I recently attended a wonderful nutrition conference where many of the leading experts weighed in on the cause of obesity and nutritional problems that we are facing in our country. Each expert had their particular focus and reason for the rise in obesity.

One attributed the cause to sugar and high fructose corn syrup. He pointed out that fructose is metabolized to fat in the liver. Another felt that it was the glycemic index of foods containing sugar that was the problem. Sticking with foods with a low glycemic index was preferable. Another expert felt that genetically modified foods were responsible for many of the medical issues that many Americans are dealing with. In animal studies, genetically modified foods caused infertility, premature aging and abnormal insulin regulation.

What do we do with all the information? The obesity epidemic is not due to just one thing. Clearly sugar is a problem. The best way to get carbohydrates in the diet is by eating foods with a low glycemic index that take time to digest. Instead of drinking orange juice, which is seen as liquid sugar to the body, eat the whole orange. The fiber in the orange slows down the way we process sugar. Eating the whole food is the key.

Whenever possible eat organic. Avoiding genetically modified food is possible if we become aware of what has been modified. Many of the ingredients used in processed foods have been genetically modified. The most common foods that have been genetically altered are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya and some zucchini and yellow squash. When at the store, look for no GMO on the label to make sure that food has not been modified. Avoiding processed food altogether will help as well.

The bottom line is to eat whole foods and eat organic.