That makes sense but my experience of travelling in Asia is that a lot of people eat tons of white rice every day. Portions weren't significantly smaller than those I see in the U.S. either. Is white rice really that much better than white bread or is there more to the equation?
I don't know about the numbers, but as an Asian I can assure you that heart disease, hypertension, etc etc are all very common in Asia still, particularly in wealthy, developed areas.
Many health-conscious Asians have moved to brown rice, much like how many Western folk have moved off white bread.
My general impression is that refined carbs are simply not great for you.
It depends a lot of the exact type of rice and preparation. Parboiled long grain rice can have a GI as low as the 40s while instant white rice can have a GI in the 90s. White bread generally has a GI of 70 or up. Glucose sits at the top at 100.
