Study: Cheeseburgers As Bad For You As Cigarettes

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Eating a cheeseburger could be as bad for you as smoking cigarettes.

This is according to researchers at University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology, who tracked the diets of more than 6,300 over 50 for almost two decades.

They found a diet heavy in animal proteins from milk, meat and cheese during middle age makes you nearly twice as likely to die early, and four times more likely to die of cancer.

Researchers likened that increased risk to the mortality risk associated with smoking.

However, they say eating protein in moderation over the age of 65 is good for you.