Uploaded April 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Is Congress to blame for our health problems? For most Americans, the likely answer is yes, but not for the reasons you may think. In the late ‘70s, Congress began exploring the links between diet and health, due to significant issues with heart health. It culminated in the publication of the first US Dietary Guidelines in 1980 and every 5 years since. They concluded fat was bad and carbohydrates were good. As a result, they traded heart disease for obesity and diabetes. We now know too much refined carbs and sugar can make us fat, but it also leads to inflammation which has been linked to numerous chronic diseases that cost us billions to treat.
Is Congress to blame for our health problems? For most Americans, the likely answer is yes, but not for the reasons you may think. In the late ‘70s, Congress began exploring the links between diet and health, due to significant issues with heart health. It culminated in the publication of the first US Dietary Guidelines in 1980 and every 5 years since. They concluded fat was bad and carbohydrates were good. As a result, they traded heart disease for obesity and diabetes. We now know too much refined carbs and sugar can make us fat, but it also leads to inflammation which has been linked to numerous chronic diseases that cost us billions to treat.
