Maggie's Farm

Carbs do not make you fat. If this simple theory were true then 100% of Americans and Europeans would be fat. But with all the food available to us only 20% or so of Americans are obese and another 20% fat based on an arbitrary measure. Oddly most obese people are women and people of color. Hmmmm. Could it be that weight is genetic and not because of diet?

The obesity rate (BMI > 30) for black women is 50%, for black men it is 37%. For hispanic women it is 45% for hispanic men it is 36%. For white women it is 33% and for white men it is 32%.

This is the data I was citing. I can't account for the difference between what you found and what I found except to say this kind of data tends to be abused and misused by everyone with an axe to grind.

I was not being obtuse I was stating what should be obvious to anyone with two eyes. Clearly some people are genetically obese and it doesn't matter what they eat they will still be obese. While others are not genetically obese and they can eat all the carbs or fats or high glycemic carbs they want and will not become obese. Obesity is genetic just as skinnyness is genetic. But for those people who are genetically likely to become obese then perhaps certain carbs are worse for them and thus for these people they will believe exactly what you believe. But it does not agree with reality for the majority of people who can eat high glycemic carbs or fats or lots of calories and never become obese. We tend to be blinded by our own reality but in fact most people in America are not obese and most people eat the same foods and eat till they are full.

I am in favor of "fat" in foods. I love bacon, use butter in cooking and for fresh biscuits from the oven. I use lard where called for in baking. But I feel the same way about carbs, that is I eat carbs at every meal and the meal doesn't seem balanced without potatoes or rice or pasta, etc. I use sugar and in fact I like sugar. I eat junk food and enjoy a big bag of salty chips. I have spent a lot of time and effort researching the studies and the facts about food. I have read a lot of the books and tried some of the fads. The bottom line seems to be this: If you do not have a dietary related disease, such as diabetes, or allergy there is no such thing as a "bad food". It appears to be equally true that there is no such thing as a "wonder food" or a food class that will make you well or make you ill. There is no legitimate study that has proved conclusively that a food has caused major health problems for all humans or has prevented major health problems. An Apple a day doesn't keep the doctor away and seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day won't prevent cancer or heart disease. If there was some diet that was provably healthier then simply eating a variety of foods without biased fads then I would be in favor of it But there isn't. Saturated fats, carbs and even trans-fats will not kill you and fad diets will not make you live longer. What the human body needs is certain amounts (MDR) of a list of nutrients and the best way to get this is by eating a variety of foods and not restricting your diet based on fads and misinformation. Almost everything else said about food is pure misinformation.

It is important to point out that prior to 1998 the health community used a different measure to decide obesity or overweight and that when the new measure (BMI) was instituted in 1998 the obesity doubled overnight. That is many people who were not obese were arbitrarily declared to be obese because of BMI. The ONLY reason we use BMI is because it is an easy system. Everyone who is familiar with it knows and acknowledges that it is grossly inaccurate. That is the cutoffs (i.e. BMI > 30 equals obese) are arbitrary (why not BMI > 32.7 or 31.9?). And they reflect the weight of Europeans in the early 1800's a time that was economically poor and most people were undernourished. That means that when the inventor determined the "norms" he was dealing with a population where about 75% of the people were starving. If you doubt this find someone in public life with a BMI of 20.1 (considered "normal) and look at them. They will look like they are on death's doorstep. Then look at someone like Mariah Carey, who most men would consider beautiful and sexy, but she is in fact obese based on the BMI.
The bottom line is the BMI as a measurement of health was/is a mistake and should be abandoned. It is arbitrary, discriminates against shorter people or healthier people and is confusing in it's arbitrariness.