We all know, deep down, what foods we should and shouldn't be eating. But a new study has revealed the shocking level of damage we could be doing to our bodies by not opting for healthier options.
A piece of research carried out by the University of Michigan School of Public Health has claimed that one hot dog could take as much as 36 minutes off a person's life.
The study, which ranked over 5,000 foods by minutes gained or lost per serving, found that the popular barbecue snack could be lethal.
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According to the report, this is due to the "detrimental effects of processed" meat, salt and fat.
The foods analysed ranged from as much as 74 minutes being lost to 80 minutes being gained per serving.
Unsurprisingly, all of the things we have come to know and love in this world, like burgers, bacon butties and sweet drinks are just the things that could expedite one's shuffling off this mortal coil.
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Whereas the obvious things like fruit, vegetables and cereals will keep us here for much longer.
For example, one 85-gram serving of chicken wings translated to 3.3 minutes of life lost but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches could add a whopping 33 minutes to it.
Discussing the findings, the research team behind the study said it's a complex matter.
They said: "Previous studies investigating healthy or sustainable diets have often reduced their findings to a discussion of plant-based versus animal-based foods, with the latter stigmatised as the least nutritious and sustainable.
"Although we find that plant-based foods generally perform better, there are considerable variations within both plant-based and animal-based foods that should be acknowledged before such generalised inferences are warranted."
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When asked whether people should be worried about the findings, registered dietician Christy Brissette told ABC News that it totally depends on just how much a person is eating.
She said: "I think if you're eating hot dogs in a Joey-type of way, this could be a turning point in your life to maybe cut back a little bit.
"If you enjoy a hot dog once in a while, completely fine. Everybody wants to have fun foods in their life, and that's part of enjoying eating."
But as well as the impact of foods on a person's body, the study also looked at the effect certain groups have on our planet.
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It found that the most environmentally sustainable foods were fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains and some seafood.
However, things like processed meat, pork, beef, lamb and cheese-based foods represented the most harm.
The team added: "In agreement with previous studies, this suggests that nutritionally beneficial foods might not always generate the lowest environmental impacts and vice versa."
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