HEY SUGAR

Americans Are Eating Healthier—Just Not Healthy Enough

A new study finds modest decreases in the amount of sugar and other low-quality carbs in the average diet, and more whole grains.

A major new study has found that Americans are cutting back on low-quality carbohydrates, but are still consuming way too much. The research in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at dietary data gathered between 1999 and 2016 and found the amount of junk carbs such as added sugar declined by 3.25 percent, while there were modest increases in the amount of high-quality carbs and proteins such as whole grains, fruit and nuts. “The growing popularity of specific diet patterns such as Atkins, paleo, low-carbohydrate, and vegan/vegetarian diets may have contributed to changes in recent trends,” the researchers wrote, adding that despite the improvements, American diets still don’t meet the recommended guidelines.