Diet intake and cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disorders cause more deaths than any other disease. This fact is characteristic of affluent societies indicating crucial influences of an unfavorable lifestyle involving diet intake and lack of exercise. We addressed, therefore, mechanims which link an excess caloric intake with hypertension and diabetes mellitus  type-2. The typical diet of industrialized societies consists of approx 40% fat calories often leading to an inadequately high caloric intake when compared with a sedentary lifestyle. It is recommended ("RDA, recommended dietary allowances") to reduce the fat intake to approx. 30% and to increase carbohydrate consumption. Since carbohydrates require the release of insulin, it remains controversial whether a higher carbohydrate intake provides a risk by itself, particularly when associated with insulin resistance. Irrespective of the question whether the intake of carbohydrates or protein should be increased, there is compelling evidence that a high fat intake is the main factor underlying a high caloric intake. It should also be pointed out that our ancestors had a fat intake in the range of 10-20% (socalled palaeolithic diet) as observed also in aborigines. Australian aborigines have a very low incidence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus type-2. When an urban lifestyle is acquired, a dramatic increase in the incidence of cardiovascular disease has been observed. This indicates that we have a predisposition for overweight or obesity but do not carry genes which necessarily increase our body weight.