For example a marathon runner needs to consume large amounts of sugar (30-60g carbohydrates) every hour or so to maximize performance or their body will fatigue much faster as they cannot store the amount of sugar they need.
On another interesting note, it has been documented that fructose (sugar from fruit) breaks down slower than glucose and sucrose, so many athletes prefer glucose based carbs such as jellybeans, rather than raw fruit during performance.
But for the average punter, I completely agree that carbs need to be consumed on a much more limited basis and in as natural a form as possible to prevent that insulin spike.
Great comment!
Amelia

First, whilst sugar itself is not inherently bad and can be used as a quick energy source when blood sugar levels are low it can cause numerous problems. When you consume monosaccharides and disaccarides (the two types of simple sugar) they are digested and released into the blood very quickly which then causes a surge in blood sugar levels. Your body reacts to this surge by releasing extra insulin. The overall result of this is that your blood sugar levels spike and crash very quickly which can result in rapidly fluctuating energy levels, poor appetite control (hence the reason you crave more when you eat a chocolate bar), increased fat storage and even organ damage. Therefore, there is some validity to the statements at the start of your article ‘ sugar is bad’ and ’sugar makes me fat’.

Secondly, the better carbohydrate choices (fruits, vegetables etc) are generally rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and contain some water. So even if 55% to 70% of your diet comes from these sources the actual amount of carbohydrates you are getting is less.

I still agree with your general message. Carbohydrates are not bad and should be a part of everyone’s diet. However, the quality of the carbohydrate is very important.