Find Out Why Dr. Oz Won't Eat Potato Chips

When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, your diet is a dramatic factor in just how healthy you are.

"We only have to look at statistics on obesity to understand the lack of awareness Americans have regarding a healthy diet," says Dr. Joe Alton, co-author of The Survival Medicine Handbook and fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American College of OB/GYN.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted in 2009–2010, more than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese.

"Clearly, U.S. citizens need more education about what a healthy diet is and its importance in avoiding medical issues," Alton points out.

This education not only involves knowing which foods to eat, but which ones to avoid. Everyone almost instinctively knows that fried foods are a huge no-no when it comes to a healthy diet, but do you know why?

Dr. David Dragoo, Aurora, Colorado anesthesiologist and medical expert for MoneyCrashers, says fried foods "...[raise] your risk of heart disease, can cause issues with your joints, make your blood pressure go up, and can also lead to diabetes."

French fries and potato chips are among the worst offenders.

"They are some of the most fattening foods in America, and the joy of their taste is not worth the weight gain," says Dr. Mehmet Oz, talk show host, best-selling author, and Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. "They sometimes also have hydrogenated fats from being basted in boiling oils containing damaged fats. These trans fats increase cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease. They do increase shelf life, but at the cost of human life."

To find out what other food doctors won't eat, check out our report here!