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Carbs seem to be the problem with the wide spread obesity. I don't personally have a problem but started reading the food labels for the first time in my life. Amazing, the huge amount of carbs in soft drinks, instant frozen meals etc. Carbs of course convert to sugar and therein lies the problem, plus lack of exercise.

Do you read food labels?

BTW ---the carbs shown on the attachment are low- some of the frozen instant meals are 40g

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Yes, more to know what additives there are or how much real food there is - for instance if a meat pie is only 20% meat what is the other 80%. Having found out what mechanically recovered meat really is I feel sick just reading the label sometimes. I've never really liked fizzy drinks or cheese or junk food generally so by sheer accident I have ended up with healthy eating habits, normal blood pressure and cholesterol which for my age group in scotland is pretty uncommon - I'm still a fat bastard but a healthy one.

gmc;1353193 wrote: Yes, more to know what additives there are or how much real food there is - for instance if a meat pie is only 20% meat what is the other 80%. Having found out what mechanically recovered meat really is I feel sick just reading the label sometimes. I've never really liked fizzy drinks or cheese or junk food generally so by sheer accident I have ended up with healthy eating habits, normal blood pressure and cholesterol which for my age group in scotland is pretty uncommon - I'm still a fat bastard but a healthy one.


You are spot on about additives----the fillers that are being used are disgusting. Just read somewhere that being fat in and of it's self is not necessarily bad as long as BP, Cholesterol etc. are OK. Is Haggis healthy eating? :-3

Lon;1353213 wrote: You are spot on about additives----the fillers that are being used are disgusting. Just read somewhere that being fat in and of it's self is not necessarily bad as long as BP, Cholesterol etc. are OK. Is Haggis healthy eating? :-3


Well yes, because they are always running up and down hills there tends to be very little fat content. Mind you the chips are probably bad for you when you buy the suppers.

It's quite ironic that I tend to read the ingredients as I'm eating them. That's gotta stop.

While I agree its imperative we be aware of what we eat and monitor the ingredients, some additives are used to make the food fit to eat. Some preservatives and antioxidents are essential in reducing or preventin moulds and undesirable growths

Snowfire;1353235 wrote: It's quite ironic that I tend to read the ingredients as I'm eating them. That's gotta stop.

While I agree its imperative we be aware of what we eat and monitor the ingredients, some additives are used to make the food fit to eat. Some preservatives and antioxidents are essential in reducing or preventin moulds and undesirable growths


Food additives are one thing, but of greater importance is FAT, SATURATED FAT, CHOLESTEROL, CARBOHYDRATES

Lon;1353189 wrote: Carbs seem to be the problem with the wide spread obesity. I don't personally have a problem but started reading the food labels for the first time in my life. Amazing, the huge amount of carbs in soft drinks, instant frozen meals etc. Carbs of course convert to sugar and therein lies the problem, plus lack of exercise.

Do you read food labels?

BTW ---the carbs shown on the attachment are low- some of the frozen instant meals are 40g


Every time - but I worry more about the fat content than the carbs.

Your body needs carbs - they're the energy supply the body runs on and complex carbohydrates give you the feel fuller longer effect. Fats on the other hand give you twice the calories per gram and do very little for you between being consumed and being laid down to hold those excess calories.

Avoid simple sugars by all means, they're just empty calories, but you need the carbohydrates to cover your outgoings.

At the end of the day it is a simple energy equasion :- calories in - energy expended = the amount laid down as fat. Expend more energy than you eat and you will lose weight.

Lon;1353237 wrote: Food additives are one thing, but of greater importance is FAT, SATURATED FAT, CHOLESTEROL, CARBOHYDRATES


Absolutely. I totally agree but in the process of monitoring we can get bogged down with the scare mongering that goes with E-numbers (I'm unsure whether you have a similar system in the US where additives are given E-numbers, ie such as these E number - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Not all e-numbers are harmful and many are natural

Bryn Mawr;1353238 wrote: Every time - but I worry more about the fat content than the carbs.

Your body needs carbs - they're the energy supply the body runs on and complex carbohydrates give you the feel fuller longer effect. Fats on the other hand give you twice the calories per gram and do very little for you between being consumed and being laid down to hold those excess calories.

Avoid simple sugars by all means, they're just empty calories, but you need the carbohydrates to cover your outgoings.

At the end of the day it is a simple energy equasion :- calories in - energy expended = the amount laid down as fat. Expend more energy than you eat and you will lose weight.


All true, but given the big increase in Type 2 Diabetes and obesity, the culprit seems to be EXCESSIVE CARBS as well as lack of exercise.

Lon;1353243 wrote: All true, but given the big increase in Type 2 Diabetes and obesity, the culprit seems to be EXCESSIVE CARBS as well as lack of exercise.


Type 2 diabetes is due to obesity, not to excessive carbs.

Four likely causes, genetic propensity which just exacerbates the other causes, physical damage to the pancreas form the pressure of the fat stored in the abdomen, chemical damage to the pancreas from the breakdown products of active fat or progressive failure of the liver to release glycogen under the influence of the insulin released.

Excessive carbs might cause obesity which can cause diabetes but they are not, of themselves, the cause.

Every fruit and vegetable is a carbohydrate, some being simple and others being complex. For the carbohydrate sensitive person, it's the simple carbs and sugars that are the problem because as they are eaten the rush of insulin release cases the body to crave more . This is due to the body 's need to store up food for famine. Us fat people would actually outlast you skinny people if famine were to occur, and then who would be perceived as the irresponsible ones?

Example: I was visiting my brother-in-law one day and he opened a bag of potato chips (potatos are a simple carbohydrate). I watched as he ate 4 chips and then closed the bag. I asked him if that was all he wanted and he said yes. This is unheard of to someone such as myself, if I open potato chips I struggle to stop eating them. So I asked my BIL how he could stop and he explained that the first chip tasted really, really good, the second was not quite as good as the first, the third was less satisfying and the fourth did nothing for him. For a person like me OTOH, each chip tastes progressively better instead of losing the taste.

The food industry understands the effects of simple carbohydrates on the segment of the population I am a member of and that is why they load their foods with them, it's one way of increasing and maintaining high demand for their products.

A book worth reading is:

Bryn Mawr;1353245 wrote: Type 2 diabetes is due to obesity, not to excessive carbs.

Four likely causes, genetic propensity which just exacerbates the other causes, physical damage to the pancreas form the pressure of the fat stored in the abdomen, chemical damage to the pancreas from the breakdown products of active fat or progressive failure of the liver to release glycogen under the influence of the insulin released.

Excessive carbs might cause obesity which can cause diabetes but they are not, of themselves, the cause.


I beg to differ------there are many people with Type 2 Diabetes that are not obese.

The American Diabetes Assoc. and all the Diabetic web sites talk about excessive carbs and of course they are talking about the BAD CARBS. There are GOOD & Bad CARBS and it is the bad carbs as found in many junk foods and fast foods.

A salad with tomatoes, carrots, spinach and kidney beans Vs. fries (chips).

All are carbs but the fries (chips) will cause a quick spike in blood glucose levels where as the salad with it's fiber is absorbed much more slowly. It is an excessive amount of these bad carbs that is causing the problem.

Lon;1353252 wrote: I beg to differ------there are many people with Type 2 Diabetes that are not obese.

The American Diabetes Assoc. and all the Diabetic web sites talk about excessive carbs and of course they are talking about the BAD CARBS. There are GOOD & Bad CARBS and it is the bad carbs as found in many junk foods and fast foods.

A salad with tomatoes, carrots, spinach and kidney beans Vs. fries (chips).

All are carbs but the fries (chips) will cause a quick spike in blood glucose levels where as the salad with it's fiber is absorbed much more slowly. It is an excessive amount of these bad carbs that is causing the problem.Tomatos, carrots and kidney beans are actually the same kid of carbohydrates as potato chip, thought the salt and deep frying of the chips do make them a bit worse.

Incidentally, pasta and bread are by far the most lethal simple carbohydrates today because they are so available. School athletic coaches encourage their athletes to consume them heavily.

Lon;1353252 wrote: I beg to differ------there are many people with Type 2 Diabetes that are not obese.

The American Diabetes Assoc. and all the Diabetic web sites talk about excessive carbs and of course they are talking about the BAD CARBS. There are GOOD & Bad CARBS and it is the bad carbs as found in many junk foods and fast foods.

A salad with tomatoes, carrots, spinach and kidney beans Vs. fries (chips).

All are carbs but the fries (chips) will cause a quick spike in blood glucose levels where as the salad with it's fiber is absorbed much more slowly. It is an excessive amount of these bad carbs that is causing the problem.


Perfectly correct, there are two types of carbs, the good and the bad. Good carbs are the complex starches and bad carbs are the simple sugars and the bad carbs will give you a sugar rush as their quich breakdown overcomes the insulin reaction.

Trouble is that fries are potatoes which contain complex starches and are good carbs with a long adsorption period. The reason that fries are bad is because they are deep fried and contain a high percentage of fat.

well I know from expeirence that too much protein can be just as bad a too many carbs. A few years back I was on the atkin's diet to loose a few pounds and I did and felt great until I got gout from complications of a bad thyroid from having radiation when I had cancer. It was like having a baseball grow on the ball of my foot below my big toe.

I absolutely do read food labels. The hidden sugar content is unbelievable. Also percentage of sodium content in frozen items. Often items labeled light, or low fat, have more calories and sugar than the regular item. If your dieting, or trying to be heart healthy......reading labels is a must.

weeder;1353294 wrote: I absolutely do read food labels. The hidden sugar content is unbelievable. Also percentage of sodium content in frozen items. Often items labeled light, or low fat, have more calories and sugar than the regular item. If your dieting, or trying to be heart healthy......reading labels is a must.


Hello stranger :-6

Long time no see

Bryn Mawr;1353258 wrote: Perfectly correct, there are two types of carbs, the good and the bad. Good carbs are the complex starches and bad carbs are the simple sugars and the bad carbs will give you a sugar rush as their quich breakdown overcomes the insulin reaction.

Trouble is that fries are potatoes which contain complex starches and are good carbs with a long adsorption period. The reason that fries are bad is because they are deep fried and contain a high percentage of fat.


Never saw this but it would have been worth it just to see him speechless.

Jamie Oliver left speechless after learning U.S. schools class chips as vegetables | Mail Online

Deep fried pizza anyone?

gmc;1353348 wrote: Never saw this but it would have been worth it just to see him speechless.

Jamie Oliver left speechless after learning U.S. schools class chips as vegetables | Mail Online

Deep fried pizza anyone?


Well spuds be root vegitables bayn't they?

Not quite one of your five-a-day though

Bryn Mawr;1353350 wrote: Well spuds be root vegitables bayn't they?

Not quite one of your five-a-day though


Living in a coutry where the deep fried mars bar was created I can sympathise with the logic behind it. We have a cultural aversion to vegetables as well - and to wholemeal bread - but it's a rationalisation of the simple reality that not so long ago vegatables were harder to get hold of and relatively expensive, especially in the winter months.

I started reading them last year. I'd been buying lean, smart, healthy frozen meals with the lowest fat, to take for my lunch. I'd ignored carbs all together until I found out I was diabetic.

Now I mostly cook fresh and pack a homemade lunch.

flopstock;1353379 wrote: I started reading them last year. I'd been buying lean, smart, healthy frozen meals with the lowest fat, to take for my lunch. I'd ignored carbs all together until I found out I was diabetic.

Now I mostly cook fresh and pack a homemade lunch.


Don't do ready meals - never know what's in them.

The occasional tin for the likes of chickpeas and tomatoes but mostly fresh ingredients and cook it yourself.

I was a bit surprised to see a lot of the food I eat is made in factories that "use nuts" to make food.

For one, I'm not sure we should call the mentally deranged that term, and also it raises some questions about food preparation.