A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report says that carbohydrates are the reason why Americans, women in particular, have been eating increasing numbers of calories over the past 30 years. Women were eating 22 percent more calories in 2000 than in 1971, men 8 percent more. On average, women consumed 1,877 calories per day in 2000, while men consumed 2,618.
Of those calories, carbohydrates make up a 51.6 percent in women, up from 45.4 percent, and 49 percent in men, compared with 42.4 percent in 1971. Previous research has linked this increase to a greater intake of salty snacks, pizza and other fast food.
The report was released as warnings continue to surface about the growing obesity epidemic in the United States. The number of obese Americans has doubled since 1980, which also raises the incidence of obesity-related conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis. Scientists say the findings point out a need to reduce total caloric intake, rather than focusing particularly on reducing carbs.
Yahoo! News February 5, 2004
Now even the federal government, the CDC, is acknowledging that Americans, especially women, are getting fatter because they eat much more of everything than they did 30 years ago, and carbs are the biggest culprit. The majority of the increase in calories is from an increase in carbohydrate intake and that is not fruits and vegetables. It's the cookies, bagels, chips, pasta and soda that are to blame.
The extra calories are leading to extra pounds and chronic health problems. Over two-thirds of the U.S. population is now overweight. Of course the CDC officials did not say whether the study would affect the USDA's Food Pyramid, which recommends eating a diet heavy in breads and grains, which are high in carbohydrates. One must wonder where the real truth lies, as the making of the Food Pyramid was influenced by enormous conflict of interests.
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