OK, I keep reading articles about how Americans are "rich, fat and lazy," as though each has something to do with the other. Time for a short rant.
The idea is based on yet another Big Lie told by doctors, health professional and others: that overeating makes you fat. News flash: that's not the cause. The whole concept of "net calories" is fatally flawed, since the body adjusts absorbtion and metabolic rate based on intake and activity. If you look at modern poor countries, where nearly everyone is undernourished, you will often find a mix of those who are obese and those who are thin, even in the same family. If it was overeating, then all poor people should be thin, right?
[[MORE]]The other half of the Big Fat Lie is that exercise makes you thin. If you're fat, you must be lazy. Also not true.
Look at the indigenous peoples of the world. Most started out thin and trim, but over the last 100 years or so, have evolved into obesity epidemics. Most are very physically active, so it's not laziness.
Here's the truth: insulin is what makes you fat, and insulin is released when you eat carbohydrates. Putting my rarely-used tin foil hat on for a second, guess who funds many of the "fat is evil, carbs are good" research studies? The large cereal companies. General Mills, for example, is a long-time sponsor of Harvard.
Example: look at Type 1 diabetics, who make no insulin of their own: no matter how much they eat, they stay thin, and can actually die from malnourishment.
If you're overweight, you don't need any diet books to get thin. The answer is simple: cut down on carbs, which will reduce your insulin level, and keep cutting until you achieve the weight you want. Calories (mostly) don't matter. Fat by itself isn't evil; it's the carbs that are the problem.
This is yet another example of societal brainwashing through non-stop propaganda. Just like "there's nothing wrong with FRNs," "school is where you go to learn how to support yourself," "your vote matters," and "the banks are safe."
