Non-vegetarians, who include chicken in their diet in place of red meat to make it healthier may soon have to reconsider, with scientists at the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University revealing that chickens bred in farms contain more fat than protein due to their dietary intake.
They said that due to high energy food intake and lack of excercise, chickens today accumulate nearly three times more fat in their bodies as they did 35 years ago.
Professor Michael Crawford, of the University feels that intensive farming methods were only responsible for the rising levels of obesity.
"Chickens used to roam free and eat herbs and seeds. They are now fed with high energy foods and even most organic chickens don't have to walk any distance to eat", the Telegraph quoted University professor Crawford as saying.
"Our physiology is adapted for eating wild food. You just wouldn't find anything like these chickens in the wild", he added.
While comparing the fat content in the chickens, he found that 100 grams of supermarket chicken today consists of 22.8 grams of fat compared to just 8.6 grams in 1970. and there was also a 30 per cent decline in protein levels, as compared to the earlier period.
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