Americans are more obese than ever before. Since the increased emphasis on low-fat dietary guidelines back in the 1980's, the obesity epidemic has exploded. But dietary defenders continue to mislead the public and put Americans' health at risk, even though the guidelines likely have made things worse.
Nina Teicholz discusses the issue in The Wall Street Journal:
The WSJ: Carbs, good for you? fat chance!A widely reported study last month purported to show that carbohydrates are essential to longevity and that low-carb diets are "linked to early death," as a USA Today headline put it. The study, published in the Lancet Public Health journal, is the nutrition elite's response to the challenge coming from a fast-growing body of evidence demonstrating the health benefits of low-carb eating...
The Lancet authors, in recommending a "moderate" diet of 50% to 60% carbohydrates, essentially endorse the government's nutrition guidelines. Because this diet has been promoted by the U.S. government for nearly 40 years, it has been tested rigorously in NIH-funded clinical trials involving more than 50,000 people. The results of those trials show clearly that a diet of "moderate" carbohydrate consumption neither fights disease nor reduces mortality.
The study Teicholz is referring to is entirely based on weak statistical data, you can read more about the study here.
Earlier
Should journalists avoid reporting on most food studies?Could a low-carb diet shorten your life??
