I said, "In 1900, Americans got the vast majority of their calories from grains." I didn't say that was why we were thin. I can show you a study that track falling grain consumption and rising meat consumption from 1909 to 1974. The study is called "Nutrition in the United States, 1900 to 1974." It was published in "Cancer Research." This is not something from a cult, it is a mainstream scientific study.
If you look at page 3 of the study, table 1. In 1909 Americans were getting 497 grams of carbohydrates per day, and 3530 calories. So carbohydrates were about 56% of the diet by calories. If you go to page 5, and look at chart 9, in 1909 flour and cereal products had fallen to about 40% of total calories and their consumption decreased to 20% of total calories by 1972. In 1909, consumption of meat, poultry, dairy, fish, and eggs made up about 50% of calories, that rose to about 70% by 1972.
Now, in 1900 about 1 in 150 Americans were obese, by 1974, I believe it was over 20%, off the top of my head. So as meat and fat consumption were rising, so was obesity. However, I don't think meat and fat consumption cause obesity. Certainly the French eat more saturated fat and dairy than we do and they have an obesity rate which is about 70% lower. I do however, think certain types of fats, and removal of certain types of nutrients from grains contributes to obesity.
Over 90% of the grain products in the U.S. have the majority of their B vitamins, vitamin C, E vitamins, and phytochemicals removed. These grain products are certainly not healthy, but I do believe that 100% whole wheat bread (which is not whole wheat bread, which has the germ removed to prolong shelf life), is healthy. I also think whole grain rice and brown rice are healthy. I also think grass fed meats and wild caught fish are healthy. I try to eat all of the above as organics because there is an effect on nutrient content, which can effect hunger.
Here is the study showing that meat consumption increased and grain consumption decreased while obesity rates exploded:
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/c...Part_2/3246.pdf