The Obesity Culprit Want to know the reason why America is becoming the Obese Nation? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a theory in a recent report: It's the carbs. Tracking trends of calorie intake from 1971 through 2000, CDC researchers found that the total calorie consumption of Americans has increased steadily over three decades. And most of that increase came from a jump of calories from carbohydrates in both women and men. Meanwhile, calorie intake from fats and other protein sources changed very little. The study cited two possible reasons for these trends: 1) Americans are eating more "food away from home" (such as "salty snacks, soft drinks and pizza"), and 2) increased portion sizes. I'll agree with both of those and add two more to the list: 1) A longstanding mainstream fixation encouraging consumption of low fat foods, and 2) The pyramid. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends 6 to 11 servings per day from the grain group: bread, cereal, rice and pasta. The maximum recommended servings per day of fruits, vegetables and meats COMBINED is 12. Gee, do you suppose it's a coincidence that the trends in calorie intake exactly mirror the recommendations found in the pyramid? Eat plenty of bread, cereal and pasta, but go easy on the meats, fruits and vegetables, and what do you get? An obesity epidemic of epic proportion! To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute Sources:
"Trends in Intake of Energy and Macronutrients" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 53, No. 4, 2/6/04, cdc.gov
"CDC Says Carbs to Blame for Rising Calorie Intake" Paul Simao, Reuters Health, 2/5/04, reutershealth.com | 
