Although a third of the world
would be better off on the typical American diet, it’s not ideal, but the
defects are not what you believe.
What should you worry about?
Protein? Not a problem. Most adults consume more than they need.
There’s no advantage to a high protein diet but not much harm either. Your body
will use as much as it needs and turn the rest into fat.
Carbohydrates? Americans should eat more. They’re high in
roughage. Americans need more roughage.
Fats? Fat is OK. Vegetable fat is probably better
than animal fat for lowering your cholesterol. Dieters should be careful about
choosing low fat foods. They’re not necessarily low in calories; in fact, manufacturers
add sugar to make them taste better.
Sugar? Americans consider sugar sinful.
Like sin, it’s probably not good for you. Sugar certainly contributes to
obesity and tooth decay but doesn’t cause
serious diseases such as diabetes or heart attacks.
Preservatives? They may do more good than harm. In poor
countries a leading killer of children is diarrhea, often from spoiled food.
This was also true in the U.S. during the nineteenth century. Refrigeration and
canning makes this less of a problem today, but considering how careless we are
storing and preparing food, preservatives still prevent disease.
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