I have long thought this was a hoax. That is quite clear now.
The one area you can argue is exposure to pesticides, though that is a dubious assertion for anyone who washes their fruits and vegetables before eating them. Another myth bites the dust…
Be wise out there. Don’t be a victim of hype. That goes for Obama, too.
Read this article by Taubes. I actually strongly recommend his book.
From a scientific point of view, it’s getting very clear what is going on. Just like the “global warming scientists” (an oxymoron), the AHA and others have been tragically wrong. I think it was far more deliberate with the “global warming scientists,” but they both let their pre-conceived notions and strong “trendy” beliefs dictate what they saw, how they interpreted those observations, and how those results were reported.
I’m waiting for an apology, but I will wait forever. I’m not holding my breath (that would be exceedingly unwise).
Let me tell you a little story. For the last 20+ years I’ve struggled with weight. For years I was very faithful in working out, often getting up at around 4:30am to go do it. I worked hard and I was very dedicated. I did many bouts of semi-starvation. I gained and lost pounds many times (the same pounds). I was then diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and I found that physically I just couldn’t do that anymore. I could ride an exercise bike, but that was about it. And to do even that really strenuously would lead to significant symptoms. So I had to change.
After about six months with Taubes’ approach I lost just over 40 pounds. Only 10 or so more to go now. I still ride the exercise bike pretty regularly, and I think there is good evidence that frequent exercise changes the way energy is metabolized in beneficial ways. But it is quite clear to me that a high-carb, low-fat diet is a recipe for obesity.
very good for you in a number of ways.
But it does not effectuate weight loss. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t exercise, but it does mean that it won’t do what the AHA and others say it will do.
Here’s a quote:
According to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, people who consume a lot of easily digestible carbohydrates (most Americans) are going to be less willing to exercise because of the metabolic effects of such a diet. Energy that ends up trapped in fat cells (just one of the awesome side effects of a high-sugar diet) isn’t available to fuel the rest of the body, and one of the results is lethargy.
That’s what Taubes has been saying. I’m pretty sure he is correct.
Low Carb diets are the best way to lose and keep off weight. They are both safe and effective. This study (as reported by USA Today) said that you may get some increase in heart disease risk factors, but there seems to be no link to actual heart disease. I’m not particularly impressed.
Read the work by Gary Taubes for more in-depth information. I think that finally things are becoming quite clear, and it is certainly not what the government, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, and most physicians and nutritionists will tell you. They are all wrong. Sorry, thanks for playing.
This is what you get when socio-political ax grinding becomes more important than actual data. We’ve seen this before with the “Global Warming” criminals. But now also with the nutrition popularity hounds.
Question authority. Don’t bleatingly go along with the crowd.
on high-fructose corn syrup and sugar in the diet.
This article makes it sound as if there is no link between sugar (table sugar is 1/2 fructose) and obesity. I doubt that is accurate for several reasons. And the study certainly doesn’t control for carbohydrate consumption (carbohydrates quickly convert to sugar in the bloodstream).
I find the rebuttal far more convincing, from a scientific point of view. Not only that, but we have over a century of hard data that show this article is wrong.