TEDxHarvardLaw_WalterWillett_HowDoModernDietaryPatternsLeadtoDiseaseWhatShouldWeEat.mov December 15, 2011

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For the last 20 years the focus of nutritional advice has been to reduce total fat intake and consume large amounts of carbohydrate. However, this advice is inconsistent with many lines of evidence indicating that unsaturated fats have beneficial metabolic effects and reduce risk of coronary heart disease. More recent evidence has also shown that the large majority of carbohydrates in current industrial diets, consisting of refined starches and sugars, have adverse metabolic effects and increased risks of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Thus, in what appears to be an optimal diet, most calories would come from a balance of whole grains and plant oils, proteins would be provided by a mix of beans, nuts, fish, eggs, and poultry, and the remaining nutritional needs would be filled by plenty of vegetables and a few fruits. Important considerations include the role of dairy products, the interrelationships with physical activity and genetic variations, and the implications of our food choices on environmental sustainability, and how we move from today's pathological diet to a more optimal way of eating.

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