Are carbs really that bad for you??

There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.

Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.

So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.

curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?

The glycemic load. An average russet potato has a GL of 26, an average sweet potato is 17. White rice has a GL of 23, brown rice is 18.

so using GL we can rank foods on which is better then others?

i think white potatoes and white rice are worse because they are "simple" carbs. They have no nutrients compared to "complex" carbs. Multi-grain and whole wheat and such for bread and pasta contain more nutrientional value, the calories might be similar per serving but you are acutally getting more value with eating them. if you want to have a balanced diet carbs are necessary. but not all carbs have to come from bread products.

since when is a white potato a "simple carb"?

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-potatoes-white-flesh-skin-baked-i11357

I believe everything in moderation. I still occasionally eat white rice and potatoes and sometimes even *gasp* white pasta. Food should be enjoyed not feared.

the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.

If it ain't white, it ain't right.

this whole argument drives me bonkers.

Guys, everything in moderation. Wheat is not the enemy. Carbs are not the enemy, protein is not the savior.

it's a case of being smart about your health choices. Unless you have a specific medical condition that precludes a certain food type, all macronutrient food types are fine if you have them in the correct amounts.

the world obesity level didn't rise dramatically because of grain (at least not in the direct sense, I'm not talking about the increase in grain output and transport, which is the other side of the coin), if that was the case it would have risen long ago (we as a race, have been processing grain and corn for thousands of years). It has risen because people eat to much food, and eat to much processed food, that's it, plain and simple. The truth is, most people eat a high percentage of their diet from pre-made foods that are low nutrient density, high caloric value foods without ever knowing what's truly in them as a staple for their diets, this is true the world over. If the world started paying attention to their food choices, and stopped eating foods just because they "fit into their daily lifestyle" then we'd be far better off as a community.

-Banks