Gov't: Carbs to Blame for Weight Gain

DANIEL YEE
Associated Press

ATLANTA - 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 government said Thursday. In the year 2000, women ate the equivalent of one more large chocolate chip cookie every day - 335 more calories - compared to what they ate in 1971.

Men ate 168 more calories - slightly more than a 12-ounce Pepsi - each day, according to the study released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The majority of the increase in calories is from an increase in carbohydrate intake," said Jacqueline Wright, a CDC epidemiologist and study author.

And she doesn't mean 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. Obesity rates jumped from 14.5 percent of U.S. adults in 1971 to 30.9 percent in 2000, said Wright.

The average intake for men grew from 2,450 calories in 1971 to 2,618 calories in 2000. For women, caloric intake grew from 1,542 calories to 1,877 calories during the same time period.

The government recommends about 1,600 daily calories for women and 2,200 for men, more for active people.

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. Wright said a federal panel examining general dietary guidelines will review the results of the study.

The idea that carbohydrates lead to a bigger waistline was long espoused by the late Dr. Robert Atkins, whose low-carb diet has been followed by millions of people.

On the Atkins diet, up to two-thirds of calories may come from fat - more than double the usual recommendation - and violating long-held government guidelines and most nutritionists' advice.

CDC officials said people should watch their overall eating and exercise habits, not just carbs. Previous federal studies have blamed eating out and larger food portions.

"Certainly if our calorie intake is increasing and our physical activities really aren't changing too much, then we're going to be seeing weight gain," Wright said.

The CDC remains concerned that Americans still eat too much saturated fat, a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

The agency did offer a bit of hope in a separate study that indicates more Americans are making an effort to exercise. Only 25 percent of U.S. adults surveyed in 35 states and the District of Columbia said they did not exercise during their free time in 2002, down from 30 percent 15 years ago.

The federal agency's goal is to get that inactivity level down to 20 percent or lower, said Sandra Ham, a CDC health statistician.

"Physical activity levels have been improving," Ham said. "But there's still much more work to be done."

ON THE NET

CDC study: www.cdc.gov/mmwr

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet...s.ap/index.html

CDC: Americans eating more than ever
Women consume 335 more calories a day; carbs mostly to blame
Thursday, February 5, 2004 Posted: 4:10 PM EST (2110 GMT)


ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- 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 government said Thursday.

In the year 2000, women ate the equivalent of one more large chocolate chip cookie every day -- 335 more calories -- compared to what they ate in 1971.

Men ate 168 more calories -- slightly more than a 12-ounce Pepsi -- each day, according to the study released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The majority of the increase in calories is from an increase in carbohydrate intake," said Jacqueline Wright, a CDC epidemiologist and study author.

And she doesn't mean 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. Obesity rates jumped from 14.5 percent of U.S. adults in 1971 to 30.9 percent in 2000, said Wright.

The average intake for men grew from 2,450 calories in 1971 to 2,618 calories in 2000. For women, caloric intake grew from 1,542 calories to 1,877 calories during the same time period.

The government recommends about 1,600 daily calories for women and 2,200 for men, more for active people.

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. Wright said a federal panel examining general dietary guidelines will review the results of the study.

The idea that carbohydrates lead to a bigger waistline was long espoused by the late Dr. Robert Atkins, whose low-carb diet has been followed by millions of people.

On the Atkins diet, up to two-thirds of calories may come from fat -- more than double the usual recommendation -- and violating long-held government guidelines and most nutritionists' advice.

CDC officials said people should watch their overall eating and exercise habits, not just carbs. Previous federal studies have blamed eating out and larger food portions.

"Certainly if our calorie intake is increasing and our physical activities really aren't changing too much, then we're going to be seeing weight gain," Wright said.

The CDC remains concerned that Americans still eat too much saturated fat, a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

The agency did offer a bit of hope in a separate study that indicates more Americans are making an effort to exercise. Only 25 percent of U.S. adults surveyed in 35 states and the District of Columbia said they did not exercise during their free time in 2002, down from 30 percent 15 years ago.

The federal agency's goal is to get that inactivity level down to 20 percent or lower, said Sandra Ham, a CDC health statistician.

"Physical activity levels have been improving," Ham said. "But there's still much more work to be done."

Yes, Americans are probably eating more...but why are they so hungry?
From my own experience, it's crazy blood sugar levels and hyperinsulimia that's to blame...and we all know what causes that.

I have to partly disagree with them...While, we are eating more food than we did in the 1970s, that is only because between 1965 and 1977, Caloric intake dropped by about 300 kcal for men and dropped by a little over 100 kcal for women. Current caloric intake for Women is about the same as it was in 1965, and for men it is about 100 kcal lower than it was in 1965. I don't disagree that we should probably be eating less than we did in 65, because we are not as active anymore. But, the claim that we are eating more does not give you the full picture. In reality, our calories are not that much different than the previous generation. The difference is most Americans nowadays are far less active than their parents' generation.

BTW, as for the composition of those Calories, in 1995 the Average American Man ate 38g less fat than in 1965, and the Average woman ate 18g less. Between 1965 and 1995, the percentage of Calories from Fat decreased by about 12% for men and 10% for Women. At the same time, Net Carb intake increased by about 70g for men and 50g for women, with most of that coming from a dramatic increase in the consumption of Grains [Rice intake nearly tripled and Corn and Oat intakes nearly doubled between 1970 and 1993] and Sugar [Intake of Corn Sugars nearly quadrupled, while White Sugar intake decreased by 37%. Overall Sugar intake increased by about 18%.]

On a side note consumption of Animal Fats [Lard, Tallow, and Butter] decreased by 27% during this same period, but consumption of Vegetable Fats [Margarine, Shortenings, and Hydrogenated Oils] rose 43%.

All in all, I'm glad the Gov't finally come to its senses [well at least to a degree] and admitted the reason we are eating more Carbs than at any time in history and that is why we are fat. I just wish they'd get off this Saturated Fat is Evil kick, though.

Acutally, it's not more than "ever." That is Calorie wise of course...What is at an all time high [at least for the US] is Carb intake. I posted a response in another post on the same story that Calorie intake for women is almost exactly what it was 1965 [Caloric intake dropped drammed dramatically between 65 and 78] and for men its about 100 kcal less than it was in 1965. The differences between 1965 and now are that we are eating less fat, less animal fats [Lard, Tallow, and Butter], more Vegetable Fats [Margarine, Shortening (Crisco,) and Hydrogenated Oils,] and more Carbohydrates. Especially Grains and Sugar - Rice intake nearly tripled and Corn intake nearly doubled between 1965 and 1995. Corn Sugar intake nearly quadrupled, while overall sugar intake rose about 18% and has continued to rise significantly every year since 1995. Interestingly, intake of White Sugar has decreased by about 1/3 to 1/2, mostly due to companies switching over to HFCS and Corn Syrup.

Living on 1600 calories? I lose weight on 1600 calories...

Study Details 30-Year Increase in Calorie Consumption

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR, NY Times

Published: February 6, 2004

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/06/h...&partner=GOOGLE

We knew we ate more; we knew we had gained weight. Now a new study that looked at 30 years of Americans' eating habits has pinned down how many more calories, carbohydrates and fats are eaten daily.

From 1971 to 2000, the study found, women increased their caloric intake by 22 percent, men by 7 percent.

Much of the change was found to be due to an increase in the amount of carbohydrates we have been eating. The findings may reinforce the current trend, among those sometimes known as carb-avoids, of reducing or even eliminating foods like breads and pasta.

And while the percentage of calories Americans get from fat, especially saturated fats, has decreased, the numbers might be deceiving. The actual amount of fat eaten daily has gone up. It just makes up a smaller percentage of the total caloric pie now that we are eating so many more carbs.

The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and reported in the current edition of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found that in 1971 women ate 1,542 calories on average, compared with today's 1,877, while men went from 2,450 calories a day to 2,618. Those numbers dwarf the government's recommendations of 1,600 calories a day for women and 2,200 for men.

Cookies, pasta, soda and other carbohydrates appear to be mostly to blame. Among women, carbohydrates jumped from about 45 percent of the daily caloric intake to almost 52 percent. For men, they grew from 42 percent to 49 percent.

"This just confirms that Americans need to be more focused on a total calorie decrease," said Jacqueline Wright, an epidemiologist at the disease control centers and the author of the study.

Ms. Wright said it was unclear whether the study would influence a revision of the Department of Agriculture's familiar food pyramid, which emphasizes a diet rich in breads and grains. Many dietary experts have questioned whether the pyramid should remain the same.

The findings come at a time when public health officials are concerned about a national epidemic of bulging waistlines. According to the National Institutes of Health, two-thirds of Americans are overweight and one-third are obese. Between 1971 and 2000, obesity rates more than doubled, a result, many experts say, of an obsession with oversized portions.

According to the report, most of the surge in caloric intake occurred in two periods: from 1976 to 1980 and from 1988 to 1994. An earlier report by Dr. Lisa Young of New York University tied that increase to decisions by national restaurant chains to expand portions of foods like French fries and hamburgers. Serving sizes, Dr. Young's research found, became two to five times bigger in those years, and cookbooks joined the trend by increasing the portion sizes in recipes.

It is no surprise, said Dr. Gary Foster, the clinical director of the weight and eating disorders program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, that "we've become more overweight as a country as candy bars are now king-sized and sodas are supersized.

"It's much tougher to manage your weight in this environment than it was in 1970," Dr. Foster said.

Part of the problem, some experts say, may stem from the traditional dietary advice to steer clear of fatty foods. This advice, they say, helped set off an explosion of "fat-free," carbohydrate-laden foods that Americans mistakenly believed they could eat with few consequences.

"It's been the standard advice for decades that Americans should follow lower-fat, high-carb diets," said Dr. Meir Stampfer, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "But now it's backfiring. It's clear that this doesn't work because it's not as satiating and people just start eating more calories. This report doesn't demonstrate that, but the results are consistent with it."

The notion that carbohydrates can lead to weight gain has become the mantra of millions of dieters. On the Atkins program, for example, people can get up to two-thirds of their calories from fat and are allowed to eat fatty foods like hamburgers, as long as the bun is set aside.

Ms. Wright said that while she could not say what influence the popularity of low-carb diets would have on the long-term picture, the increase in carbohydrate consumption had not been as significant in the most recent surveys as it was in earlier years.

But saturated fat is still a concern, and experts are warning that the latest figures should not be taken as direct support for any of the low-carb diets. Instead, Ms. Wright said, they should be a reminder to Americans to eat less and exercise regularly.

Dr. Foster said: "This doesn't tell us anything about the effectiveness of any one dietary approach. It suggests that we've been eating more calories over time and that most of it is coming from carbs. But particular diets need to be tested and supported by clinical trials."

U.S. Says Carbs to Blame for Rising Calorie Intake

Thu Feb 5, 1:51 PM ET

By Paul Simao

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Americans, especially women, are consuming far more calories than they did three decades ago, and the increasingly dreaded carbohydrate food group is to blame, according to a federal study released on Thursday.

The finding, revealed in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites), comes amid repeated government warnings of a growing obesity epidemic in the nation as well as an explosion in the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets.

Obesity, which increases the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer and arthritis, has become twice as common in the nation since 1980. About 39 million Americans were obese in 2000, according to the U.S. government.

CDC researchers found that women between the ages of 20 and 74 consumed an average 1,877 calories per day in 2000, 22 percent more than in 1971. The average intake for males in the same age group was up 8 percent to 2,618 calories in 2000.

The percentage of daily calories that came from carbohydrates, which include rice, bread and pasta, rose to 51.6 percent from 45.4 percent in women and to 49 percent from 42.4 percent in men during the period.

The study did not examine the reasons for the increase in carbohydrate intake, though the CDC noted that previous research had linked it to consumption of pizza, salty snacks and take-away foods as well as bigger portions.

Jacqueline Wright, the lead author of the study, noted that the findings should not be seen as supporting the Atkins diet or any other food regimen that stressed low or no consumption of carbohydrates.

"I think we need to focus on total calorie intakes," said Wright, an epidemiologist with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

The study also found that consumption of fat, including saturated fat, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease, represented a smaller percent of daily calories by the end of the 30-year period.

The actual number of fat grams consumed per day, however, changed little between 1971 and 2000 due to the rising calorie consumption, Wright said. Protein intake for both men and women remained about the same.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ealth_diet_dc_1

Friday, February 6, 2004

Let's hold the pastries and the pizza, folks

We're eating more carbs and not exercising enough to burn them, studies say

By DAVID WAHLBERG, COX NEWS SERVICE

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/159601_carb06.html

ATLANTA -- Pancakes, pizza or pastry -- whatever your pleasure, you're probably eating more of it, says a new study that finds American adults consume about 13 percent more calories than they did three decades ago, a period in which the obesity rate doubled.

Although people are starting to exercise more, another study says, it's not at levels high enough to have much of a health effect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released both studies yesterday.

The CDC research on food intake, based on a series of surveys, found that women ate 1,877 calories a day in 1999-2000, up 22 percent from 1971-1974. Men took in 2,618 calories a day in 1999-2000, up 7 percent over the same period.

Federal healthy diet guidelines for sedentary adults call for about 1,600 calories a day for most women and about 2,200 calories a day for many men but allow for more calories if people are active.

What are those extra calories we've added over the years? Mostly carbohydrates.

Carbs accounted for 13 percent more of the average diet in 1999-2000 than in 1971-1974. Fat intake remained roughly the same, though it now accounts for a smaller percentage of total calories. The percentage of protein in diets has dropped slightly.

The rise in carbohydrate consumption has come as the nation's obesity rate has soared, with 31 percent of adults now considered obese, having enough excess body fat to threaten their health. But researchers hesitate to endorse the low-carb diet craze.



"Obesity is a complex issue, with a lot of underlying factors -- lifestyle behaviors, environmental factors, genetics," said Jacqueline Wright of the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, who conducted the study. "We need to focus on our overall calorie intakes."

Chris Rosenbloom, associate dean of Georgia State University's College of Health and Human Sciences, noted that the CDC study didn't look at what kinds of food people eat, so it's impossible to know whether they are consuming more "good" or "bad" carbohydrates.

"If it was from fruits and vegetables, I'd be saying, 'Great!' If it was from soft drinks, desserts and sugar-laden products, then it's not so good," Rosenbloom said. "The bottom line is that calories count, and you have to be careful about an increase from any source."

Karen Kovach, chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers International, attributed the rise in carbohydrate intake to the low-fat diet frenzy that started in the 1970s, peaking in the late '80s and early '90s.

"People felt that by cutting out fat, they'd lose weight," she said. "But they ended up eating less fat and more calories and gained weight."

[WOW! - gotbeer]

Fast food, takeout meals, larger portion sizes and a preponderance of pizza, soft drinks and salty snacks account for many of the extra calories people are consuming, other studies have found.

The other CDC study found that 75 percent of adults surveyed in 35 states had done some kind of physical activity unrelated to work in the past month in 2002, up from 68 percent in 1989. The activities include running, calisthenics, golf, gardening and walking.

Other studies have found that few people meet recommendations by the Institute of Medicine -- which advises Congress -- that they should be physically active for an hour a day.

But CDC researchers heralded the increase in leisure-time activity as a good sign.

"For the first time, this study shows we're making some real progress in this area," said study author Sandra Ham, of the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

"But there's still a lot of work that needs to be done to increase physical activity levels in the U.S."

from: The Native American Times. I'm glad to see that LC is finally getting some attention here.

http://www.nativetimes.com/index.as...article_id=3763

Americans double obestiy statistics
Health experts suggest a more tradional way of eating

TULSA OK
Candice Adson 2/6/2004

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report that Americans have increased obesity rates from 14.5 percent to 30.9 percent in the last three decades. These figures are especially true for women, who, on average, are consuming 355 more calories a day than their mothers probably did. This is roughly the equivalent of one large chocolate chip cookie. While one cookie a day may not seem like much, this calculates to over 2,300 extra calories a week.

Women aren't alone. The average man is consuming 7 percent more calories today, compared to figures from 1971. That's about 168 extra calories a day. The government recommends that men consume around 2,200 calories, but that number seems to come and go by the end of the workday for most.

What is it that people are eating more of? According to health officials, carbohydrates such as sugar, refined flour, pasta and other starchy foods are primarily to blame.

"The majority of the increase in calories is from an increase in carbohydrates," said Jacqueline Wright, a CDC epidemiologist and study author.

The low-carb diet plan was popularized by the late Dr. Robert Atkins, and has helped many Americans lose weight. A diet low in carbohydrates has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels and keep blood sugar levels steady, which is extremely beneficial to many minority populations that have outrageous diabetes numbers.

The new low-carb craze does not support the USDA's food pyramid, which suggests that Americans make breads and other grains the biggest part of their diet. A federal panel is set to examine the guidelines soon, according to the CDC.

Health experts say that it's not only important to watch what we eat, but also what we do.

"Certainly if our calorie intake is increasing and our physical activities really aren't changing too much, then we're going to be seeing weight gain," Wright said.

Physical activity is one area where Americans are showing a slight improvement. Inactivity rates are down from 30 percent to 25 percent from 15 years ago. While it's a start, there is still a long way to go before health experts are satisfied.

I really hate when folks start talking about average recommended daily calorie intake for women. 1600 calories per day? Probably great (or even too much) for some women.

But at my height and current weight, with an active lifestyle, my daily calorie expenditure has been averaging 2892 per day. I'd be crazy to try to keep my body healthy on a 1292 per day calorie restriction. (That would be like shooting for a 2.6 lb loss per week.)

This doesn't apply to everyone, of course, but there's a lot of tall women that can do their health damage by taking caloric advice based on averages. If I was to eat a "moderate 1200 calorie a diet" (as is often advise) I'd just be sick all the time and stupid to boot.

Aarrggh.

Lynda

Wow! What a nice read. Now, as CC said, if only they'd get real about saturated fat.

>>"[WOW! - gotbeer]"

The following tables show the change in consumption of macronutrients and total calories in the US between 1970 and 1994. It is clear to see that carbs increased (mainly grains and sugar), while fats (saturated) decreased (fish increased, but meat decreased in that group). Overall calories increased by 15%. This is a one-time only study. Other data since 1994 only shows yearly per capita consumption, but from that you can tell that a peak consumption of carbs was reached in the late-1990s. Unfortunately there was no similar data for Canada that I could find. (If anyone knows of any please advise.) Canadian obesity rates in 2000 were about half the US, however, increasing rapidly. Probably the reason for that is less restaurant food as Canadians have less disposable income, rather than any other fitness or lifestyle differences. One more thing - CDC/FDA/USDA nutritionists knew this 10 years ago, but I guess they forgot to tell the public until now.

(If the tables don't show well, read Table 1 as follows: meat fish and poultry - 0 grams of carbs in 1970 and 1994 and 38 grams of protein in 1970 increasing to 43 grams in 1994... and so on. Grams of carbohydrates from grain products increased from 134 to 199 over the period. Total carbohydrate consumption increased from 388 to 491 over the period. Table 2 shows that consumption of fats remained relatively constant. Other tables - not shown - indicate saturated fat consumption decreased, but vegetable oil consumption increased.)


Food Group Meat, Fish, Poultry Dairy Products Eggs Fats and Oils Citrus Fruits Other Fruits Nuts/Legumes/Soy White Potatoes Green/Yell Veg.1/ Other Vegetables Grain Products Sugars, Sweets Miscellaneous Total
Notes: 1/ Includes broccoli, escarole/endive, bell peppers, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes.
Source: USDA/Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion



Food Group Meat, Fish, Poultry Dairy Products Eggs Fats and Oils Citrus Fruits Other Fruits Nuts/Legumes/Soy White Potatoes Green/Yell Veg.1/ other Vegetables Grain Products Sugars, Sweets Miscellaneous Total * Total **
Notes: 1/ Includes broccoli, escarole/endive, bell peppers, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes.
Source: USDA/Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: * Table 42; ** Table 43 (presents conflicting data).

What I see in these articles is back-pedaling by nutritionalists and dietitians. Now it seems ok to admit that people are eating too many carbs. As Kristine said earlier, saturated fats are a little harder for them to swallow, but they will be next.