What's confusing is when you start looking at individual nutrients-proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants-There are about 50 to 100 different components in the diet that have some effect on health. When you single them out and study them individually, you're going to get one result or another. And it's very easy for people to find studies to support their point of view about good nutrition.
When you look at dietary patterns, the advice never changes and hasn't changed in 50 years. And that's to eat a diet that's balanced in calories where a substantial proportion of those calories come from fruit and vegetables.
Then why does the news focus so much on single-nutrient studies?
It's more fun! It's a lot more fun to read about a single nutrient. We like simple solutions to complicated problems. It's much easier to think, "If I just eat a low-fat diet or don't eat any carbohydrates, my weight problems will be solved," than to think "I really need to build some activity into my life. I need to try to eat less often and smaller portions." That kind of consciousness about diet is uncomfortable for practically everybody.
When did portions start growing, and what role does larger portions play in the fattening of America?
In about the mid-80s, companies began introducing larger portions than had been seen before. That's when muffins went from one or two ounces to six or eight ounces, and bagels went from two ounces to six ounces.
