The Big Fat Lie Discredited INSIDE Consumer Education: A recent cancer In July of 2002, an drate foods was con- Food News You Can Use 11 award-winning journal- tributing to the obesity research study that ist published an article epidemic. Recipes: Quick Easy Meals followed 50,000 in the New York Times Gary Taubes believed 12 Magazine titled “What the big fat lies about Handout:Step Up to women for more Nutrition and Health if it’s all been a big fat diet and disease he read 13 than 7 years found lie?” In this article, in Atkins book The New Handout: that increased Gary Taubes argued Diet Revolution (pub- Shop for Weight Loss that Atkins and other lished by Avon Books percent of fat intake 14 proponents of high-fat, in 1998). Taubes inter- For Professionals: was associated with low carbohydrate diets viewed Atkins in depth Educators’ Idea File: increased body fat. had got it right and that and his article was little Nutrition Month virtually everyone else more than a rehashing 15 was wrong. Taubes’ of the Atkins dogma. Dr. Jay’s Review: central thesis was that Taubes suggested re- Eat Right Electrolyte advice from the Ameri- search would soon 16 can Heart Association, prove Atkins and the Supplement: the American Cancer authors of other diet Online Password Society, the National books, such as Enter Subscriber Benefits Back Issue Highlights Cholesterol Education the Zone, Protein Pow- Program, and numerous er and Sugar Busters, other organizations, to were right when they NEXT ISSUE: reduce dietary fat, was claimed that advice to Nutrition Month at least partially respon- eat lean animal prod- Fruit and Vegetable Consumption sible for the rapid rise ucts and more carbohy- in obesity in the 1990s. drate was the main rea- Cooking with Whole Grains He implied that by son Americans were telling Americans to eat getting fatter. So was fewer high fat foods, telling Americans to eat and especially those less fat, particularly sat- from animals, and eat- urated fat and more car- ing more high-carbohy- bohydrate-rich foods Continued on page 10 FEBRUARY 2006 Continued from front page researchers looked at the tainly are inconsistent eride level dramatical- relationship between per- with the claims of fad ly….”. In fact, a keto- such as whole grains, cent fat calories and diet books like Atkins, genic diet high in saturat- fruits and vegetables weight change over 7.5 Sears, and the Eades who ed fat and cholesterol has what caused them to gain years, their results suggested dietary advice been proven to dramati- weight in the 1980s and showed “Weight loss was to reduce fat and eat cally raise triglycerides, 1990s? greatest among women more whole grains, total and LDL-choles- in either group who de- fruits, and vegetables terol levels, and lower New Study’s Data creased their percentage was largely responsible HDL-cholesterol.2 Finds Fat Fattening of energy from fat.”1 for America’s growing The Women’s Health This new study also epidemic of obesity. Bottom Line: Initiative Dietary Modifi- observed that women The biggest fear of The results of these cation Trial examined who ate more fruits and most clinicians was that two studies clearly dis- data from nearly 50,000 vegetables lost more diets very high in saturat- credit the claims of those women who were initial- weight. There was also a ed fat and very low in who advocate high-fat, ly examined between trend toward eating more carbohydrate, like Atkins low-carbohydrate diets 1993 and 1998 and fol- fiber and weight loss, recommended, would ad- for weight loss or blood lowed for 7.5 years. too. It should be noted versely impact blood lipid improvement. About half were advised that neither those as- lipids, clog arteries, and to follow a lower fat and signed to eat the low-fat promote heart attacks. References: saturated fat diet that was diet or maintain their cur- Atkins claimed “….keto- 1 JAMA 2006;295: higher in carbohydrate rent diet were told to re- genic levels of carbohy- 39-49 from more fruits, vegeta- duce their calorie intake. drate restriction will low- 2 JAMA 2003; bles and whole grains, The women in this study er normal cholesterol 290:912-20 while the others simply who most reduced the levels slightly, an elevat- continued their normal percentage of calories ed cholesterol level mod- By James J. Kenney, diets. Compliance with from fat were also the erately, a midrange PhD, RD, FACN. the low-fat diet was poor. most likely to have lost triglyceride level impres- Nevertheless, when the weight. These results cer- sively and a high triglyc- 8 Easy Ways to Lower the Fat in Your Diet 1. Cook more meals at home. Make them low cups per day ac- in fat by adapting your recipes and learning cording to new ones. MyPyramid? 2. Buy skim or fat-free dairy products instead 6. Eat more fruits of the full fat versions. These include milk, instead of pack- yogurt, sour cream and frozen yogurt. aged snacks like 3. Consume less cheese and foods that contain chips and crack- cheese, like pizza and deli sandwiches. ers. Cheese is the number one source of saturated 7. Limit baked fat in the American diet. goods and fatty 4. Choose leaner cuts of meat and poultry and desserts. limit portion sizes to no more than 3 ounces 8. Use oil, mar- per meal (about the size of a deck of cards). garine and fatty 5. Eat more salads and vegetables. Did you dressings spar- know that you should be eating at least 2.5 ingly. 10 Communicating Food for Health February 2006 Food News You Can Use Whole Grain Notes understand, we created Fruits and Vegetables Barley Is Allowed MyPyramid advises in- the chart on this page If people consume Claim dividuals to consume which shows a calorie more than five servings The Food and Drug Ad- half of their grain serv- comparison between of fruits and vegetables ministration (FDA) an- ings each day as whole these snacking products a day, they should ex- nounced that whole grains. This equates to and whole cooked pect to see a major re- grain barley and barley- about 3 ounces. Food grains. duction in stroke, ac- containing products are manufacturers have tak- While it is great that cording to a allowed to claim that en note of this and cookies are made with meta-analysis published they reduce the risk of many are reformulating whole grains, they real- in Lancet. Authors coronary heart disease their products and of- ly shouldn’t count as a found that 3-5 servings (CHD). fering new ones as whole grain serving be- produced about an 11% Consumers can ex- whole grain. cause they contain reduction while more pect to see whole bar- A package of one added sugar. They are a than 5 servings pro- ley and dry milled bar- such product caught my better cookie choice for duced 25%. They credit ley products such as eye in the grocery those who can afford to an increase in potassi- flakes, grits, flour, store: Whole Grain Fig imbibe. These cookies um, along with low fat, meal, and barley meal Newtons. They are con- and crackers are clear- high fiber and antioxi- bearing the health sidered a good source ly not the lowest calorie dants, all nutritional claim. An example of of whole grains because choices for those trying benefits of eating fruits the health claim that they contain 8 grams of to lose weight. FMI see and vegetables in their may be used is: whole grains per serv- nabiscoworld.com natural state. "Soluble fiber from ing. To be an excellent foods such as [name of source of whole grains Soy is Questioned food], as part of a diet a product needs to con- A committee from the low in saturated fat and tain at least 16 grams American Heart Associ- cholesterol, may reduce per serving. Manufac- ation took a look at a the risk of heart dis- turers have also come decade’s worth of re- ease. A serving of out with whole grain search regarding soy [name of food] supplies Wheat Thins and protein and heart dis- [x] grams of the soluble Whole Grain Triscuits. ease. What they found fiber necessary per day To make this easy to is that soy protein does- to have this effect." n’t lower LDL as FDA is authorizing much as originally food manufacturers to Product Calories thought; but it is use- immediately use the 1 ounce cooked oatmeal 17 ful when it replaces health claim for barley 1 ounce cooked brown rice 31 foods that are packed and the reduced risk of 1 ounce cooked barley 34 with cholesterol and CHD. To qualify, barley 1 ounce cooked whole wheat pasta 35 saturated fat. This foods must provide at 1 ounce whole grain bread 76 work was published in least 0.75 grams of sol- 1 ounce whole grain Fig Newtons 100 the journal uble fiber per serving. 1 ounce whole grain Triscuits 120 Circulation. FMI see www.fda.gov. 1 ounce whole grain Wheat Thins 121 www.americanheart.org www.foodandhealth.com 11 Light and Easy Entrees Chicken Mushroom Saute Barbecue-Baked Salmon 2 tsp olive oil 4 4-ounce salmon fillets 8 ounces thin-sliced chicken breasts 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce 2 cups white wine (or broth) 1/4 cup water Delicious Low-fat Side 1/4 cup minced onion or shallots Sliced lemons Ideas 2 cups sliced mushrooms Preheat oven to 375F. Salt and pepper to taste Place salmon fillets in baking Grain/potato/pasta/starch: Heat oil in a large skillet over dish and add water.