The 1980s were marked by a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. We snacked on microwave popcorn, cereal, and low fat turkey sandwiches. But that all changed in the 1990s when the low carb craze took a hold of our nation. It was all about proteins in the form of meats and dairy. Traditional products like yogurt and chocolate were available in the low sugar or low carbohydrate variety.

　　20世纪80年代的饮食特征是低脂肪、高碳水化合物。我们吃着微波炉烤的爆米花、麦片和低脂火鸡三明治。但20世纪90年代，风向全转了，全国开始流行低脂饮食。都吃上了富含蛋白质的食品，如肉和乳制品。传统食品，如酸奶和巧克力，都推出了低糖或低脂配方。

　　Today we've fallen somewhere in between. Fat has gained some acceptance but it's the monounsaturated variety found in avocados, olive oil, and almonds. But beyond the new obsession with "good fats," what does fat do for our bodies and more specifically, who's to blame for America's obesity epidemic? According to Civil Eats, new studies show that saturated fats may not be as harmful as we might have thought.

　　现在，我们被卡在了当中。某种程度上，接受了脂肪；但只接受单一饱和脂肪酸，象鳄梨、橄榄油和杏仁都含有该物质。但除了一股脑扎进新的“好脂肪”饮食外，脂肪到底对身体产生怎样的作用？特别是，美国人肥胖症蔓延到底该怪谁？根据“国民饮食”网站的新研究表明：饱和脂肪酸不象我们想的那样有害。

　　The Question of Fats

　　脂肪问题

　　Civil Eats reported that the LA Times, shifted blame for the obesity epidemic.

　　“国民饮食”在《洛杉矶时报》撰文，认为不应将肥胖蔓延归咎脂肪。

　　"Fat is not the problem," says Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases."

　　“脂肪不是问题，”沃尔特·魏林特医生说。他是哈佛公共健康学院营养系主任。“如果美国人不喝含糖饮料，不吃土豆、白面包、意大利面、白米和甜食，我们就能消除绝大多数与体重有关的毛病，还有糖尿病和其他新陈代谢疾病。”

　　Our dependence on carbohydrates is largely due to a low fat craze gone seriously wrong. Today we get 55 percent of our calories from carbohydrates when we should be getting about half that. Carbs turn to sugar in our body if we don't burn it off immediately with exercise. Since today much of our time is spent at a desk rather than out in the fields, we're getting fatter every day and sugar is the culprit.

　　我们依赖碳水化合物的很大一部分原因是时髦的低脂饮食，真是大错特错。现在，有55%的能量来自碳水化合物，实际上，我们只需要一半。如果我们不运动，及时消耗碳水化合物，那么其在体内就会转化成糖。由于现今，我们大部分时间都是坐在室内，而不是在室外活动，于是变得越来越胖，糖就是罪魁祸首。

　　What's more, according to Civil Eats:

　　“国民饮食”认为还有更多问题：

　　The link to cardiovascular disease is tenuous at best—the idea being that saturated fats raise your cholesterol and triglyceride levels which in turn leads to cardiovascular disease. But according to the most recent studies, including one reported in the Los Angeles Times article, this is not true. “Contrary to what many expect—dietary fat intake is not directly related to blood fat. Rather, the amount of carbohydrates in the diet appears to be a potent contributor,” Marni Jameson writes.

　　脂肪与心血管疾病关系不大。有种说法：饱和脂肪酸提高了体内胆固醇和甘油三酸脂含量，因此引起心血管疾病。但根据最新的研究，包括一篇发表在《洛杉矶时报》的文章，都认为这个说法错了。“许多人想当然认为摄入脂肪，就会使血脂升高。但事实刚好相反，食谱中高含量的碳水化合物才是引起高血脂的强大推手。“马尼·詹姆斯说。

　　What About Whole Grains?

　　全谷物如何？

　　But that doesn't mean that you should resume your Atkins Diet tomorrow. Let's be clear: not all carbohydrates are created equal. White carbohydrates should be eliminated, including white bread, pasta, candy, and most processed chips and cookies. Whole grains including rolled oats, barley, and brown rice along with carbs found in fruits and vegetables are essential. They contain fiber which has been proven time and time again to add years to your life because it improves digestion and keeps your system clean.

　　以上论述，并非让你明天就恢复阿金饮食法（阿金饮食法：吃肉饮食减肥法，由美国医师罗伯特·C·阿金提出。——译者注）。我们得明白：不是所有的碳水化合物都一样。少吃精加工的碳水化合物，如白面包、意大利面、糖果和薯条、饼干等。全谷物是必须的，如燕麦片、大麦、糙米等；还有水果和蔬菜中的碳水化合物，都是必须的。经常有新证据表明：它们所含的纤维有益长寿。因为纤维能够改善消化，使人体内干净。

　　According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and especially whole grains lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases by 24 percent to 56 percent in men and by 34 percent to 59 percent in women.

　　High Protein Meat Based Diets Equal Higher All Cause Mortality

　　根据《内科学文献》刊登的一项研究表明：蔬菜、水果、坚果、籽类、豆子，特别是全谷物——这些都能降低心血管疾病、传染病和呼吸道疾病的死亡率。其中男性可降低24%-56%；女性降低34%—59%。

　　In fact, high protein, meat based diets have been proven to have a negative effect on longevity. The key to good health is good digestion because without it, things can't keep moving through your system and toxins build up, causing disease. That's why dietary fiber is so important to our health. Higher protein diets based on plant proteins like beans, lentils, and nuts are not only lower in fat and sodium, but they're higher in dietary fiber.

　　事实已经证明：以肉为主的高蛋白饮食方式对寿命有副作用。健康的关键是消化好。如果消化不好，体内的循环就不好，毒素都会累积，然后就生病了。这就是膳食纤维对健康很重要的原因。以植物蛋白为主的高蛋白饮食，如豆子、小扁豆和坚果，不仅脂肪和钠的含量较低，而且膳食纤维含量较高。

　　What's more, the more meat and processed cheeses you eat, the more the body must ingest the hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals that go along with them.

　　而且，肉和加工过的奶酪吃的越多，附带地，体内需要解决的激素、抗生素和各类化学成分就越多。