Malaga nutritional expert blames ‘deadly’ white bread and American influences for Spain’s obesity problem

A MALAGA nutritional expert has slammed white bread and the ‘American diet’ for being the biggest causes of Spain’s obesity problems.

Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, who is an honorary scholar at Harvard University, said young people have mixed the healthy Mediterranean diet with typically American foods, including eating ‘too much processed red meat.’

“I’m not saying we have to become vegetarians, but there is scientific evidence to suggest that there is a drastic reduction in death from heart disease and cancer if we replace animal proteins with vegetable proteins,” he said.

“The Mediterranean diet, meaning extra virgin olive oil, nuts, fruit, vegetables and pulses, is the best option. If you have to eat animal protein, it is better to eat fish than meat, and it is better to eat rabbit or poultry than red meat.”

He added that bread is a real problem.

“White bread is one of the most serious problems in Spain,” he said,  “Most people eat it and even stuff themselves with it.  

“The public needs to know that it is basically starch and our bodies are extremely efficient in turning starch into sugar. It’s like consuming glucose.

“It’s deadly,” he added, “we must eat less bread and when we we do, make it whole grain bread.”

Martinez-Gonzalez made the comments during an in-depth interview with El Pais.

A quarter of Spaniards are obese, despite the country’s diet being touted as one of the world’s most healthy.