carbs and the rest of the world

M

melfitz

Cathlete
Hello all!

I've been thinking about this for a while, but why are Americans so concerned about carbs when in so many other countries, carbs (e.g. rice and pasta) are such staple items in people's diets? In Asia, for example, rice is eaten every day with almost every meal...and, it's white rice, not the brown variety. Who eats sushi without rice? How about a stir-fry without rice? It certainly doesn't seem like there's an overweight issue in Asian countries due to carb consumption. It's not limited to Asia, of course. How about those tortillas in Mexico? Pasta in Italy? Rice and beans in Cuba? A few examples. Just wondering.


-Melanie
 
Melanie,

IMHO, pasta and Italians are not an good example. The majority of Italians I know do have weight problems. Pasta is definitely a staple. I am Italian and raised on an ethnic diet and we had pasta four days a week, at least.

I have not been to Asia, but I have been to Europe a few times. IMO, the French appeared to be the most fit. I don't know why except to say they appear to walk a lot.
 
It is very interesting as well as the walking alot. I say this because when I was on a mini vacation (only 4 days) 2 months ago, I lost 4 pounds. I couldn't believe it. I was eating a lot and anything I wanted. The only difference, we WALKED A LOT. My jeans were fitting so good. I kept it off for the week after, but eventually gained it all back. I really believe if I made myself get out and walk every day I could probably lose weight and it wouldn't matter what I was eating. Of course, I'm not talking junk like fries and burgers, but things like steak, baked potatoes, etc.
 
the low carb diets are a fad. they won't work and they make you fatter in the long run. as far as i'm concerned the key to a healthy weight is exercising, eating clean ( good fats, carbs and protein) cut the JUNK.
 
Actually Melanie, I keep reading in Time magazine how China is starting to have an obesity problem. I'm Asian and have just come back from a trip to the Philippines. People out there may be small, but I can't say we're a pretty fit bunch either. We eat too much rice, cook our meat with too much oil (some dishes are even prepared in lard), and drink too little milk. Back home, women AND men alike kept asking me what I did to get buff. When I said I do a lot of strength training, they'd nod and smile. When I said I do endurance work for muscle shaping, they'd ask questions about the differences between strength and endurance training. When I said I did a lot of cardio, they'd say, "Wow, no wonder you're so lean." When I said that cardio was only a small part of the equation, and that I attributed my leanness mostly to my taking rice -- among other starchy carbs like pasta and potatoes -- out of my diet, they'd recoil, as though I've committed treason or something. Me, an Asian? Denounce rice? How dare I? :7

Pinky
 
Oh, yes, I forgot about lard. My grandmother's favorite additive. It even sounds gross.x(
 
I totally agree....low carb diets won't last long. Where do these people think their energy comes from? CARBS. Plus, what's the point if you can't eat a piece of bread when you want to?
 
I too cannot understand this carb thing. I basically think it is a way for some people to avoid exercising. I have no idea how people get their energy without carbs. I am ethnic and we too eat rice, white rice at that with almost every meal and folks do not have the weight gain that is reported to be a result of eating white rice. However, back in my country there has been an introduction of fast food restaurants and processed foods and people are now gaining weight.
 
I just thought I'd give MHO on this. I'm a vegetarian so for me you wouldn't think it would work but when my DH decided to read the Atkins book I frankly had no choice but to her about it. :) The Atkins low carb diet really isn't supposed to be a diet as much has a lifestyle change. With the exception of the very low carb count in the first 2 weeks, which I never did, you aren't supposed to pass on vegetables and fruits and eat a side a beef 3 times a day. My DH eats more salads then he ever has, he lost 30 pounds in about 10 weeks and has kept it off since October last year now eating a reasonable number of carbs. He did do some running but he doesn’t w/o like I do. For me it was cutting back on the starches I loved too much, pasta mainly spaghetti and bread. Now they have low carbs substitutes that do not increase fat or sodium and taste fine.

When we started I'd been working out weights and cardio at least 4 times a week and eating I thought pretty good and didn't see much change except for increased muscle under the fat. As soon as I cut back not out the bread and pasta I dropped the inches and fell about 5 dress sizes and you now see the muscles, well some of them:) you couldn't before.

I'm not trying to make this about the "Atkins diet" but just to say what seems the most obvious, eat everything in moderation. I think we Americans top the scales because our mentality is do we get enough for our money, the bigger the portions the happier we seem to be.

As for the French I remember seeing a show on how much richer their food is but how much smaller the portions are. Add this to so much more everyday exercise, walking and biking they seem to be ahead of the game.

Just me...
 
Of course if you cut out a major part of your dietary choices you will lose weight. I believe its a fad also. I just don't think it can be healthy to eat bacon, eggs, steak, cold cuts and cheeses. Yuck. I believe in moderation, variety in your diet with an eye towards eating clean and exercise exercise exercise.. I think that the main problem with the American lifestyle is that it is so sedentary. We want quick fixes and low carbs is not the solution.
 
Praise the Lard, I think carbs are great. Say hallelujah!

But I still eat clean, work out, and do portion control. A varied whole foods diet seems to make the most sense to me.
 
I think the difference between Americans and many other countries is PORTIONS. Do they super size in China? I suspect no. ;-)

The other day was shocked to see at the Burger King drive thru menu (I wasn't there for ME...um..uh...it was for a FRIEND...) that they now have a "big Kids Menu" where the happy meal type things are supersized..double cheese burgers, etc. ! Horrific!!!

Jen
 
I also just think this is a fad.

Kinda reminds me of when the "fat free" was "in" back in the early 90's. I still remember my boss way back when, coming into the office where I worked just so darned excited when she had found the first box of "fat free" cookies in her store.
That's all we talked about then was "fat free" and "low fat".

I'm so embarrassed to admit that when I first read Stop the Insanity, by Susan Powter way back when, I was completely hooked by her whole idea: Fat was bad.
I have to laugh thinking back to my lunches back then: fat free bread with fat free sliced cheese!!!! Oh my... how did I exist?????
Needless to say, I didn't keep that up for too long. I was starving all the time.



Michelle
 
I must admit I find it difficult to live without the rice and bread and other such carbs although, I do appreciate how good I feel without these foods. Go Figure!
My observations regarding the low carb 'craze' cause me quite an amount of stress as I usually don't know how I should be eating most of the time!
My sister-in-law is Vietnamese and she is very thin, and quite muscular, naturally muscular in the arms especially.
She has been in Australia for 6 years now and before that time had not ever had a hamburger or a pizza.. donuts, nothing. (She loves Krispy Kremes!) She had never even eaten a plate of spaghetti.
In Vietnam.. and I suppose in many Asian countries, the food is fresher and you just can't get the packaged garbage foods as much.
The new obesity problems that are creeping into Asia now are because of Western influences I feel.. there are fewer barriers between the East and West and I think they are paying the price now as MCDonalds and the like have been a part of thier diets now.
My daughter interviewed her Aunt as part of a mulicultural study at school and we learned that the only thing that had not changed for her since leaving Vietnam (apart from the traditional methods of cooking taught to her by her mother in Vietnam) is the liberal use of oils in cooking and the rice.. lots of rice.
She has said to me before that her body has changed.. she is still quite thin, tiny!
But she is bigger than she has been in the past and she feels more tired.. lazier nowadays.
One thing I read about the rice in Asia though is that it isn't the cheaper, lesser quality rice that we buy here. You can get the better stuff here but it is more expensive.. from Asian grocers.
It is white.. but it isn't as heavily processed.
Countries like Japan are very choosey about the sort of rice they eat and I believe it is lower GI than the regular stuff we get our hands on.
I'm not quoting anyone in particular. it is all my own observation.
As far as the French diet is concerned I think I read somewhere that in France and other parts of Europe the supermarkets have far less of the processed packaged rubbish we have here. I see isles and isles of it when I do my shopping.. all pretend food, a lot of crap.
The French way of life is also different. Lots of walking (as with the Asian cultures)and it is less stressfull as well, more laid back.
So, to tell you the truth.. I have no idea!
But I suspect the answers may be linked to the packaged rubbish that seem to be peppered through my shopping trolly week after week?
Could be it.. I'll keep you posted.
Kelly


:)
 
Just adding my $.02 but I lived in Italy for a few years and those people are thin, thin, and thin. I think we think of "American Italians" as chunky people, but true Italians are tiny. My Great Aunt and Grandmother,both of whom live in Fossalta Di Piave,were here last month. Great Aunt is 76 and Grandma is 80. Great Aunt is 5'-8" and weighs 118 lbs. Grandma is 5'-2" and weighs 102lbs. Both walk at least 2 miles a day and eat an 80% carb/20%protein diet. Having lived there and seeing how my relatives live, people on high carb diets do just fine. As an earlier poster said, it's all about portion control. We have serious portion control issues in this country. Just letting you know my observations.......
 
this carb thing makes me laugh fads,fads,fads..everywhere you look everyone has low carb sandwiches, low carb this and low carb that- americans don't do enough research- they just believe what they hear and see. I think all things were put here for a reason so of course lots of fruits and veggies, I don't believe that cutting out a particualr fruit or veggie is good - which some diets insist on- you need nutrients from all different foods and each fruit/veggie has it's benefits. everything in moderation is my thing- variety is the spice of life. and yeah I think a little junk food now and then keeps you happy and it pushes me harder..ex: i grew up watching denise austin and believe in her motto- she eats clean 80% of the time and has junky stuff 20%. I think it's a good balance- I mean we are all going to die of something right- why not enjoy a little while we are here. I do my best to eat well but on friday's I like my pizza- some wednesday's I have a hectic day (no time to cook)and I like my fish sandwiches from mcdonalds...yeah maybe even a couple of them. it's each persons choice how they decide to live their life and what they put in it. I'm at my corresct weight- I workout mon-friday, sometimes walk or have outside activities on the weekends. for me that's good I don't wanna stress over it. JMO.....of course when I do have those days with a little bad food- I just work a little harder/longer the next day- or later in that day. just my quirky little way :7
 
Americans like a quick fix. Eating hardly any carbs and loosing weight is very, very easy (but not very healthy). But still most people don't stick to the low carb diet. They think that they are low carbing if they eat the "low carb breakfast bowl" but then go out to McDonalds for lunch. That's not how you are supposed to eat and you end up gaining weight.

Companies are pushing their products now because they are "low in carbs" - a few years ago it was "low fat/no fat". It's a shame that we are bombarded with all the commercials, advertising, so called "expert news".

The Italians living in Italy are not as overweight as the Italians in the U.S. - what you get to eat in the "Olive Garden" is hardly the real Italian food. Europeans in general are slimmer than the Americans. They move more in their daily lifes.
 
IMHO the problem is not carbohydrates. The problem seems more like a "portion control" issue. Pasta, rice and any other food can work in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Americans seen to be confused on what a balanced diet is. It is not elimination of any food group. It is not a smorgasbord either. Dieting is not a long term solution because at some point everyone goes "off" their "diet". Eating healthfully and in amounts that balance one's activity will lead to a healthy weight eventually. Now if a person has a "culinary holiday", then it could be followed by a time of making more healthful choices. Having the freedom to have cookies at Christmas, or a loaded hot dog on July 4th can help to maintain balance. In other works "never say never", and try to live in balance.

Edit to say- those with food alergies know what they can and cannot tolerate. Food allergies are not what I was referring to.
 
Let us not forget the French Paradox. The French eat more saturated fat but have less heart disease. Americans eat too much, too many convenience foods and don't get nearly enough exercise. I live in NW Tucson and when we moved here a decade ago there was a single grocery store six miles from me. There's been a population explosion but it somehow does not justify the two huge Walmarts, two Safeway's, an additional Fry's and a Basha's within that same six mile radius. And some of them are open for 24 hours! Walk in and 90 percent of what's available is not nutrionally sound.

Indeed, people do want a quick fix and most fad diets are low cal. I can do that and still have carbs which I love. I do tend to favor whole carbs including brown rice and pasta but I won't say no to white rice, white pasta, white tortilla and crusty white bread at times. Do you remember the Okinawa Program, a book about the Okinwans who are the most long-lived people on the planet? They eat white rice, soy, fish, yams and they move. I just read of one of the first clinical studies of Atkins which said it may not be as horrible as mainstream nutrtionists think. It showed that the Atkin's dieter's had higher HDL levels than the low fat dieters although they lost the same amount of weight. A study of long term effects is under way or in the works. There are some health conscious folks who do quite well on a low carb diet but for me, carbs are too enjoyable to give up. The thing is so many people jump onto these fads and yet, the obesity problem does not go away.

I find it tragic that so many Americans are getting too fat and looking for some magic formula to get to a reasonable weight not to mention the heart disease, diabetes, cancer and all the illnesses that are cropping up from the typical American diet. And it's so simple really, eat enough calories to meet your needs and get your rear in gear. My diet is really great, very healthy but with built in indulgances like daily dark chocolate and the occasional decadent meal I'd be in trouble eating on a daily basis. I have reached a point where, when someone tells me they are trying Atkin's for weight loss I say nothing, unless it's to share that I do high carb and I exercise about six times a week. People are going to do what they want and my best shot is to show them that my healthy lifestyle works and to wish them well!:)
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
Americans eat too much - too much food, too much processed junk, we snack all the time and we don't exercise. That's the reason for our obesity epidemic - not carbs or fat, just TOO MUCH.

I also read the article about the burgeoning obesity epidemic in Asia, and it's among the urban middle class who have abandoned the traditional Asian diet and adopted American-style fast-food eating and snacking. They're not pigging out on rice with vegetables; it's pizza, fries, burgers and soda.

My sister moved to France last year and I visited for a week. I ate foods I NEVER eat at home - full-fat cheese, frites (Belgian-style fries with mayonnaise dipping sauce), chocolates - and I lost three pounds. Portions are miniscule, there are no second helpings, her French husband kept no snack food in the house, and I walked everywhere. Oh yeah - and everyone smokes like a fiend. Nicotine is another appetite killer.


Allison
 
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