by: Dr. Donald A. Miller

Google News can be entertaining (http://news.google.com/).
Late August 2004 headlines show that at least some USA government
experts understand the difference between "good" and "bad" sugars.
However, they stopped short of telling us to limit refined sugar
intake, in updated dietary guidelines for 2005.

Could this reluctance to state the obvious be signs that commercial
interests are taken seriously by the Feds? News articles said that 7
of the 13 panel members have financial interests in the food
industry.

Duh!

The full "2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report",
released August 27, 2004, is available at
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report/

Most of the panel's recommendations are consistent with those in my
two health books. Restrict salt, meat, dairy, alcoholic beverages,
trans fats. Eat whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Eat foods
with omega-3 fatty acids. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily,
such as brisk walks.
And don't get hung up on "low carb".

"Good sugars" are those that occur naturally in healthful foods,
such as fruits and vegetables. "Bad sugars" are those which are
refined to have no nutrients other than calories.

But representatives of the sugar and soft drinks industries
maintain that overeating and lack of exercise, not a particular food
or beverage, are causing America's obesity.

Item: My article, "High Energy Food Illustrations", shows that
sugar, fat, alcohol are concentrated energy sources which can
support fire. Restrict their intake and you help your calorie
balance.

Item: Such sources as the American Medical Association show that
sugar enriched foods and beverages correlate with risk of diabetes,
as well as risk of obesity.

Item: My diet book noted that some young people being treated with
Ritalin[tm] for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were
able to flush their drugs when they removed refined sugars from
their diets. (I knew one such youth.) I also noted that average USA
consumption of refined sugars and artificial sweeteners is now about
25 times the per capita consumption of the early 1900s. Use of the
three major artificial sweeteners is no magic cure, because they can
cause the symptoms of several serious diseases.

So, should we take the advice of the sugar-foods and soft drinks
industries?

As reporter John Stossel would say, "Give Me a Break".

** Diet with FACTS, not MYTHS. **

About the author:
Dr. Donald A. Miller is author of "Easy Health Diet"
http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm,"EasyExercise All Ages"
http://easyhealthdiet.com/eeaa.htm,andnumerous free articles on
health http://easyhealthdiet.com/articles/.
Seven of ten deaths are caused by preventable diseases.