The Government’s Diet Advice Is Not Evidence-Based
More recent research has further undermined the cholesterol-as-bad-guy hypothesis. Scientific American summed up the disturbing state of the evidence in April 2010… The magazine cited a meta-analysis — that is, a combination of data from several large studies — of the dietary habits of 350,000 people worldwide…which found no association between the consumption of saturated fats and heart disease…
Several top medical scientists have concluded that the government’s carb-heavy guidelines may actually have harmed public health… Men, for instance, cut their fat intake from 37 percent of their daily calories to 32 percent and increased their carbohydrate intake from 42 percent to 49 percent. Yet over the same three decades, the fraction of American men who were overweight or obese increased from 53 percent of the population to about 69 percent.
Full article on how Washington’s diet plan can make you fat and sick.
Most people suppose that the “top medical scientists” work for the government. There is so much contradictory advice on how to eat, no wonder people are confused.
Does anybody really pay attention to the diet guidelines published by the fed (or any diet guidelines, for that matter)? The overwhelming majority of people that I know (myself included) eat whatever is quick, easy, and cheap. If fact, I haven’t seen a drawing of the food pyramid since I was in elementary school.
Virginia — The food pyramid has been redrawn many times. Meat is now relegated to nearly a condiment. The rule of thumb is cover 2/3 of your plate with brightly colored food (fruits & veggies, not M&M’s) and leave 1/3 of the plate for dark colors (protein, grains). And, never eat anything white.
I know a PhD biochemist who refuses to take statins because cholesterol is a necessary for brain function. Some people who believe taking statins sometimes makes them think less clearly.
Devon: I think I understand my problem now. I figured my leaky intellect was caused by playing with mercury and eating lead paint when I was a kid.