Reply #46: There are many interconnected factors.

[LWolf]

When you look at one group of people who seem to eat something without harm, you have to look at how they are eating it, and everything they eat that goes along with that. I was just reading an article this morning, for example, discussing the health effects on some indigenous tribes when the kind of oil they used changed, and they no longer processed the food that made up the rest of their diet as efficiently.

Insulin resistance and diabetes is increasing at a significant rate in the U.S.:

http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20051026/no-end-in-sight-to-rapid-rise-in-diabetes

The common contributors in our country are over-processed foods and not enough exercise.

Having lived my life with insulin resistance, I learned that blood sugar is better controlled by eating plenty of green things, whole fruit in moderation, and small amounts of lean protein. The carbs that have the fiber removed, like in white rice, pasta, many breads, etc., play havoc with blood sugar levels. Most of the foods that the poor use as "filler" for hungry bellies are just that. A lifetime of those foods as the "staples" in a diet are part of what is fueling the rise in diabetes.

Of course, that's not just limited to the poor. Many of those who are doing fine financially also depend too much on convenience foods. Unhealthy foods have become part of the food culture of the nation.