2 of 5 Diet wars – Low fat vs low carb

tinyurl.com — Enter Dr. Atkins and the low-carb diet craze currently sweeping the nation. Whereas low-fat diets like Pritikin and Ornish warned followers against eating high-fat foods like steak and eggs, Atkins followers avoided the carbohydrates that are the mainstay of a low-fat lifestyle. Not surprisingly, low-carb diets have come under attack by everyone from low-fat diet proponents to scientists and the media. In “Diet Wars,” Talbot speaks with science journalist Gary Taubes, who wrote a controversial article for The New York Times Magazine that questioned whether the food pyramid was wrong and limiting carbohydrates was the way to go. “I got crucified in a variety of publications,” Taubes tells FRONTLINE. “A Washington Post reporter went after me, the Center for Science in the Public Interest went after me because suddenly I turned around and said, ‘Maybe low-fat diets don’t work and maybe low-carbohydrate diets are the answer.’” Taubes admits to being surprised by the ferocity with which his article was attacked. “People are more polarized on this than they are in politics,” he says. “I’m stunned.” What most nutritionists and industry experts do agree on is the fact that America is facing an obesity problem of epidemic proportions. “This is the public health issue of our generation,” says Dr. James Hill, director of the University of Colorado’s Center for Human Nutrition. “[When] you see 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, what amazes me is that …