Those "high fat snack foods" are even higher in carbs.

I'll second that. Sometimes they're higher in fat too, especially hydrogenated trans fat.


A little comparison trivia:

2 oz Pringles plain potato chips --- and we all know how FEW chips that is --- has: 320 calories, 2g incomplete protein, 30g carbs and 22g fat (hydrogenated vegetable oil)

A whole 2 oz (60g) bag of plain pork rinds has: 308 calories, 30g complete protein, ZERO carbs and only 20g fat (natural saturated fat)




Doreen

Plain Pork Rinds (by weight):

1.8% Water
61.3% Protein
31.3% Fat
5.4% Vitamins/Minerals
0.0% Carbs

-----------------------------
11.37% Saturated Fatty Acids
-----------------------------
0.02% Capric Acid
0.07% Lauric Acid (The Same Saturated Fat Found in Coconut Oil)
0.39% Myristic Acid (Raises The Good Subtype of LDL)
6.85% Palmitic Acid
4.04% Stearic Acid (Lowers Cholesterol)
------------------------------------
14.78% Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
------------------------------------
0.97% Palmitoleic Acid
13.56% Oleic Acid (The Same Cholesterol-Busting Fat in Olive Oil)
0.25% Gadoleic Acid
------------------------------------
3.64% Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
------------------------------------
3.35% Lineoleic Acid (w6 EFA...Conjugated LA, like that found in most animal meats is very good for your health.)
0.26% Linolenic Acid (w3 EFA)
0.03% Arachidonic Acid

Give me a minute to do a similar breakdown for Potato Chips...

Plain Potato Chips (by weight):

1.9% Water
7.0% Protein
34.6% Fat
3.6% Vitamins/Minerals
52.9% Carbs

-----------------------------
10.96% Saturated Fatty Acids
-----------------------------
0.08% Lauric Acid
0.30% Myristic Acid
9.32% Palmitic Acid
1.11% Stearic Acid
------------------------------------
9.84% Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
------------------------------------
0.18% Palmitoleic Acid
9.51% Oleic Acid
0.15% Gadoleic Acid
------------------------------------
12.17% Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
------------------------------------
11.98% Lineoleic Acid
0.19% Linolenic Acid

Just to note...The USDA DB which I used does not yet differentiate between Standard Unsaturated Fats (such as Linoleic Acid) and their Hydrogenated counterparts...So, I can't say how much of the Unsaturated Fats is Trans-Fat...But, I'd venture to say most of it probably is.

Summary: Potato Chips are HIGHER in fat and only marginally lower in Saturated Fat, but are significantly higher in Palmitic Acid...and lower in Cholesterol-Reducing Stearic and Oleic Acids, as well as lower in the Essential Fatty Acid Linolenic Acid than Pork Rinds. Plus, I'd venture to guess most of the Linoleic Acid has probably been hydrogenated, meaning it no longer functions as an Essential Fatty Acid. Your body can't use EFAs once they've been Hydrogenated. In addition, Pork Rinds have almost twice the Vitamins/Minerals of Potato Chips.

Check out this line from the article, referring to men living on the island of Crete:

"Middle-aged men there now walk less than 1.5 miles a day; in the 1960s, they walked an average 8 miles a day."

That's really interesting. What a change in activity levels, from an average of 8 miles a day to less than 1.5, and that's just in walking. There have probably been similar decreases in other phases of their lives. The dietary changes must have an effect, of course, but much of the effect must be from the change in lifestyles.