I understand that the public sometimes scratches its collective head in wonder at the question under examination by some researchers. And sometimes the obvious needs to be quantified, verified and certified all in the name of medicine. However what struck me about this study was that the study authors were actually surprised by the results, at least that was how it was reported in a recent journal article I read in The Clinical Advisor (www.clinicaladvisor.com).

The Look-AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes – don’t you just love these acronyms?) study examined 2,757 Type II diabetics from 2000-2003 and found that 93% exceeded the recommended percentage of calories from fat, 85% exceeded the  saturated fat recommendation and 92% overindulged in salt consumption. Oh, and fewer than half actually consumed the recommended daily intake of fruits and veggies.

Considering that these participants (aged 45-75) were overweight or obese (body mass index >24) it’s no surprise that all the nutritional standards were blown. By far, the single reason middle-aged men and women become diabetic is because they are overweight or obese – you don’t get that way by consuming the appropriate amount of calories per day.

So where do we go from here? Well, education, education, education but it can feel like a slippery slope when fast food joints and restaurants do all that they can to combine the 3 pillars of obesity: sugar, fat, and salt.

Maybe that tax on certain types of food is just what we need.

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