Though most daily calories should come from CHO, this is not the norm for most Americans. You can see from the figure in the multimedia slide that most Americans consume only 45-50% of their daily calories from CHO. If you follow the prescription of the Food Pyramid, more than 60% of your daily calories should come from CHO sources.

The fat goal for most people should fall between 20-25%. As you can see, most Americans consume 35-40% of their daily calories from fat. This is probably because most people don't understand how many calories are in each gram of fat and how quickly those fat calories can add up, even if you only eat small portions of fat. Fat goals for people will vary depending on the individual health goals. For example, if you were trying to lose weight, you might want to consume only 20% of your calories from fat. Consuming less than 20% of your daily calories from fat is certainly possible, but not advisable for most people. First of all because your body needs a certain amount of fat: the body uses fat for insulation and for the storage and transport of fat-soluble nutrients. Second, for women who are pregnant, fat in the mammary and pelvic area is necessary for bearing and nursing children.

In summary, most people need to focus on consuming more CHO and less fat.