THE statistics tell a scary story. More than one-third of US adults — close to 80-million people, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention — are obese, and as Americans’ waistlines continue to grow so do rates for chronic health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.But does the path to weight loss and better health lie in eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors, eschewing grains, dairy products and the other foods of the modern agricultural era in favour of protein, nonstarchy vegetables and healthy fats such as coconut oil?That’s what advocates of a paleo diet say. Government health experts in Washington, though, seem to disagree. The latest dietary guidelines from the US Agriculture Department encourage Americans to consume whole grains and dairy products daily, and to avoid foods high in fat.Arguing in favour of a paleo diet is Kellyann Petrucci, a naturopathic physician, certified nutritional consultant and clinical director of Birmi...
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