CR diet versus USDA diet

[Guest guest]

Hi All, Check out:

http://www.infoaging.org/b-cal-7-increase.html,

which says:

“How does a calorie-restricted diet

compare to the USDA-recommended

low fat, high carbohydrate diet?

The US Department of

Agriculture has made

recommendations for a

healthful diet. They have

presented their suggestions in

the form of the pyramid, with

the foods that should be

eaten in the largest quantities on the bottom,

and those that should be largely avoided at

the narrow top.

The base of the food pyramid is grains: bread,

cereal, rice and pasta. The USDA recommends

6 to 11 servings of these per day. The next

tier contains vegetables, recommended at 3

to 5 servings, and fruit, at 2 to 4 servings.

Above those are dairy products, suggested at

2 to 3 servings, and meat, poultry, fish, dry

beans, eggs and nuts, at 2 to 3 servings. At

the top are fats, oils and sweets, with the

admonition to use sparingly.

Following the recommendations of the food

pyramid will yield a diet of between 2,000 and

2,500 calories per day, with these calories

distributed as 30% fat, 30% protein and 40%

carbohydrate.

For an adult man, a calorie-restricted diet

would have a 40% reduction in total calories,

to about 1,500 per day. These calories would

come in the form of mostly fruits and

vegetables, with fewer of them from meats or

starches. A calorie-restricted diet does not

require a reduction in the proportion of fat

intake below 30% of the total, but because

total calories are less, total fat is less. Meals

would be small, portions would be small, and

condiments would be few.

A calorie-restricted diet will produce weight

loss, to the point that most adherents appear

ill. Followers of calorie-restricted diets are

generally cold and always hungry. Because

they lose so much body fat, they lose the

protective cushions that protect their bones.

Sitting can be painful due to pressure on

bones. Walking can hurt, due to the loss of

the pads on the bottoms of feet. The

digestive system can be constantly upset.

Few adults have the ability to sustain such a

diet for any length of time, much less for their

entire lives. Nevertheless, there are some who

do it. Whether they live longer and healthier

remains to be seen and will need to be

confirmed by scientific studies that include

large numbers of people.”

Cheers, Al.

Alan Pater, Ph.D.; Faculty of Medicine; Memorial University; St. 's, NL

A1B 3V6 Canada; Tel. No.: (709) 777-6488; Fax No.: (709) 777-7010; email:

apater@...