How Carbohydrates & Obesity are Linked.
The Kind, Not the Amount
It's the kind of carbohydrates you
consume, not the number, which becomes a reflection of the number on your
bathroom scale.
Contrary to popular belief, overweight
people don't eat more carbohydrates than those of normal weight. However, it was
discovered that overweight people were more inclined to eat an excess of refined
carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta, which trigger a rapid spike in
blood sugar.
The culprit of weight gain, refined
carbohydrates, can be found in processed foods high in sugar. Refined
carbohydrates add on extra pounds through their high glycemic index, which means
they cause a quick surge in blood sugar. The sugar is then stored in muscle and
if it is not used it turns into fat.
On the contrary, other carbohydrates such
as whole grains, fruits and vegetables don't have high glycemic indexes.
Even though statistics showed that people
are eating less fat, it was revealed that over the course of the past 20 years
the rate of obesity has been steadily increasing.
To determine if carbohydrates played a
factor in obesity researchers conducted a study by measuring the height and
weight of nearly 600 healthy participants. One of the main requirements of the
study was for the participants to document the kind of carbohydrates they ate
for one year.
The study revealed two key findings:
People with a higher body mass index--a
measure of weight that factors in height -- tended to eat carbohydrates with a
higher glycemic index
The amount of carbohydrates people ate
had no influence on body mass index.
Researchers of the study also noted that
some countries are now adding glycemic levels on food labels as a guideline to
those who are trying to lose weight or control diabetes.
American Journal of
Epidemiology February 15, 2005;161(4):359-367.
Link to article
