
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A Diet of Snack Cakes and Chips
For 10 weeks, Haub followed a diet consisting largely of processed snacks. Every three hours, he ate a convenience store item—Twinkies, Little Debbie cakes, sugary cereals, or chips. To supplement his diet, he took a multivitamin, drank a daily protein shake, and consumed minimal vegetables, usually baby carrots or a can of green beans.
Haub’s goal was to test a simple theory: when it comes to weight loss, calorie reduction matters more than food quality. His normal daily intake was about 2,600 calories, but on this diet, he limited himself to 1,800 or fewer.
“I’m eating to the point of need and pushing the plate or wrapper away,” he said.
Weight Loss and Surprising Health Improvements
By the end of the experiment, Haub had lost 27 pounds, dropping from 201 to 174. His BMI decreased from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, within the normal range.
More surprisingly, his cholesterol levels improved despite consuming mostly processed foods. His LDL (“bad” cholesterol) dropped by 20%, while HDL (“good” cholesterol) increased by 20%. His triglycerides fell by 39%.
These results challenge conventional dietary wisdom. Typically, processed foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats are associated with obesity and poor heart health. However, Haub’s case suggests that simply losing weight can lead to metabolic improvements, regardless of diet composition.
“When you lose weight, regardless of how you’re doing it—even if it’s with packaged foods—generally, you will see these markers improve,” said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian.
What About Long-Term Health?
While Haub’s experiment highlighted the power of calorie control, it raises concerns about long-term health. His diet lacked essential nutrients from whole grains, fruits, and fiber-rich vegetables.
“There are things we can’t measure,” Blatner said. “How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can’t measure how diet changes affect our health in the long run.”
Haub shares this uncertainty. “I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it’s healthy. I’m not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people,” he said.
A New Perspective on Weight Loss?
Haub’s experiment challenges the idea that weight loss must come from “clean eating” alone. He argues that instead of eliminating junk food entirely, portion control and moderation may be more realistic approaches for many people—especially those in food deserts with limited access to fresh produce.
“These foods are consumed by lots of people,” he said. “It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal.”
Despite his success, Haub does not recommend the Twinkie diet as a long-term plan. Now that his experiment is over, he plans to reintroduce more nutrient-dense foods while maintaining a calorie-conscious approach.
“There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy,” he said. “I was eating healthier before, but I wasn’t healthy. I was eating too much.”
His experience reinforces a simple but often overlooked fact: weight loss is about calories in versus calories out. However, whether a processed-food diet is truly sustainable—or healthy—in the long term remains an open question.
