The western diet is high in carbohydrates, especially refined ones. but it is lower in saturated fats than it was prior to the 1960s when vegetable oils--trans fats--hit the shelves. Lumping together a high carbohydrate and high saturated fat diet to describe the US "western diet" is nonsensical, as we eat fewer saturated fats than ever before. That's right, less red meat and less butter and less lard. The "toxic western" diet is a heavy carb diet, full of sugar, and full of "lean" meats.