It does seem odd to me that with the American public spending millions (maybe billions?) on low-fat diets every year for the past fifteen or twenty years... obesity is now of epidemic status in the U.S.

If low-fat diets actually worked, why was the US public so much thinner in the 50's and 60's when all they knew was to "cut out the bread, potatoes, and desserts" when they wanted to lose weight? Few people were jogging, and fewer people were going to gyms during that time period. Diet sweeteners were rarely used. And yet our parents and grandparents had a much easier time controlling their weight than we do.

I don't think low-fat diets are completely to blame for the "blowing-up" of America... McDonalds and Pizza Hut I think have to take part of the blame...

But it does seem a shame that the US Government and nutritionists seem to endorse only ONE diet plan for all people... no matter what their medical status.

And for me, (after gaining 100 lbs, and spending literally thousands of dollars on low-fat diets over the past 15 years) it was the *wrong* diet plan.

Mae West
218/213.75/130 Atkins since 6/3/01
"It's ok to crack a few laws every once in a while, as long as you don't break any." The Other Mae West