What Part Do Processed Foods and Carbohydrates Play in an Average Person's Weight Gain?

Almost 15 years ago, it suddenly became news that one in every three U.S. citizens was overweight. And this was only shortly after an article in the British medical journal The Lancet, (July 15, 1994) pointed out that Americans spend about $33 billion per year on dieting, exercising, counting calories, and buying more low-fat food choices than ten years ago.

It's not as if we didn't have enough problems with the food processing industries[iv] adding coloring, preservatives, and god-knows-what-else to everything we buy, but they and the packaging industry act like they're doing consumers a favor to make aging produce look fresh for however long it sits on supermarket shelves. While we are paying for and expecting fresh, nutritive foods, we are actually getting fake foods with empty nutrition hidden within fiber-free carbohydrate-laden textures and flavoring.

Yes, we need to maintain a profitable supermarket industry, and yes, food must be safely packaged for transportation to market, but consumers deserve fresher and better product than we have been getting for far too long. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Is This Trend Too Late to Reverse?

For several generations already, young people have been raised on and conditioned to fake, flavored "foods", loaded with artificial sweeteners or High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), and corn oils and hydrogenated fats from over-processed and even genetically modified (GM) crops. Is it any wonder that our bodies are rebelling against what we are eating and half the population has autoimmune problems?

But finally it seems that everyone has figured it out - "The low carbohydrate diet works." Even people who a few months ago didn't know the difference between protein and carbohydrates, now understand. Once again we realize we've been lied to. Oh, maybe not intentionally, but it's an interesting coincidence that the medical "experts" and the scientific "experts", and the diet "experts" are all saying the same thing - always with the same bias against the truth.

Dr. Atkins Sinned - By Treating the Sick with Nutrition

For years, Dr. Robert Atkins ("Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution") was the most loved and hated man in diet circles. A cardiac specialist whose practice extended to diabetes, since the two conditions often overlapped, Dr. Atkins had found a group of practical, healthy food choices which prolonged the life spans of his heart patients while also controlling their blood sugar and lowering their blood pressure and cholesterol. His simple dietary approach saved countless lives without drugs or surgery, and yielded little but criticism from other jealous professionals. But you can't argue with success.

Thirty plus years of his own patient records from the Atkins Center for Complimentary Health in New York proved the efficacy of this nutritional approach. Also in his files were thousands of letters and testimonials from happy readers of his many books on the protein diet, acclaiming his discovery and telling of the several tons (literally) of weight lost as a result of using his published research.

Diet Gurus Needed Atkins to Be Wrong

Dr. Atkins went head-to-head with medical representatives of the AMA who derided his theories, in spite of the fact that they worked. He debated with members of the American Dietetic Association, often under protest. He was a knowledgeable man, but not a confrontational one, and independent interviews with him were often shown on news shows, with back and forth remarks spliced in with dieticians, and rebuttals from medical doctors, as if there had been an open debate between them. He couldn't be allowed to be right - his process was too simple and could put weight loss clinics out of business.

Often Dr. Atkins' statements were turned around and taken out of context. Mainstream medicine, and often the media, appeared to have it in for him. They just couldn't get over his successes with "obviously faulty data". And he was probably one of his own best advertisements: he was always fit and healthy; a trim figure of a man until the day he died a few years ago in an unfortunate accident that resulted in a brain injury. Even then, the doctors who worked to save him after his fall, couldn't resist reporting that they 'might have saved his life except for his poor health caused by a bad diet'. One has to feel sorry for those people.

More Recent Protein Diet Studies Proved Effective

What was their ax to grind? Why was the calorie theory so sacred? Good, honest doctors and researchers like Dr. Atkins, and Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades (authors of Protein Power) telling the truth about how proteins cause higher rates of metabolism even while providing higher caloric intake. This has been proven in many studies, but none of the proponents was crying as loud as the Calorie Theory folks. Even the maligned Coconut Oil from which MCT oils (medium chain triglycerides) are extracted (so popular with health gurus like Jack LaLanne and Dr. William Campbell Dougless), was said to be "bad" for you because of its 'saturated fat' status and relegated just to animal feed; that is, until the animals eating it began happily losing weight instead of gaining it.

Dr. Douglass wrote in his June 2009 newsletter Daily Dose, about two studies showing that a diet high in carbohydrates could be the root cause of many health problems. They indicate that starchy foods like bread and cereals that send blood sugar levels skyward are thought to retard blood vessel function and contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. Further, the Endocrine Society confirms Dr. Atkins' statements that reducing carbs in favor of protein makes people feel full, enabling them to eat less. [i]

Weight Loss is a Billion Dollar Industry - Because It Doesn't Work

After thirty years of protein proponents remaining thin or losing weight on the popular Atkins' high-protein diet, suddenly it was time. Perhaps it took the death of Dr. Atkins to wake people up - or maybe it was the shock of his death that made his opponents quiet down temporarily and let the truth be heard. But once it became clear that the pendulum was swinging in the opposite direction, everyone was suddenly jumping on the low-carb bandwagon. Even the large diet centers began to come up with their own versions of the high protein / low carb diet, from Jenny Craig to Weight Watchers.

So why have the supposed 'experts' been constantly steering us toward carbohydrates, breads, cookies and desserts? To partly answer that, look at the price on boxes of sugary cereals in the supermarket, many over $4 a box for just a few ounces of flakes or kernels. Even one loaf of healthy bread or a small box of simple water crackers or soda biscuits is also $3 to $4. They are not only not filling, but very fattening and costly. Just think, if you pay someone every time you lose weight, then put it back on, then pay someone else to help you take it off again, you become a cash cow.

It looks like just another case of "Follow the money." It's protein that does the job of making us full and keeping us healthy. Just reading Chapter 1 of any of Dr. Atkins' books enables a reader to understand how protein keeps insulin from rising and prevents the body from using sugar and starch to store fat. And this had been proven by research studies farther back than the following press release:

NEW YORK, Feb 18 2000 (Reuters Health) -- The extremely carbohydrate-restricted Atkins diet is a safe, effective way to lose weight, according to studies presented at the Southern Society of General Internal Medicine in New Orleans.

In a recent press release, the researchers also say that their study did not find any of the safety concerns voiced by the American Dietetic Association, such as potentially dangerous effects on liver and kidney function.

"In four short months on the Atkins Diet, we were able to confirm scientifically what Dr. Atkins states he has seen in his practice over the past decades. The diet lowers cholesterol and triglycerides and raises HDL... which may represent an entirely new approach to the control and prevention of heart disease," said lead researcher Dr. Eric C. Westman, Assistant Professor of Medicine at North Carolina's Duke University.

Junk Carbs Have Created a Nation of Obesity

Crackers and cookies used to be sold loose, packed tightly in boxes. First they added sealed plastic envelopes to preserve freshness and that reduced the space for content. Then the items themselves were reduced in size and lined up neatly in lightweight plastic trays. The trays take up yet more space that the food used to take, so with even less actual food weight, the package prices still increase routinely.

Over the last thirty years,guided by the packaging and food processing industries, the multiple pharmaceutical marketing associations, the undercover vegetarian humane group Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine and their carb-heavy Food Pyramid, the AMA, and the ADA, the industrialized world has eaten their way to largesse and poor health.

According to the International Obesity Task Force, results from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 65 percent of Americans are overweight and over one-third considered to be obese; numbers 16 percent higher than the age-adjusted overweight estimates obtained from NHANES III (1988-94). These figures were constant in data collected for 2005-2006. What's wrong with this picture? It seems it's our American way of life that is making us fat. And one of the glaring things about our American way of life that is different from most other countries, is our food industry.

Big Pharma Wants Money Not Health

As our food value has declined, so the general population has become less healthy. The insurance industry has joined forces with both the pharmaceutical giants and the FDA, to release thousands of prescription drugs of every sort on the market each year, many very dangerous, many duplicates of others, many replacing some that do the same thing more safely whose patents have expired along with their income potentials.

Between separate drug companies competing to make a profit on similar products, and their race to recoup their research and patenting costs, the number of prescription drugs straining the covers of the Physician's Desk Reference is in the process of quadrupling[ii] annually. Although this might result from patients going to several doctors, each of whom might be unaware of their other prescriptions, it can still result from just seeing one family physician. And what is rarely publicized is that a common side effect of taking just one prescription drug is weight gain.

We live in a sea of chemicals. Anything that we eat that our body doesn't recognize, may be internally classified as a poison; and if it cannot be identified and neutralized for absorption, then to protect us, the body quickly wraps it in fat. Does it make sense why many individuals taking prescription medications are so overweight? The more prescriptions, the greater the weight problems.

The report mentioned above[ii], entitled "Delivering on the Quest for Better Medicines," contained data extracted from interviews with over one hundred drug company executives and regulatory officials. It has been estimated that while less than 30% of our grandparents might have been using a maximum of two prescription drugs at the same time/age during their lives, over 70% of today's elders are taking a minimum of five prescription drugs at a time, and most many more. Even the average middle-aged individual commonly takes three drugs (heartburn, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) and multiple other over-the-counter drugs for pain, headaches, and the like. With drugs like statins known to cause muscle weakness and the bulk of the older population routinely put on them, maybe investigators should look a little farther into older drivers and their bizarre accidents. Is it really about their age?

Some Tell It Like it Is

Glenn Brynes, PhD, M.D, said "A recent study showed doctors writing 33% more prescriptions from 1985 to 1999." He discusses many of the legitimate medical reasons for this, then goes on to explain that there are also less legitimate reasons for it.

"A less benign reason for increased medication usage is the strong incentive for our pharmaceutical companies to persuade physicians to prescribe. The companies have also begun to directly encourage patients to request their products. Since 1997, pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to advertise to the public; this has increased prescriptions in proportion to the advertising.

"Doctors are also targeted. Every week I receive solicitations to participate in efforts to encourage me to order more medications. Some involve offers to pay me to tell them how I decide which medication to prescribe; some are paid surveys to find out how I influence other doctors' choices of psychiatric medications; some are invitations to attend a 'free' dinner-lecture by an "expert" chosen to be sympathetic to their product.

"I turn these solicitations down. I believe patient care decisions should be made based on unbiased research and scientifically demonstrated effectiveness and safety, not clever marketing strategies." Dr. Byrnes goes on to say "Doctors should be able to justify why each medication needs to be continued, rather than eliminated."[iii]

Beware the Status Quo, Get Educated, Question Authority

I venture to say that the average doctor does just the opposite, particularly with elders who are often shy or loathe to speak up and ask questions. They trust doctors to look out for them no matter how many malpractice suits or hospital accidents are being reported on the evening news. When it comes to taking prescription medications, we have a lot more to be wary of than you would think. While the drug companies are warning us against taking too much Ginseng, they are pocketing profits on the sales of their own patented drugs that have horrendous side effects. One needs to be educated on all the side effects of their prescription drugs and whether they are indeed necessary.

Several years ago, an overweight neighbor of mine in her eighties who was simply experiencing aging, was prescribed a brand name Alzheimer's drug for her forgetfulness and weight gain. The drug had not yet been FDA approved, so when she dutifully went to her drugstore to fill the prescription, Medicare would not pay for it. The prescription cost her over $120. She panicked when she thought that this drug would restore her memory and help her lose weight, and she couldn't afford it. I spoke with her family who had just moved into the area to stay with her, and explained the situation. They decided not to refill the prescription. None of us saw any difference in her when she was taking the drug, and that is probably because recently it has proven to have virtually no positive effects for either weight loss or Alzheimer's (which she didn't have), let alone for simple age-related forgetfulness.

So the next time you are pinching fat rolls around your middle and wondering why you cannot lose weight in spite of forcing yourself to do one-hour walks at lunch and eating salads most nights for dinner, think about the carbs in your diet, and the drugs in your medicine chest. Maybe some or all of them are unnecessary.

References:

[i] NewRresearch Shows Dangers of High-Carb Diets, Daily Dose newsletter, WC Douglass, M.D., 6/28/09.

[ii] Leading Pharmaceutical Companies To Quadruple Number Of New Medicines Launched Annually, According To New Andersen Consulting Research, Andersen Consulting, Mar. 14, 2000.

[iii] Glenn Brynes, PhD, M.D., Northern County Psychiatric Associates, Baltimore, Maryland. http://www.ncpamd.com/Why_so_many_medications.htm

[iv] Documentary 'Food, Inc.' Offers Troubling View of US Food Industry

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