The FastDay Forum

Just read article in The Grocer showing how calorie consumption is going downwards, whilst obesity levels continue to rise at inverse proportions. There has got to be more to this problem than simply calories in: calories out!
Any thoughts on this, fellow posters?

[carorees]

All depends on how they are assessing the calories in I guess! If self-reported it is very unreliable...remember what that Australian doctor (the article linked to in PhilT's signature) said about how many calories her morbidly obese patients claimed they were eating!

Also, over what period are they talking? The activity levels of the population have also decreased dramatically compared with, say, the 1950s, so it's hardly surprising that we need fewer calories to maintain our weight these days.

The actual report will be published in the next 2 months. It is based on stats taken over the last 30 years. They have looked at the increase in sedentary lifestyles, and say that this does not equate with the increase in obesity. In fact, a reduction of calories on this scale would have resulted in a loss of weight, regardless of energy expenditure, albeit, over a long time scale.
I am so looking forward to the results being published, but fear that the food and pharmaceutical industries are being given plenty of time to get their story ready, just like they did with the sugar debacle earlier this year.

Dr. Davis in his book 'Wheat belly' blames it all on modern wheat. His arguments are compelling. Its worth a read if you haven't already done so.

It might also depend on what's being eaten. Hi-fibre foods give a false impression of calories when measured in the laboratory because it's harder for the gut to extract the calories than it is in a test tube. If we've switched to more refined foods then that could partly explain it. Furthermore the type of food affets the gut flora which in turn affect the digestion of food. Giving mice a prebiotic supplement reduced weight.

we will just have to vote with our purchase power and stop buying the puffed up sugar and white flour filled rubbish that the food manufacturers are giving us. People power does work in time.

http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/topics/brits ... 82.article

"The report said men burn off an average 3.6kg less per year than they did in 1980, linked to a switch from manual occupations to deskbound office jobs. Women have experienced similar falls in work strenuousness."

Be interesting when it appears. The input data is likely to be primary agricultural commodities production, import and export rather than food diary recollections (at least I hope so !)

Caroline, regarding the Australian Dr's patients who don't tell the whole truth.
I started work in NHS in 1965, and participated in 2 professions over the years. I can say that I have heard all the stories under the sun that get quoted to back up an argument, from either the direction of the patient, or the medical professional.
When drugs appear not to help " the patient is non-compliant in their usage"' say some docs. There is rarely proof to substantiate this statement.
When patients don't lose weight, "this patient is in denial about what they eat" say some docs.
Where is the evidence?
I only smoke 20 a day, says the patient. " double that for accuracy" say the docs, and in this case I think that could well be true, due to the awful addictive properties of tobacco products. BUT, there is rarely anything to back up the doc's hunches.
So the next patient has liver failure, and MUST be a heavy drinker! Not so says my friend, I haven't touched a drop in 35 years! " in denial,"says the doc. I can assure you my friend was as honest as the day is long.
From the other side....
Patients who are not getting better may say, " my doctor hasn't got a clue", when in fact they have, but can 't say, as it goes against current guidelines.
Patients denied expensive drugs may say "my doctor won't prescribe what I know I need", when the truth may be, the patient doesn't really know what he needs, or the doctor's hands are tied in prescribing certain drugs due to financial constraints.
This is long-winded, but it is a sort of explanation as to why we are where we are with illness-management across the globe. There is a total lack of trust and openness about extremely vital issues. We need to get to primary research to draw our own conclusions, but the majority of people just do not have the time to do it.

I know this is pure speculation, but here goes.

I think the 'obesity epidemic' began in the US in the early 1970s when the American Medical Association endorsed the low fat (high carb)diet and declared that eating meat, butter, eggs and cheese was bad for your health.

Runners have known for years that for quick energy, eat carbs. Its called carbo loading. Sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes are quickly digested and quickly raise blood glucose levels. But if that glucose has no immediate use, it is deposited just as quickly as fat. And then you are hungry again.

The entire US population has been trained by its doctors to eat carbs, and ignore food that takes a long time to digest and provides longer term protection from hunger pangs (note that on fast days it is recommended you eat protein so you won't be so hungry). Candy bags proclaim there is no fat in the candy, as if that is a good thing.

So in my opinion we have to go back to eating a 'balanced' diet that incudes all food groups. In today's world, after decades of training, that means eating fewer carbs and more meat, butter eggs and cheese. I think we will be less hungry, and become over time, less fat.

The Australian Women's Weekly is running an article on this phenomenon. Basically it's saying that a sedentary lifestyle and increased age are hindrances to keeping weight down - which is nothing we didn't already know.

http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/dietandhealth ... -years-ago

Just read the article. I conclude slightly differently! The author states that weight gain is 70% influenced by food intake, and only 30% influenced by exercise. Again, it comes down to the type and frequency of macronutrient ratios. As to age being a factor, I agree, but that is because the slow, constant build up of excess carbohydrates is insidious, and causes exponential weight gain in relation to intake of excess, unsuitable carbohydrates, and insufficient, suitable healthy fats. Agreeing on which category our foods fall into, seems to be at the heart of the problem.
For my part, the macro nutrient ratio is coming out somewhere at 60% saturated fats, 30% quality animal and fish protein and 10% carbs from veggies and berries.