Reducing Carbohydrates - David Kessler MD

[KennyA]

David Kessler has lodged a petition with the US Government on greatly reducing the amount of carbohydrate in the standard American diet. It is really well worth a read in itself, but is also a clear sign that attitudes are changing to carbohydrate, and the carb-heavy dietary recommendations that have been damaging health for around fifty years.

The 67 page petition can be downloaded here:

Regulations.gov

www.regulations.gov

The petition makes the case for removing the "Generally Regarded As Safe" (GRAS) appellation that these carbohydrates currently have. It's a good summary of the need to limit carbohydrate and in particular its use in industrial food production.

In anticipation of the "fringe science etc" argument.......David Kessler MD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Kessler) was previously the FDA Commissioner for seven years, serving under both the Bush and Clinton Administrations. He was also chosen by the Biden Administration to head Operation Warp Speed in January 2021 and was Chief Science Officer of the White House COVID-19 Response Team from January 2021 to May 2023. So very much a medical establishment figure and one who as FDA commissioner did not (then) deviate from the "carbs good, fat bad" novel orthodoxy.

 

[Jaylee]

Interestingly I’ve seen (or heard.) “cut back on the carbs.” Or valiants of. Used more in slurs or roasts with modern “comedy” or YouTube reaction stuff.
Though I feel it’s wrong to shame image.
At least this one liner is more factually close than what used to be thrown out there…

 

[Melgar]

Just reading through the petition. Looks like he is taking aim at Ultraprocessed foods, primarily processed refined carbs.

1. Refined sweeteners, like corn syrup, corn solids , glucose syrups, high fructose corn syrups and the like.
2. refined flours and starches , including wheat and corn flour, potato flour etc.

This is not a swipe at carbohydrates per se, those used in home cooked foods or the meat and two veggie meal variety , this is aimed at UPF's . And rightly so. The regular Jo US diet is shockingly unhealthy. I hope it gains some traction given the political climate there. The US food lobby is very powerful.

 

[Westley]

Indeed, this petition is specifically about processed, refined carbohydrates, and I do think it's a little disingenuous to leave that out of the first post of this thread entirely, as though this petition was showing institutional support for very low carb diets.

Also, since I suspect the mention of fringe science was in response to some of my recent comments on other threads, I'll clarify that it's the denial of the role of LDL cholesterol as a risk factor for heart disease, and suggestions that diets very high in saturated animal fat are healthy as long as carbs are low that I was referring to as fringe thinking.

 

[Resurgam]

Indeed, this petition is specifically about processed, refined carbohydrates, and I do think it's a little disingenuous to leave that out of the first post of this thread entirely, as though this petition was showing institutional support for very low carb diets.

Also, since I suspect the mention of fringe science was in response to some of my recent comments on other threads, I'll clarify that it's the denial of the role of LDL cholesterol as a risk factor for heart disease, and suggestions that diets very high in saturated animal fat are healthy as long as carbs are low that I was referring to as fringe thinking.

My daughter was in the US after her marriage to an American, but they decided to come back to England to live. I was quite shocked when I first saw them as they were so overweight. They continued to eat the same way as in the US, but they lost weight, because everything has added sugar or starch in the states - nothing that looks like meat is without some sort of high carb fluid added into the packaging or injected as 'basting'.
I think we should be thankful that we can still buy meat and fish which is not adulterated - though don't get me started on added water.....
I suspect that labelling diets including the normal fat which is there in the food as 'high in saturated fats' is an attempt to justify the low fat mantra.
My own results showed a reduction in cholesterol when I stopped the 'healthy' diet printed out for me by the GP, and it went down again when my weightloss slowed. Eating low fat but high carb foods seemed to throw me all out of kilter, no matter how little I ate I never lost weight, only energy - and sometimes the will to live seemed very low when more of the same was all I thought I could expect.

 

[Melgar]

My daughter was in the US after her marriage to an American, but they decided to come back to England to live. I was quite shocked when I first saw them as they were so overweight. They continued to eat the same way as in the US, but they lost weight, because everything has added sugar or starch in the states - nothing that looks like meat is without some sort of high carb fluid added into the packaging or injected as 'basting'.
I think we should be thankful that we can still buy meat and fish which is not adulterated - though don't get me started on added water.....
I suspect that labelling diets including the normal fat which is there in the food as 'high in saturated fats' is an attempt to justify the low fat mantra.
My own results showed a reduction in cholesterol when I stopped the 'healthy' diet printed out for me by the GP, and it went down again when my weightloss slowed. Eating low fat but high carb foods seemed to throw me all out of kilter, no matter how little I ate I never lost weight, only energy - and sometimes the will to live seemed very low when more of the same was all I thought I could expect.

Not all meat is injected with rubbish @Resurgam. I spend quite a bit of time in the US. If you get away from packaged and processed meats, fresh meat is just meat. Yes there is the chlorinated chicken, but you can buy organic chicken. I tend towards organic meat from farms that raise their animals without cruelty. Buy fresh produce from farms and the food is just fine, same as in the UK. The issue is pre packaged meats , including bacon, these products have additives. Products that are not industrially processed, in general, are fine.

 

[There is no Spoon]

though don't get me started on added water.....

I can't be the only one who remembers in the way back when and long ago times .... that we never had to have to pause frying bacon, take it out and put it to one side, so we could pour all the water and white gloop out before continuing.

 

[Resurgam]

Not all meat is injected with rubbish @Resurgam. I spend quite a bit of time in the US. If you get away from packaged and processed meats, fresh meat is just meat. Yes there is the chlorinated chicken, but you can buy organic chicken. I tend towards organic meat from farms that raise their animals without cruelty. Buy fresh produce from farms and the food is just fine, same as in the UK. The issue is pre packaged meats , including bacon, these products have additives. Products that are not industrially processed, in general, are fine.

I think that even if they had access to fresh meat and fresh produce they would not have been able to store it. Their work was intense and options for food were what was available for delivery or to pick up on the way back to whatever accommodation was provided.
It took them a little while to get used to the idea of having a proper kitchen with all facilities and not shopping every day once they came here.

 

[Melgar]

I think that even if they had access to fresh meat and fresh produce they would not have been able to store it. Their work was intense and options for food were what was available for delivery or to pick up on the way back to whatever accommodation was provided.
It took them a little while to get used to the idea of having a proper kitchen with all facilities and not shopping every day once they came here.

Yes, that's tough. Work schedules, tiredness and lack of time is the reason why most people opt for pre-pacted , pre-prepared and take-outs meals. Once you are out of the cities, fresh farm gate produce is readily available.

 

[Peaches23]

I think that even if they had access to fresh meat and fresh produce they would not have been able to store it. Their work was intense and options for food were what was available for delivery or to pick up on the way back to whatever accommodation was provided.
It took them a little while to get used to the idea of having a proper kitchen with all facilities and not shopping every day once they came here.

Eating on the road be it delivery or pick up is very hard to maintain good eating choices. Many restaurants in the US offer meals that are high in carbs and meant to satisfy the majority. Preparing home cooked meals always offers better and healthier eating choices. When I'm on the road for days at a time, just maintaining carb control and weight is a challenge. Eating at home, preparing my own meals, I can more readily lower carbs, keep blood glucose in check, and lose weight.

 

[Jaylee]

Eating on the road be it delivery or pick up is very hard to maintain good eating choices. Many restaurants in the US offer meals that are high in carbs and meant to satisfy the majority. Preparing home cooked meals always offers better and healthier eating choices. When I'm on the road for days at a time, just maintaining carb control and weight is a challenge. Eating at home, preparing my own meals, I can more readily lower carbs, keep blood glucose in check, and lose weight.

Sounds more glamorous than it was, but touring the circuit (16 years.) with a metal band had similar disadvantages.
Though the Swedish hotel we were put up in did some great health option for breakfast with the kippers..
I put touring with a band like jumping in a van at stoopid o’clock with a builders crew but instead of arriving at a construction site, we either catch a flight or hit the venue?