Controversy Surrounds Carbohydrates in Dieting
Jan. 9 -- For the millions of Americans trying to lose weight, the familiar message has been to eat less fat and more carbohydrates. But experts say this shift to pasta and potatoes has potential problems.
ABC's World News Tonight medical correspondent John McKenzie reports that experts believe many Americans have gone too far in the switch to carbohydrates.
According to Lisa Tartamella Kimmel, registered dietician at Yale-New Haven Hospital, when it comes to eating right, many people may have been receiving mixed messages.
"The intention of the 'low fat, high carbohydrate' message was to encourage Americans to reduce their excessive fat intake, particularly saturated fat, and consume more carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains," Kimmel says. "The message was not 'do not eat fat' or 'eat all of the fat-free and low-fat carbohydrates that you want.' Somehow in the whole process, the message of moderation was ignored."
Too Many Carbs?
Experts agree that carbohydrates themselves aren't necessarily a bad thing, just that Americans need to know the problems associated with eating too many of them.
"There is nothing wrong with carbohydrates, they're a major staple in the diet," says Dr. Robert Eckel, chairman, American Heart Association's nutrition committee.
"The issue here is kind of misinterpreted. People gain weight because they eat too many calories, not too many carbohydrates. So the bottom line is, gaining weight is not attributed to carbos or fat," Eckel adds.
But Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, explains it's not only the amount of carbohydrates you eat, it's also the type that's important.
"What's become quite clear is that not all carbohydrates are the same," says Willet. "When we eat a baked potato, we get a more rapid spike in blood sugar than we do even after eating pure table sugar."
Willett believes that eating too many carbs that are refined or in the form of sugar can make it difficult to control weight because they're quickly absorbed, sending blood sugar levels soaring, followed by high surges of insulin.
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