Within the last 30 years, the obesity rate for adult Americans has more than doubled from 15% to 32%. And it is currently estimated that two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese -- a 42% increase since 1980. So what has changed to make us much more likely to be overweight than two decades ago?
I really don’t think that we can blame the gain on just one thing, but it is nice to identify some of the contributors. In July’s Food and Nutrition Research Journal there was a very interesting study about whole foods compared to processed foods and their contribution to us eating more and burning fewer calories.
They asked 17 healthy adults to eat one of two different lunches: 
a whole food meal made with real cheddar cheese on multigrain bread or a processed food meal made with processed cheese on white bread. Both meals were identical in calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat. You would think that since they matched nutritionally, there should be no difference in how many calories they contributed. Wrong!
They measured the calories each of the participants used over the next 5-6 hours as they digested the meals. Those who ate the whole food meals actually used up 65 more calories than their processed food counterparts. That means that they netted out with fewer calories on their hips or gut or wherever else extra calories tend to show up. In fact an extra 100 calories a day can potentially help you gain 10 pounds a year!
These findings are just one more reason I love eating fresh ground whole grains and in-season fruits and vegetables!
What are some of your whole food favorites?
