Research shows vegetarians tend to be slimmer but experts say it is unrealistic to expect people to completely cut out meat

Cutting down on meat through a “flexitarian” diet almost halves the risk of obesity, researchers have found.

Following the lead of vegetarians by eating more meat-free meals and extra fruit and vegetables each week is enough to keep weight off, according to a study of 16,000 people.

While previous research has found that vegetarians tend to be slimmer, experts said it was unrealistic to expect people to shun meat entirely, arguing that a flexitarian approach offered many of the benefits.

“It’s not a radical shift to a vegetarian diet, it’s more a gentle approximation,” said Maira Bes-Rastrollo of the University of Navarra, who led the latest study. “It’s not strict.”

Meat is thought to cause weight gain because it contains more fat and is denser