Each calorie is different, especially in relation to weight loss. It has been proven by recent scientific studies that not all calories carry the same “weight”. Diets have changed over time in relation to three food groups which are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. While the consumption of calories that hold fat are going down, the ones coming from protein and carbs have skyrocketed. This tells us that the obesity rates are not being caused by too much fat but rather high carb diets and too many proteins. Carb calories have risen in a consistent manner with the rates of obesity increases. This we know for sure.
Since it appears that carbs are too blame then it stands to reason that countries with the highest carb intakes would be the fattest countries. This is not so in all cases though because as with everything else, there are exceptions to the rules. Take for example, China, who is documented as being one of the healthiest places on the globe. The people there have a diet that consists of calories being made up of nearly 70% carbs. The exception to the rule is what kind of carbs people consume the most of.
Carbohydrates fall into three main categories: sugar, starch and fiber. Fiber intake is on the rise and this is excellent news. Fiber fills the body up which helps to reduce weight. Sugar on the other hand is bad news. It contains lots of calories but no nutritional value and the sugar intake in America alone has gone from 124 lbs annually to a staggering 157 lbs in 1999. Why do people choose to consume so much of something that is so bad?
The answer is simple – sugar is hidden in many items that one would think were healthy. Of course it is known that cakes and candies have high amounts of sugar. When one eats snack food and drinks sodas they know that they are taking in a mass amount of this powdery gold. However, there is hidden sugar in many other foods so it is important that people look at ingredients and do their research before they eat. The human body cannot handle all the sugar people add to it which results in unwanted weight gain and other health issues. Starches turn into sugar and many do not understand this. Bread is the main enemy here. It turns into fast releasing sugar which affects the levels of sugar in the blood and can result in serious health problems. A study done by a leading expert was conducted where rats were given the same diet as far as calories go. One group was given a high cal diet while the other a low cal diet. The results? The low cal rats gained zero weight while the high cal rats got 16% heavier! While humans obviously differ from rats, the same results were found in the same study using humans. So, to sum it up, no matter how many people are screaming that a calorie is a calorie, it is just not true.