White foods – essentially, “bad carbs” like sugar and baked goods made with white flour – have been fingered as a culprit in America’s obesity epidemic. But is it true that you should kiss white foods goodbye if you want to lose weight and eat healthfully?
Avoiding refined carbohydrates came onto the national radar when low-carb diets like Atkins and Sugar Busters became popular. It didn’t help that a 2004 study showed that people who ate too many refined carbs were at increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
It is easy to overeat foods like cookies or white-flour pasta – and it’s even easier to drink sweetened beverages. It’s estimated that Americans drink 22% of our total calories, much of that from beverages sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.