"Bad Carbs" Aren't To Blame for Obesity, Professor Claims! Hogwash, I Say! It's Time for a Debate

If you've read SUGAR SHOCK! and check out this blog regularly, you'll know that I found a preponderance of research studies (which still keep pouring in) to support the theory that refined carbs -- which I often call "culprit carbs" -- can make you fat and give you other diseases.

So, it was certainly with great interest (and, I confess, a huge amount of skepticism) that I learned about a new review article in the October Journal of the American Dietetic Association from a University of Virginia professor, who considers the bad-carbs-make-you-fat theory complete rubbish.

Not one to shy away from controversy, I thought you should know that Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., professor of exercise physiology and director of the Kinesiology Program in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, believes that this heavily documented hypothesis about culprit carbs is “just nonsense,” Science Daily reported.

"Eating sandwiches with white bread, or an occasional doughnut, isn't going to kill you, or necessarily even lead to obesity," Dr. Gaesser said, according to Science Daily. (Come on, folks, how many people eat only occasional doughnuts -- American ingest a plethora of these culprit carbs, including white bread, which do lead to weight gain, as well as a host of other diseases.)

But I'm here to let the outspoken scientist who believes carbs won't kill you have his say.

Dr. Gaesser, who is author of  It's the Calories, Not the Carbs and Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health, also reportedly found that diets high in carbs are "almost universally associated with slimmer bodies," as Science Daily puts it. (What kinds of carbs are we talking about? Fruits and vegetables? Processed carbs?)

Again, bear in  mind that you'll find an opposing viewpoint in my book SUGAR SHOCK! and also in the meticulously researched, fascinating new book, Good Calories, Bad Calories, from renowned science journalist Gary Taubes, who has achieved considerable acclaim for his ability to cull facts from fiction.

In fact, you can listen to Gary Taubes eloquently present his point of view on this week's my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Show on Blog Talk Radio. (Shame I wasn't feeling better that day myself.)

Back to another conclusion from Dr. Gaesser. He found that consuming lots of high-glycemic foods is not associated with higher body weights, another conclusion with which I find fault.

The University of Virginia scientist also evidently tracked down several large studies in the United States, which revealed that high-glycemic diets were linked to better weight control. (Huh? I don't buy this at all! Oh goodness, was he misinterpreting the data?)

Dr. Gaesser goes even further in his condemnation of the culprit-carbs theory.

“There is no reason to be eating fewer carbs – they’re not the enemy,” Dr. Gaesser claims.  (Yikes, please, folks, don't follow this faulty advice! Curb or cut out your consumption of refined carbs, please!)

FYI, Dr. Gaesser's article in the ADA journal allegedly analyzes peer-reviewed, scientific research on carb consumption, glycemic index and body weight. As Science Daily puts it, his piece "gives the first detailed review of the literature on the correlation between them."

Wait a minute: If anyone gives the first detailed review of the literature, it has to be Gary Taubes in Good Calories, Bad Calories. (I review quite a bit of literature, too, in SUGAR SHOCK!)

His findings run counter to the current consensus on the effects of `good' and `bad' carbohydrates."

He concludes: "Because overall dietary quality tends to be higher for high-carbohydrate diets, a low-fat dietary strategy with emphasis on fiber-rich carbohydrates, particularly cereal fiber, may be beneficial for health and weight control."

By the way, Dr. Gaesser certainly has some fascinating credentials. In 1997, he even received a public service award from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). He's given a number of talks on the subject of fitness, body weight, and health at national and international meetings. He's also been a guest on dozens of radio and TV shows, including Good Morning America, ABC\'s 20/20, World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, NBC Nightly News, CNN and Dateline NBC.

I don't have time to post more about this now -- I'm trying very hard NOT to work today, which, of course, isn't happening -- but I'm planning a very provocative Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show, in which both points of views will be presented.

More later about this subject, because it's definitely worth delving into further.