If we can gain a better understanding of these relationships, we might be able to better fine tune dietary recommendations in an improved effort to combat our current obesity crisis. A new nutrition study explored the trends in our dietary habits from 1971 to 2006 by analyzing data from NHANES I (1971-1975) and data from NHANES 2005-2006[1]. Dietary consumption of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and total energy intake was determined by dietary recall responses. Analysis of this dietary information showed that: From 1971 to 2006, the percentage of carbohydrates in our diet increased from 44% to 48.7%. The amount of energy from dietary fats decreased from 36.6% to 33.7% during this time frame. Protein consumption decreased from 16.5% to 15.7% of total energy intake. Overall daily energy intake (calorie consumption) increased substantially from 1971 to 2006. During this study period, obesity rates climbed from 11.9% to 33.4% in men and from 16.6% to 36.5% in women. When substituted for carbohydrates, a 1% increase in protein consumption reduced calorie consumption by 32 Calories. Similarly, increasing protein consumption by 1% in place of dietary fat decreased calorie intake by 51 Calories. If you look at these numbers, particularly in comparison to the recommended amounts of macronutrients, this is a very interesting study. It might be surprising to many that the levels of macronutrient consumption reported in this study fall within the recommended ranges. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, our diet should consist of 45 - 65% carbohydrates, 20 - 35% fats, and 10 - 35% protein. According to this new study, the typical American diet is on the low end of the carbohydrate range, the low end of the protein range, and the VERY high end of the dietary fat range. While this study shows that replacing carbohydrates and fats with protein in the diet reduced daily calorie consumption, it appears that we should aim for more protein at the expense of dietary fats. We clearly have a lot of room to reduce dietary fat while remaining within the recommended range of intake and replacing fat with protein provides the greatest reduction in daily calorie consumption. Remember to choose lean sources of protein like skinless chicken and fish. Also, vegetable sources of protein can be an excellent way to increase protein consumption because many of these sources are naturally low in saturated fat. A simple change in our eating habits like this can reduce calorie intake and reduce obesity risk.
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The relationship between the amounts of energy we consume daily, the proportions of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) that make up our daily energy intake, and obesity is a complicated one that has received a lot of attention in the research and healthcare communities.
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