Forget counting calories. A weight-loss doctor advises counting chemical additives, flavorings, and colorings in the foods you eat to stay slim.

Sally Norton, M.D., tells the Daily Mail artificial chemicals in food used to preserve them, enhance their flavor, and make them look more appealing are the real culprits inobesity.

Instead of eating a lot of food out of boxes, bags, and cans, she advises loading up on fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole gains.

“With so many of us now overweight, we’ve been conditioned to focus on the calories present in food,” she says. “Not only is calorie counting alone an ineffective way of controlling our weight, but by focusing all of our attention on how many calories we are putting into our bodies, we aren’t paying attention to the other stuff in our food – the excess fat and sugar, and – one thing that is so often ignored – the chemicals.”