Obesity, diabetes... Low carb

I keep seeing statistics that a third of Americans are overweight (BMI over 25) and another third is obese (BMI over 30). I really, really don't want to be part of that statistic -- I'll stay in the normal weight group, thanks.

Another statistic I've heard recently is that by 2050, a third of Americans will likely have type 2 diabetes. Count me out on this one too.

I think that it's possible to avoid this fate (obesity and diabetes) by, above all, avoiding processed food. (Exercise is good too but I think food is even more important.) I'm feeling virtuous about the no flour/no sugar groove I'm in though I do eat a lot of carbs (fruit, starchy vegetables, legumes).

Now here's new research about how cutting carbs can help insulin sensitivity, which can lead to longer and healthier lifespans. The source is a respectable newspaper in Britain, but I agree with a commenter who says we won't see this news in the US press thanks to our official doctrine of low fat (i.e. high carb) diets as being healthful.

All in all, I think I'm on the right path with no sugar/no flour. This article makes me wonder if I should cut down even further on processed food in general and carbohydrates in particular. Could I really give up my beloved Lara bars?

In not-really-related news, I just realized that sugarless chewing gum -- which has been my vice for the last few weeks -- is made with glycerin, which is usually made from dead cows. Not vegetarian. It makes me want to wash my mouth out with soap, and has definitely made me kick the gum habit.
(Warning: vegetarian rant.) My friend says that it's such a small amount, why worry about it? I say, if you knew there was just a little bit of baby blood in your gum, would you want to chew it? Even if you couldn't taste it? Of course not.
Saw a great bumper sticker today: MEAT IS GROSS.