Expert reveals the amount of fries that are safe to eat

A professor has been slammed for suggesting people should only eat six sticks of french fries during a meal.

Professor Eric Rimm, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told the New York Times they were “starch bombs” and restaurants should serve only six sticks of the greasy goodness on a plate alongside a salad.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year claimed people who ate fried potatoes two to three times a week had a higher mortality rate than people who ate potatoes cooked other ways.

The fatty food has also been linked to heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Despite the research, fans of the salty snack have hit out at Professor Rimm’s suggestion, saying he is trying to ruin French fries.

“Six fries? I’m going to eat a slice of apple pie after my chilli dinner with cheesy mash potatoes. There’s more than one way to skin a potato,” one joked on Twitter.

Another said she was in the final planning phase of her “French fry protest” while others suggested Professor Rimm was a “mad man”.

“What kind of mad man would want six french fries? I get it, they are bad for you, but eating six sounds like torture. I’d rather not have them at all,” one wrote on Twitter.

Professor Rimm has hit out at his critics, saying the first six taste the best anyway.

“After that do you still feel the same? Also finishing all 50 how does your stomach feel 30 minutes later. It’s all about portion size,” he tweeted.

He also called on people to stop “dissin’ the Prof”.

“We need culinary experts to step up and take a stance. It’s easy to give diners a huge hunk of fried potatoes. Give them a tease to make them wanting more (and sneak in some greens!).”