Eating French Fries Weekly Increases Risk of Death Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Your Fries May Be Deadly

Study links frequent consumption to higher risk

Over 4 thousand people participated in the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Jonathan Knowles/Getty Images . A new study has discovered a link between frequent eating of french fries and an increased risk of premature death. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The research took place over eight years and was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study analyzed the dietary habits of 4,400 people ages 45 to 79, focusing on how often participants ate potatoes ­—­ fried or not. Researchers found that people who consumed fried potatoes ­— whether french fries, tater tots or hash browns ­— at least twice a week could more than double their risk of premature death. And the most shocking result was that, by the end of the study, 236 participants had died. “I don’t think they died from eating french fries alone, but most likely the habit meant they also indulged in other high-risk eating behaviors,” nutritionist Beth Warren, the author of Living a Real Life With Real Food, . “It seems that those people in the study who consumed fried potatoes at least twice per week were more likely to have an .” Researchers emphasized that the increased mortality risk appears to be related to frequent consumption of fried potatoes, an association not found with eating potatoes that were not fried. “Additional studies in larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm if overall potato consumption is associated with higher mortality risk,” they said. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS