In recent years,  time and scientific resources were spent investigating and analyzing the potential link between carbohydrate intake and prevalence of obesity in the United States. There were countless accusations made about “carbohydrates make you fat” and “Americans are getting fatter, despite lower fat intakes.”  However, when compared to the early 1900s, when carbohydrate consumption was significantly higher, we notice that there was also a lower rate of obesity. Only within the past two decades has there been a significant increase in obesity rates. This data substantiates that two variables are responsible for the increase in obesity: increased energy intake and reduction of energy expenditure. Now that we understand what the two variables are, we can examine carbohydrates, learn how they function, and why they are a critical component in daily dietary consumption.

Carbohydrates are compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen which are generally classified as sugars (simple), starches…