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CNN Live Today

Interview With Diet Expert K. Dun Gifford

Aired January 28, 2003 - 11:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Americans are facing an epidemic of obesity. Dieting is almost a national pastime. So, this week, we're going to take a look at a variety of weight loss plans. It is our series "A Diet a Day," and today's focus is the new food pyramid, and its new approaches to the government's guidelines.
Joining us from our Boston bureau is K. Dun Gifford. He is the founder and president of Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, a nonprofit group that promotes healthy eating.

Good morning, and a healthy good morning to you.

K. DUN GIFFORD, OLDWAYS PRESERVATION & EXCHANGE TRUST: Well, a healthy one to you too, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, I appreciate that. We're going to go ahead and take a look at this new pyramid. First of all, the old pyramid, what's wrong with it? I remember it up in the classroom year after year when I was growing up.

GIFFORD: Yes, and it is on billions of food packages. What's wrong with it is it's not consistent with the most modern science. It is not consistent with the U.S. dietary guidelines, and it gives people a bad impression that meat, protein, and plant protein are the same and they're not at all. So it's not a very good pyramid. It's based on data developed during the early 1980s, in fact.

KAGAN: We want to do a little compare and contrast right here, so first we're going to look at something that people have a lot of questions on, and that is carbohydrates. First, the old telling us to eat 6-11 servings of carbohydrates a day, any kind you want. Kind of lumps them in all together.

The new pyramid, though, says eat whole grains, two to three times, and the other carbs eat sparingly. Want to comment on that?

GIFFORD: Well, that's -- sure. Carbohydrates have to be the base of a healthy diet. They always have been for 10,000 years of our history, our genes are built that way, our whole food system is built that way.

I don't think that diminishing carbs is a long-term solution. It's a good short-term solution to lose some weight, but for the long haul, you really need whole grains and other carbohydrates like that at the base of your diet. Every day, try to eat them, even parts of three meals a day, toast and then some soup with grains in it, or any other kind of thing. KAGAN: Let's -- we've got to pretend like we're on a six-mile jog this morning, OK -- so keep it moving.

GIFFORD: All right, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Here we go, keeping the pace up. Moving on to fats. Old pyramid saying you don't want to eat that much, eat sparingly. New pyramid, eat as much as you want as long as you're talking plant oils like olive oils and canola oil.

GIFFORD: Absolutely right. Ten or 20 years ago, fats were demonized as the bad thing that makes you unhealthy with your heart and everything. Science has turned that around now. The unanimous view is that 25 percent of your calories from fat is the right way to go, so long as they are good fats. Not transfatty acids, good fats from plant oils.

KAGAN: And finally, Leon, my partner here, is really interested in this one, because he likes red meat. Old one, two to three servings a day. That -- maybe it would be enough for Leon. The new one, eat sparingly like once or twice a month. You're going to have to justify this claim to Leon.

GIFFORD: Well, I'm not sure that that's necessarily the right advice, so I agree with Leon -- I agree with Leon, and the best science says you don't have to give up meat, you shouldn't have to give it up. Lean meat is better for you than fatty meat, and keep your portions reasonable. No 30 ounce steaks. That is not good for you. Anybody will tell you that. But don't give up your red meat, your white meat, your fish. Fish, twice a week, go for it. Go for it.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There you go. There you go. My man. There you go. Who wants to look like Calista Flockhart anyway, right?

KAGAN: Not me. Absolutely. And on that note, Dun, I'm just going to ask you, I've got a big ol' birthday cake sitting over there. Where in the pyramid does that fall?

GIFFORD: That falls in the feast meals.

KAGAN: Feast.

GIFFORD: Go for it. On Friday night, go out and have your cake, your onion blossom, but on Saturday and maybe on Thursday, think you're going to be doing that and just kind of keep it average through the week, and you'll be thin and healthy and happy and live long and play with your grandchildren.

KAGAN: Well, that is the idea. I'm working on that. Dun Gifford, thanks for joining us. Really appreciate it. Thanks for being with us.

GIFFORD: All right, Daryn. Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 28, 2003 - 11:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Americans are facing an epidemic of obesity. Dieting is almost a national pastime. So, this week, we're going to take a look at a variety of weight loss plans. It is our series "A Diet a Day," and today's focus is the new food pyramid, and its new approaches to the government's guidelines.
Joining us from our Boston bureau is K. Dun Gifford. He is the founder and president of Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, a nonprofit group that promotes healthy eating.

Good morning, and a healthy good morning to you.

K. DUN GIFFORD, OLDWAYS PRESERVATION & EXCHANGE TRUST: Well, a healthy one to you too, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, I appreciate that. We're going to go ahead and take a look at this new pyramid. First of all, the old pyramid, what's wrong with it? I remember it up in the classroom year after year when I was growing up.

GIFFORD: Yes, and it is on billions of food packages. What's wrong with it is it's not consistent with the most modern science. It is not consistent with the U.S. dietary guidelines, and it gives people a bad impression that meat, protein, and plant protein are the same and they're not at all. So it's not a very good pyramid. It's based on data developed during the early 1980s, in fact.

KAGAN: We want to do a little compare and contrast right here, so first we're going to look at something that people have a lot of questions on, and that is carbohydrates. First, the old telling us to eat 6-11 servings of carbohydrates a day, any kind you want. Kind of lumps them in all together.

The new pyramid, though, says eat whole grains, two to three times, and the other carbs eat sparingly. Want to comment on that?

GIFFORD: Well, that's -- sure. Carbohydrates have to be the base of a healthy diet. They always have been for 10,000 years of our history, our genes are built that way, our whole food system is built that way.

I don't think that diminishing carbs is a long-term solution. It's a good short-term solution to lose some weight, but for the long haul, you really need whole grains and other carbohydrates like that at the base of your diet. Every day, try to eat them, even parts of three meals a day, toast and then some soup with grains in it, or any other kind of thing. KAGAN: Let's -- we've got to pretend like we're on a six-mile jog this morning, OK -- so keep it moving.

GIFFORD: All right, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Here we go, keeping the pace up. Moving on to fats. Old pyramid saying you don't want to eat that much, eat sparingly. New pyramid, eat as much as you want as long as you're talking plant oils like olive oils and canola oil.

GIFFORD: Absolutely right. Ten or 20 years ago, fats were demonized as the bad thing that makes you unhealthy with your heart and everything. Science has turned that around now. The unanimous view is that 25 percent of your calories from fat is the right way to go, so long as they are good fats. Not transfatty acids, good fats from plant oils.

KAGAN: And finally, Leon, my partner here, is really interested in this one, because he likes red meat. Old one, two to three servings a day. That -- maybe it would be enough for Leon. The new one, eat sparingly like once or twice a month. You're going to have to justify this claim to Leon.

GIFFORD: Well, I'm not sure that that's necessarily the right advice, so I agree with Leon -- I agree with Leon, and the best science says you don't have to give up meat, you shouldn't have to give it up. Lean meat is better for you than fatty meat, and keep your portions reasonable. No 30 ounce steaks. That is not good for you. Anybody will tell you that. But don't give up your red meat, your white meat, your fish. Fish, twice a week, go for it. Go for it.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There you go. There you go. My man. There you go. Who wants to look like Calista Flockhart anyway, right?

KAGAN: Not me. Absolutely. And on that note, Dun, I'm just going to ask you, I've got a big ol' birthday cake sitting over there. Where in the pyramid does that fall?

GIFFORD: That falls in the feast meals.

KAGAN: Feast.

GIFFORD: Go for it. On Friday night, go out and have your cake, your onion blossom, but on Saturday and maybe on Thursday, think you're going to be doing that and just kind of keep it average through the week, and you'll be thin and healthy and happy and live long and play with your grandchildren.

KAGAN: Well, that is the idea. I'm working on that. Dun Gifford, thanks for joining us. Really appreciate it. Thanks for being with us.

GIFFORD: All right, Daryn. Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com