Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

100 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

One could write an entire book describing and explaining Sears's

inaccuracies, which is not the purpose here, so I will merely high-

light a few of his major errors.

Sears's claim that Americans have dramatically cut their fat in-

take is incorrect. In fact, nationally recognized food surveys, such as

the National Food Consumption Survey and the National Health and

Nutrition Survey, indicate that Americans consume somewhere be-

tween 34 and 37 percent of their calories from fat.^24 Americans are

still eating a very high fat diet. The reason for the rise in obesity in

America is no mystery: we eat a high-calorie, high-fat diet. We are

eating more meals outside the home, relying more heavily on con-

venience foods, and consuming larger food portions. Consistent with

trends in weight, caloric intake rose 15 percent between 1970 and

1994.^25 The data actually shows increased consumption of junk food,

fat, and calories in recent years.^26

Weight has increased in America simply because total calorie

consumption has risen and activity or exercise has fallen. Our diets

are more nutrient-deficient than ever. Precisely balancing your pro-

tein and fat intake to enter some hypothetical zone will not make

you lose weight, unless you have reduced calorie consumption.

Numerous epidemiological and clinical trials have shown that di-

ets low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates correlate with lower

body weights worldwide. High-fat diets always show a direct response

relationship not only to obesity but also to heart attacks and cancer.^27

How Important Is the Glycemic Index?

According to Sears, the rate at which carbohydrates enter the blood-

stream (a food's glycemic index) determines whether or not we

maintain good health and optimal weight. Yet scientific evidence in-

dicates that the glycemic index of a food is not a reliable predictor of

the effect food has on blood glucose levels, cholesterol, and insulin

levels.

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In his book. Sears warns that eating bananas, carrots, lima beans,

and potatoes could be dangerous to your health merely because they

have a higher glycemic index. Obviously, the glycemic index is not the

major factor in deciding whether we should consider a food healthful.

We wouldn't want to recommend a diet of all high-glycemic

foods; however, the addition of nutrient-dense foods such as ba-

nanas, papayas, apricots, carrots, and lima beans is healthy and con-

ducive to weight loss. Just because the glycemic index of these