Junk food has been blamed as the main reason behind increasing obesity rate in countries, especially in America. Now, a new research paper by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab has unveiled that junk is not the prime reason, but overall eating habits of Americans are the root cause.

Study’s lead researcher David Just, Co-director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, said, “If you over-eat junk foods, they are going to make you fat. It's just that it doesn't look like that it's those foods that are making people fat generally. It's something else. It's their broader diet or it's their exercise regimen”.

In the study, the researchers have reviewed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Household and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2007 and 2008 in which around 5,000 people were present in the US.

In the survey, participants were asked to remember their food intake they had in the last 24 hours. Other factors that were also included were height and weight and on those bases, body mass index was calculated.

Study researchers came to know that there was no major difference in the junk food consumption of overweight and healthy person. The researchers have said that junk is not good for health, but they have also affirmed that the overall diet of Americans is the culprit as they are eating too much and not doing enough exercise.

“I find that when people cut down on these foods, and add whole, real foods like fruits, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fat, they lower their calorie consumption naturally without feeling hungry or deprived”, said Alissa Rumsey, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.