as there's been a bit about 'eco-atkins' etc & the claimed benefits of
low-carbing for vegans, here's a bit of balance. Those on lowest
carbs tend to be fattest. I personally don't think anyone without a
specific need should go low carb just to lose weight. Sure
specialists like competition bodybuilders, but I'm not sure the
research is really in so that the average person needs to consider it.
Anyone can get down to a normal weight range with some carbs included
& it's only those needing to cut fat to the bone need to worry about
cutting back carbs (barring junk & refined carbs they should be at a
minimum for everyone).
But I'm side-tracking I'll put the study below.

Pete Ryan www.veganbodybuilding.org

~~~~~~

http://tinyurl.com/klo33q
1: J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jul;109(7):1165-72

Comment in:
J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jul;109(7):1163-4.

Carbohydrate intake and overweight and obesity among healthy adults.
Merchant AT, Vatanparast H, Barlas S, Dehghan M, Shah SM, De
Koning L, Steck SE.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South
Carolina, Columbia, USA. anwar.merchant@...

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the dietary habits of people
with optimal body weight in communities with high overweight and
obesity prevalence. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate carbohydrate intake in
relation to overweight and obesity in healthy, free-living adults.
DESIGN: We used a cross-sectional analysis. SUBJECTS/SETTING: The
Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.2 is a cross-sectional survey
of Canadians conducted in 2004-2005. There were 4,451 participants
aged 18 years and older with anthropometric and dietary data and no
comorbid conditions in this analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome
variables were body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)) and
overweight or obesity status (dichotomous) defined as BMI > or =25
compared with BMI <25 based on measured height and weight. Diet was
evaluated by 24-hour dietary recall based on the Automated Multi-Pass
Method. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Weighted regression models
with bootstrapping and cubic splines were used. Outcome variables were
BMI and overweight or obesity, and predictors were daily nutrient
intake. Adjustment for total energy intake, age, leisure time energy
expenditure, sex, smoking, education, and income adequacy was
performed. RESULTS: Risk of overweight and obesity was decreased in
all quartiles of carbohydrate intake compared to the lowest intake
category (multivariate odds ratio quartile 2=0.63; 95% confidence
interval: 0.49 to 0.90; odds ratio quartile 3=0.58; 95% confidence
interval: 0.41 to 0.82; odds ratio quartile 4=0.60; 95% confidence
interval: 0.42 to 0.85). Spline analyses revealed lowest risk among
those consuming 290 to 310 g/day carbohydrates. CONCLUSIONS: Consuming
a low-carbohydrate (approximately <47% energy) diet is associated with
greater likelihood of being overweight or obese among healthy,
free-living adults. Lowest risk may be obtained by consuming 47% to
64% energy from carbohydrates.