Calories Do Count

[Guest guest]

It is becoming difficult to pick up a magazine or newspaper and not

find some mention of the need to reduce dietary fat intake to 30

percent or less of calories. Numerous health and government

authorities, including the U.S. Surgeon General, the National

Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association and the American

Dietetic Association, still advocate reducing dietary fat to 30

percent or less of total calories. Even the percent daily value of

fat appearing on food labels is based on 30 percent of calories. But

are Americans heeding these messages?

It appears that they are at least making some effort to reduce fat

intake, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals,

CSFII). This survey shows that from 1994 to 1996 the average

American diet contained 33 percent of total calories from fat, down

from 40 percent in 1978, which is extremely encouraging.

What is not encouraging, however, is the finding that Americans in

general are seeing a heavier weight when they step on the scale. The

National Center for Health Statistics found that, in the past

decade, the proportion of U.S. adults who are overweight increased

by eight percent to 33 percent.

Other studies support these findings. A study from the National

Institutes of Health confirms that in 1992-93, the average weight of

Americans age 25-30 was 171 pounds. In 1985-86, the average weight

was 161 pounds for the same age group.

Why then, if the percent of fat in the diet is decreasing, is

obesity increasing? After all, fat has nine calories per gram while

protein and carbohydrates only have four each.

The answer may not be a simple one. Experts believe a number of

factors contribute to the increase in body weight. The continuing

physical inactivity of Americans has been cited by numerous

researchers as a major factor. Only 40 percent of Americans exercise

on a regular basis. In addition, researchers point to such symptoms

of a sedentary lifestyle as a 10 percent decline in sports

participation from 1985-90, and a decline in manufacturing jobs,

which means fewer people move around at work.

Other factors include a decrease in physical activity caused by

television, a continuing increase in the usage of automobiles, and a

decrease in physical education classes in schools. And these

symptoms may be here to stay. " Experts agree that the root causes of

obesity in the country – a sedentary lifestyle and an abundance of

food – are very difficult to change, " says New York Times writer

n Burros in a recent article on Americans' weight gain.

Excess caloric intake, however, is also a factor. According to the

latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES),

total caloric intake by adults increased from 1,969 calories in 1978

to 2,200 in 1990.

Obviously, calories still count! Weight is determined by the number

of calories consumed and the number used as energy. If more calories

are consumed than burned, the result is weight gain. Merely

controlling grams of fat consumed, which was popular nutrition

advice in the past, does not necessarily result in a reduction in

calories.

As Dr. Hill, who is with the Center for Human Nutrition at the

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, recently stated, " the

idea that you can eat whatever you want as long as you don't eat fat

is totally wrong. There's solid evidence that the composition of the

diet is important, but it's not just an issue of fat; total calories

count too. So, yes, eat low fat. But don't forget calories. "

©Calorie Control Council. Used by permission.