Why do people say "Carbs are bad", when the Food Pyramid says you have to eat mainly Carbs and breads?!

It is really a matter of politics, not of science. Lobbyists, public relation departments, and the cronies for the dairy industry and other Big Business have been successfully made legislation in favor of Big Businesses' commercial interest for years.
The pyramid is really more than a marketing tool for food manufacturers than an educational tool for consumers. The USDA food pyramid is useless when only mainstream, new-school nutritionists know it is ''udderly'' ridiculous and a scam. The department has been propping up the dairy industry’s fat assembly line for at least the last 60 years through milk subsidies and the low-cost sale of surplus cheese to school lunch programs and poor people. The government promoting foods that make us sick instead of supporting increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and other whole plant foods that aid our health and well-being rather than damage it.
Some of the "experts" who helped create the pyramid actually work for the dairy industry, which makes the US Department of agriculture's recommendations reflect industry interests, not science or our best interests. There have been some minor, grudging changes to the guidelines recently, slightly de-emphasizing the benefits of dairy, but no real concession in favor of public health. This kind of biased product promotion will continue as long as the dairy industry maintains its stranglehold over official nutrition guidelines.

Even Harvard's School Of Public health calls it a sham and that it clearly favors/promotes dairy industry and it's cronies' best interest:
The food pyramid scheme continues to emphasize the importance of milk in the diet when there is a whole food group dedicated to dairy, despite overwhelming evidence that this type of consumption directly has negative consequences for health such as heart disease, type 1 diabetes, worsening of acne, type 1 diabetes, etc. Public health needs to addressing the root causes of our nation’s most serious health problems: heart disease. Excessive consumption of cheese and other animal products is a leading contributor to heart disease, cancer, obesity, etc.
There was the U.S. government’s Food Guide Pyramid, followed by its replacement, My Pyramid, which was basically the same thing, just pitched on its side. The problem was that these efforts, while generally well intentioned, have been quite flawed at actually showing people what makes up a healthy diet. Why? Their recommendations have often been based on out-of-date science and influenced by people with business interests in their messages.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsou…
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsou…
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsou…

Some of the "experts" who helped create the pyramid actually work for the dairy industry, which makes the US Department of agriculture's recommendations reflect industry interests, not science or our best interests. There have been some minor, grudging changes to the guidelines recently, slightly de-emphasizing the benefits of dairy, but no real concession in favor of public health. This kind of biased product promotion will continue as long as the dairy industry maintains its stranglehold over official nutrition guidelines.

FYI: The university says to eat milk and other dairy only sparingly because it is bad for you.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/weekin…
The Government's Pyramid Scheme

Those kind of clear cut guidelines, like don't eat this and you'll lose weight, eat only special K and you'll lose weight, those are for people that don't know how to eat things in moderation. Actually, the healthiest way to eat, would probably be just like the food pyramid says, but some people think seven servings of breads/grains means that they can eat a bag of chips, 2 sandwiches, 2 honeybuns, a bowl of cereal, and a twinkie.

Obviously, you can't tell them just to stop overeating, because, firstly, you can't sell that in any way, and secondly, it makes them feel bad and they'd rather think their weight problem isn't because they over eat, but because they haven't found the right magical smoothie or weight loss pill yet.

Everything in moderation my friend, that's the best guideline to being healthy. Have your cake and enjoy it too, just don't enjoy 4 slices.

Also, what the above poster said about simple sugars vs complex carbohydrates is also very true. I learned why in biology, but I don't remember. Something about the way your body digests simple sugar, it's very easily stored as fat, or something like that. And what the guy below me said about the Atkins diet is also something to think about. That's a terrible diet, eat only meat? You need grains, and your brain needs sugar just to function.

There are two types of carbohydrates. "Complex Carbs" and "Simple Carbs". Complex carbs are better for you because your body digests them more slowly and they don't spike your blood sugar. These carbs would be used as energy rather than stored as fat. Good sources of Complex Carbs include: whole grains, brown rice, yams, lentils, beans, and most veggies and fruits. Simple Carbs such as table sugar or refined flour are the ones you want to limit because they will spike your blood sugar (rush of insulin dumped into your blood stream) that will make you crave more sugary food, sending you in a vicious cycle that will sap your energy and make you want to eat more food to bring your energy up again. That results in weight gain and even breakouts. Stick to your complex carbohydrates. Now commit this to memory: the right carbs are good for you!

Carbs got a really bad rap, especially back in the '90s with all the stuff about the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets. While it is true that eating too many carbs will make you gain weight, eating too much of anything will make you gain weight; it's all about the calories. Our bodies need carbohydrates for energy and generally just as fuel for our vital functions. Is it a coincidence that Robert Atkins, the creator of the Atkins diet, suffered cardiac arrest? I think not.

Last time i checked many of the media sources had no professional expertise in health & nutrition. Most of these media sources are also fashion magazines.

Right long story short our body has two options run off starch or cellulose, our body can't digest cellulose & so we obtain complex carbs from starch which are converted to simpler carbs called glucose (the ones they load into sweets & also the ones found partially in fruits>fruits are healthy lots of nutrients & good quick energy snack hence why they over sweets are used in sports).
All i'm going to say is find me one athlete who doesn't have carbs as a staple in their diet, its an absolute must. Whats healthy is something that comes from the earth without much human interference though there are rare exceptions (ie medicines/synth vitamins)

If you want to thoroughly understand these topics check out ''optimum nuntrition bible'' its one of the best diet books i've ever came across (patrick Holford) with about 20 pages at the end dedicated to sources.

vegetarian

the carbs from fruits and veggies are good for you, but avoid the carbs from breads and other grain products. i try to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day, thats how i get my carbs.

the food pyramid is all sponsored by different food people, so i don't trust completely what they say about how many grain products you should eat.

also if you eat mainly fruits, veggies and protein and a bit of dairy, it will help you lose weight. i try to avoid grain products as much as i can.

my daily diet, anthony di pasquale (nutritionist) www.anthonydipasquale.com, mark sisson www.marksdailyapple.com

Most people fail to understand that there is a difference between simple carbohydrates like simple sugars and complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Because they don't know this, they think all carbohydrates are bad. In truth, a diet based on complex carbohydrates and low fats is extremely healthy.

it's just a trend, some people just like to re-invent the wheel.

back in the 70s, when I was in Foods 4-H,
we learned about the 4 food groups, and that
a healthy diet includes a moderate amount
from each food group at every meal.
I firmly believe that and have eaten that
way all of my life, and have never struggled
with my weight.

we just need to get back to the basics.

I don't get that either. Carbs are the base of the food pyrmid. Its mostly what is put on the bread or the potatoes that make them bad. However carbs made from white flour are often way less healthy than carbs from whole wheat sources. Still an over indulgence is very bad. Its what you put on the carbs.

Carbs are essential for our energy source, but not by themselves. You must have a protein source for those carbs to fall back on. Otherwise you'll get an energy spurt, then you will crash.

people say lots of stuff, don't they?