Just curious, what kind of diet is considered "Western"? I would assume you are talking about diets high in sugar and carbs, but I'm sure other Eastern cultures eat plenty of high carbohydrate diets too right?
Yes, there are Asian cultures with diets high in carbs that don't suffer from our epidemic. But those diets aren't high in refined carbohydrates or other crap we've been told to eat to lower the fat intake (e.g. margarine).
There is a high correlation between snacking and obesity.
The obesity crisis started in approx 1977. If you look at the the eating patterns from 1950, people ate less meals per day back then, an average of 3.
There's also a scientific explanation for it: when you snack, insulin goes up. By having 6 meals per day, like the average American now does, the insulin never goes down during the day. The body then develops insulin resistance, leptin resistance (satiety hormone) and it's all downhill from there.
I think you are mixing up your correlations. Obese people may be more prone to snacking, but snacking does not make you obese!
In fact, ACTUAL studies show that the number of meals doesn’t affect weight loss, only the amount of calories[0].
How you eat, how many times and how that affects your weight loss is totally up to the individuals preference, and what they feel is easier for them to maintain in their daily life.
Parent did not say snacking causes obesity, only correlated.
And you did not address his main point: that when one snacks, insulin goes up. It's a contributor to obesity, and as I understand it, is not controversial.
I think “Western diet” is more than high sugar, high carb.
It’s probably safe to say it is high sugar, high carb, high fat, high protein, high preservatives, high in toxins, highly inflammatory, high in calories... yet low in micro nutritional value (vitamins and minerals). When you have all that, it explains why we focus on sugar and carbs, because when you combine all that with insulin spikes/high blood sugar levels it becomes deadly, and in that environment removing the sugar/carbs (insulin spikes) it is going to result in significant improvements in health and weight.
Those factors also explain high incidents of chronic diseases (heart disease, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes) and obesity.
Is this an indirect way of saying people are eating high calories? Because most people use these terms in a relative manner. i.e. high carbs compared to fat and protein, or high fat and protein with fewer carbs.
I did directly say high calories [caloric], but maybe that was redundant. But yeah, I think if you take an average meal off any restaurant menu, it’s not only going to be high calories in light of the daily recommended number of calories (and more importantly the number of calories required to maintain an individuals healthy weight based on sex/age/height/BMI), but the breakdown of the Marcos will be high in all categories.
So for counter example you could eat a calorie surplus (like body builders bulking phase or maybe an endurance athlete refueling and preparing for another event) but that doesn’t necessarily mean the macros are all high (above daily recommended or above the amount to maintain body weight).
Geeze - I look in a grocery store and see way more good food that that kind of crap. Is it just that the average American doesn't eat/cook what they find at the grocery?
Studies from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show 61% of American grocery store purchases are highly processed foods and 77% are highly or moderately processed foods. FDA studies show 60% of Foods in grocery stores have sugar added.
Most people just don’t understand/know what is and isn’t crap as you call it. But I think understanding what foods lead to metabolic disorders and chronic diseases, people would look at American grocers as peddlers of poison (of course they have a small percentage of healthy foods too).
Guess: you probably shop more around the outside of the store where you'll typically find the unprepared foods and probably don't shop for groceries at Walmart, maybe not even Safeway. I know it's true for me but not most Americans.
1. high in refined carbohydrates
2. snacks between meals
Yes, there are Asian cultures with diets high in carbs that don't suffer from our epidemic. But those diets aren't high in refined carbohydrates or other crap we've been told to eat to lower the fat intake (e.g. margarine).