If you are already overweight, the idea that you can eat everything in moderation is a fallacy at best, and a pervasive marketing tactic, at worst, served to you by the food industry.
Most overweight people are carbohydrate intolerant. This means that their bodies are unable to process sugar (carbs) safely and effectively. You would not advise a person with a gluten allergy to eat bread in moderation. Neither would you advise a person with lactose intolerance to consume dairy in moderation. It is, therefore, illogical to advise an overweight, carb-sensitive individual to eat carbs in moderation.
A peanut allergy can kill quickly, but a carb allergy can still kill, albeit slowly, via the diseases we have now come to recognise as metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. The trajectory of diabesity can be traced back to the introduction of national dietary guidelines in the western world. These guidelines eventually trickled down to and were absorbed by middle and low-income countries.
The demonisation of animal-based fat, saturated fat, in particular, led to the explosion of dietary carbohydrates, specifically refined grain and sugar. Natural fat was substituted for industrially manufactured fats and oils. Our food environment changed drastically, and so did our waistlines.
I was surprised to discover that there was no robust scientific evidence behind the launch and dissemination of the dietary guidelines. They are not fit for purpose, particularly for diabetics.
Read more here:
Eating in moderation a fallacy - The Star, Kenya
