No-Bologna Facts
- There’s never been a single study that proves saturated fat causes heart disease.
- As heart-disease rates were skyrocketing in the mid-1900s, consumption of animal fat was going down, not up. Consumption of vegetable oils, however, was going up dramatically.
- Half of all heart-attack victims have normal or low cholesterol. Autopsies performed on heart-attack victims routinely reveal plaque-filled arteries in people whose cholesterol was low (as low as 115 in one case).
- Asian Indians – half of whom are vegetarians – have one of the highest rates of heart disease in the entire world. Yup, that fatty meat will kill you, all right.
- When Morgan Spurlock tells you that a McDonald’s salad supplies almost a day’s allowance of fat, he’s basing that statement on the FDA’s low-fat/high-carbohydrate dietary guidelines, which in turn are based on … absolutely nothing. There’s no science behind those guidelines; they were simply made up by a congressional committee.
- Kids who were diagnosed as suffering from ADD have been successfully treated by re-introducing natural saturated fats into their diets. Your brain is made largely of fat.
- Many epileptics have reduced or eliminated seizures by adopting a diet low in sugar and starch and high in saturated animal fats.
- Despite everything you’ve heard about saturated fat being linked to cancer, that link is statistically weak. However, there is a strong link between sugar and cancer. In Europe, doctors tell patients, “Sugar feeds cancer.”
- Being fat is not, in and of itself, bad for your health. The behaviors that can make you fat – eating excess sugar and starch, not getting any exercise – can also ruin your health, and that’s why being fat is associated with bad health. But it’s entirely possible to be fat and healthy. It’s also possible to be thin while developing Type II diabetes and heart disease.
- Saturated fat and cholesterol help produce testosterone. When men limit their saturated fat, their testosterone level drops. So, regardless of what a famous vegan chef believes, saturated fat does not impair sexual performance.
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Where to start..
I am 5’7″ at about 130-135lbs. I am healthy, fit and athletic. I have a food log and watch what I eat. However, I feel I do A LOT to maintain my goal weight. It feels abusive, at times…who am I kidding, most of the time! It’s exhausting.
I would like to find a realistic diet/way of life. I’ve dieted the way doctors/nutritionist have advised me to and it doesn’t work. When eating my recommended calories per day I gain weight! So here I am starved for food and answers. Obviously, I am doing something wrong. I would love to take this “fathead” challenge (reducing my carbohydrates consumption and increasing fat) but where to start. I eat “healthy” no fast food, a veggie based diet; avocado, nuts, greens, eggs…brown rice, multi grain, whole wheat, organic this, natural that…etc. So now what…So, after reviewing my food log, I’ve noticed my carbohydrates; I consume on average 150-200 grams per day, but about 50 grams of the following carbs are from fruits/veggies. (Net carbs 100-150.) So I guess my question is, should I reduce my vegetable/fruit consumption to meet my 50-100 grams of carb per day goal? I was born in the mid 80′s therefore I grew up studying nutrition in the 90′s, when FAT was more dangerous than Osama Bin Laden. All this is eye opening…like Neo discovering the matrix.
Reduce your carbohydrate intake to below 50 grams per day for awhile (no sugar, no grains) and see what happens. You can adjust from there. For a good primer on how to eat for health and weight loss, I can’t recommend “The Primal Blueprint” by Mark Sisson highly enough.
I am a huge fan of fathead, and have following the fathead blog ever since I stumbled apon the movie. I now limit my carb consumption strictly to fruits and veggies, and try to eat wholesome locally grown foods. It frustrates me how people think I am insane, im only 17, and everyone in my family thinks I have been brainwashed by the internet! Hopefully more people will find out about fathead in the near future.
When you’re a healthy and fit 35-year-old and they’re starting gain weight and develop health problems, they’ll know you weren’t insane.
“Fathead” is an inspirational tool to balance “Supersize Me.” I do not believe that the paleolithic diet is the only way for modern humans to eat, nor is the complete omission of fat the correct path. I believe in balance. Eat animal fat, eat fruits, eat vegetables, eat vitamins for God’s sake. Do not worship fast food. Do not worship organic food. Maintain yourself through moderation. If you cannot, then just live. The major problem Americans have with food is not consumption, but, rather, ANXIETY. We are told so many various (and contradictory) hypotheses concerning food, including those introduced in “Fathead,” but now I realize that human beings are meant to feel happy, just like every other species or genera on Earth. We should eat fatty, “unhealthy” meat because it makes us feel good. We should eat “organic” greens because they make us feel good. The government does have a right to inquire and diagnose why our current eating habits are changing our health. We rely on the government for information and answers about such things. I feel, though, the issue of balance (as expressed by the Buddha and Jesus and Muhammad and the myriad of ideologies of the world) can help humans understand the causes of such distress and misery caused by bad eating habits. We need it all. Also, science helps.
Upon the recommendation of a co-worker, my wife and I watched Fat Head together. My wife’s first degree was in Home Ec/Education (now called “Family and Consumer Sciences” – a bit P.C., but perhaps more on target). About 6 years ago, she got a second Bachelors in Nursing. All that to say – she knows a bit about health & nutrition.
The long and short of it is we were *both* impressed. While I want to continue my own digging (especially to read some of the authors you interviewed), I do know that when I did the Atkins diet about a decade ago, I really did lose weight on it. However, it always felt too extreme and Spartan. Plus, I failed to keep hydrating as I should have and I ended up developing a kidney stone (ouch!). I blame my stupidity more than anything.
Regardless, I can correlate how I feel with how I eat most of the time. I do tend to turn to carbs, both as “comfort food” as well as simply convenience. What’s easier than pouring a bowl of cereal? Since I’m in my 50′s now, I’m with you – I want to be there for whenever my kids decide it’s time to procreate (4 kids ages 29 down to 18 – still not grandparents yet!). Thanks for taking the risk (financial, etc.) of getting this information out.
Definitely keep digging. You should be confident in the science, not just take my word for it. Some good low-carb cookbooks will help with that “Spartan” aspect. My diet is varied and delicious.
Hello..
First off, thank you for “putting up” so to speak with an earlier comment I made here (Nov 18, 2012), about how low calorie dieting and inclusion of some grains in my diet seemed to be helping me. I guess I got a little “wiser” and realized low calorie diet “benefits” are temporary at best..something you’ve probably already been saying. I’ve also eliminated grains from my diet and am doing just fine
… thanks
“Fathead” is awesome!!! I watched it once on Netflix before purchasing a copy for myself. I watch it 1-2 times a week. I started living low carb back in July 2012 after I watched it for the first time. I have diabetes, high cholesterol & high blood pressure, oh wait, I had diabetes, high cholesterol & high blood pressure. I weighed in at 350lbs in July & as of today March 5, 2013 I weigh in at 240lbs, most all of the fat loss was in my abdomen, where the fat was stored. I ate between 2,000-2,500 calories a day with plenty of fat, so I’m pretty sure that I lost fat & not muscle. I also feel great!!! I sleep a full 8 hours & wake up refreshed ready for the day. My next goal is to stop diet soda. Thanks
Outstanding results. Congratulations.
Hi Mr. Naughton,
In your movie “Fat Head”, you claim yourself as a programmer. However, I looked through you bio but found you had never been a programmer before or obtained any degree related to engineering or computer science. By given the fact that the fat head is considered a movie intending to educate the public about the truth about our misunderstanding of diet, it is certainly confusing and discredits the movie as you have claimed so, or is this movie just another comedy you want to make against the “super size me”? Your argument and critical thinking in the movie is plausible so I’m asking the question just wanting to make sure the movie is not for fun.
Correct, I never obtained a degree in computer science. I taught myself programming by reading books and working with the tools. Considering that I’ve worked for Disney and BMI (the biggest music licensing company in the country) among others, I’d say my programming abilities are up to snuff.
I finished college in 1982. If I had majored in computer science, pretty much everything I learned would be obsolete now.
First, a word: Oligofructose.
Second, a second word: Inulin
Those are polymerchains and break down in the colon. They do no contribute to blood sugar or cause Insulin to be produced.
Oligofructose is sweet and can be used just like sugar. it provides a large number of health benefits including lowering blood sugar levels and adding fiber to the diet.
Here’s a link to a fairly indepth article on both. You can buy them online
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/129/7/1402S.full
Never tried either one, but I’ve seen them mentioned in low-carb cookbooks.
I LOVE Fat Head. The information was great, and the humor is unforgettable. I had to watch Supersize Me in 11th grade for my biology class, and I thought it was idiotic, but didn’t really reason why. Fat Head did all the reasoning for me, and I love it. I’m studying health and human performance, and if I get to teach a health class someday (preferably at my alma mater with my biology teacher being present), we’re going to watch Fat Head! Thanks for making it.
Thank you.
I just watched Fat Head this afternoon and am really interested in getting more info on ‘how to’. I am an almost 51 year old mom to 5 and wife to a ‘younger man’ (49) with a heart condition, plus Nana to 2 (one just 2 weeks old!). I have been struggling with my weight for what seems like forever. I am 5’7″ and now at my heaviest (apart from being pregnant!) at 170lbs. I’ve tried so many diets and ‘ways of eating’ and nothing seems to work. I’m really hoping that this is what has been foiling all my attempts to lose weight. After having spent more than I care to think about on various diet books I want to be sure the next one is the right one. Which book/website/ebook would you recommend to get so I will have all the information I need to cut the carbs and eat right? I’m hopeful that my dear husband will get on board as well and get himself healthy. Thanks so much for this!
I’d recommend two books:
“The Primal Blueprint” by Mark Sisson because I think it’s best overall primer on diet and health out there.
“A New Atkins For a New You” because it lays out a step-by-step plan for adopting a low-carb diet.
You may also want to pick up low-carb cookbooks by Dana Carpender and Judy Barnes Baker — it helps you stay on track if your meals are tasty.
Best of luck to you and your husband.
I have finally lost the weight that I put on after 1989 when I adopted low fat eating and listened to the government guidelines. Thank you for Fat Head! It made me think of the foods that I liked to eat instead of the foods that I was supposed to eat. As a child I didn’t like pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, cereals, doughnuts, pastries, biscuits, and many breads but I learned to eat them usually because they were coated with sugar or syrup. I am not a french fry or potato chip fan either so starches aren’t a problem. I am enjoying eating veggies with dip, nuts and cheese without worrying about gaining weight. Without the carbs, I go to bed without indigestion. Eating more fat in my diet has left me less hungry, my fingernails less ridged from dryness and I feel great! I am hoping my next blood test shows lower blood sugar levels, as I believe that the carbs were spiking my blood sugar more than the sugar I would consume. Thank you again for the information that was presented in Fat Head.
Thank you for watching. Here’s to your renewed health.
I’ve watched FH many times and have recommended it to my friends and family, and I really enjoy your blog. I am also currently really into the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, a huge advocated for organic, raw coconut oil and butter.
I had an interesting conversation today with a nutritionist regarding coconut butter (coconut in general, actually). She won’t go near it and claims that the country’s top nutritionists are convinced that the saturated fat in it, mostly linoleic acid, is not good for consumption in any amount.
I love coconut oil and have incorporated it into my diet. I don’t eat huge amounts of it but my eggs are often scramble in a couple of teaspoons of it. Now, I really want to make my own coconut butter. But I admit, I’m confused.
Your thoughts?
The country’s “top nutritionists” are wrong. There’s no reason to avoid coconut oil or any other natural saturated fat. Coconut oil is one of the best things you can put in your body.
Check this out! She eat’s so well… YUck…Could you imagine eating nothing but Ramen??
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/teen-s-strange-ramen-addiction–165713286.html
Hi Tom,
I stumble upon your documentary yesterday and decided to take a look. I think I have watched pretty much all those food documentaries, and it was nice to see something in favor oof something different than vegetarianism/vegan. However, it seems a lot of people do benefit and get healthier in a plant- based diet. I have been losing some weight I put it backed on in a few years. I’ve done juice fast days and now I am in a low calorie and clean eating. No processed foods at all. I dont consume much dairy, but I consume animal protein( mainly fish) and the considered healthy fats( olive oil, yogurt butter). I try to get my carbs from fruits, vegetables and what is called complex carbs.
I saw your point about doing the “another side” of Super Size Me. I get your point to show people they could even lose weight on fast food, which I guess could be good for people who need to lose weight and dont have a big budget. But how about all the preservatives and other stuff in those meals? Arent those bad for our health?
After watching your documentary, quite some questions were raised. Well, more questions I guess
. What type of high fat you say we should ingest? Is it different high fat from animal sources versus plant – based fats? Besides the fact that I know there isnt any cholesterol in plants.
Does all the proteins are the same benefit? Is there advantage to fishes over red meat for example? How about proteins from plant-based?
Im trying to grasp all this high fat diet concept. Also trans fat is always bad, it seems at least on this all partys agreed
Thanks so much for the documentary!
Hi, Bia —
I don’t believe those plant-based diets are effective because they’re plant-based. I believe those diets are effective because the people promoting them also prescribe eliminating sugar, white flour, processed vegetable oils, and processed foods in general. They also emphasize eating a variety of colorful vegetables. In other words, it’s much like a paleo diet, minus the meat. Put the meat back in that diet, I believe it would be even better.
Good fats can come from animal or plant sources as long as they’re not chemically extracted and processed. Lard, tallow, butter, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc. are good fats, but I’d recommend staying away from corn oil, soybean, canola oil, etc.
I wouldn’t worry too much about sources of protein. Fish, meat, eggs — all good sources.
hey Tom, I’m starting out on a low carb diet. I’m having a hard time coming up with a meal plan because so many of the meals i use to eat had so many high carb foods in them. So i was wondering if you could post sample meal plan of what you usually eat in a day. It would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Eggs for breakfast, sometimes with bacon or sausage. Lunch varies, often just leftover dinner. Some kind of meat and vegetable dish for dinner. Run a search on “Chareva’s Kitchen Fat Head” and you’ll find some recipes, but I’d recommend ordering cookbooks by Dana Carpender and Judy Barnes Baker.
Hi, my name is Dannii, and I am 15 years old. At my high school, almiost everyone has seen Supersize Me. At the time of writing I am watching it. In our mandatory health class, our teacher showed us Fat Head, and it has opened my eyes. Everything I’ve been taught for my entire life has been a lie. I’m about 5’5″ and about 117 lbs. I work out daily, but I don’t manage my diet. I have a somewhat low blood pressure, and I’m normal BMI. I don’t know what the point of all that was, but I’ve changed my diet after watching this, now I consume much less corn oil. Thank you!
Thank your teacher as well for being open-minded enough to show Fat Head in addition to Super Size Me.
Saw your movie a few years ago. Any plans to make a follow-up?
We’re working on something directed at kids.
Hi Tom,
I love Fat Head. I was lucky enough to find it on Netflix a while ago, and then had to buy it, and now have it on my iPhone and lately I’ve been watching it on repeat every day, lol. I just love the information and the humor. I can’t thank you enough for presenting the other side to the story with plenty of published research and facts to back up the information.
Also, I just came across some info on M. Spurlock’s girlfriend/fiancee vegan chef Alex. I’m not sure if this has already been mentioned, but she’s not vegan anymore! Below is the link with her explanation as to her return to an animal based diet. To quote M. Spurlock, “I think we’re making some headway!”
http://alexandrajamieson.com/im-not-vegan-anymore/
That got pointed out and discussed here. Points to her for being honest. Got a laugh out of one of the Vegan commenters — trying to get her back on the holy path — telling her the cravings for real food were just “flavor memories.”
– The Older Brother
Fat head was a very interesting show. It didnt really speak to me like supersize me did thou.
I’m sorry it didn’t move thou.
Thank you for your blog and all of your worthwhile information! One question. I have heard lots of recent information on processed meats like bacon and sandwich meats ( obviously consumed without break in your world) being cancer causing and “unsafe for human consumption”. Ay thoughts on this as sausage and bacon have been recommended by you in the blog.
Thanks again!
I’ve written on that topic several times. Here are two posts:
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/05/26/the-lastest-meat-causes-cancer-bologna/
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2012/01/16/pancreatic-cancer-processed-meat-and-a-load-of-bologna/
I think you should consider a how to get started on a low carb high fat diet. This has been a challenge for me. My husband watched your movie first on Netflicks and begged me to watch it. So finally I watched it and it was the best thing for my life. I’m still learning how to keep this LCHF/paleo diet going, but I’m strong I will just keep at it.
I have four children and my daughter has extreme eczema since she was born she is seven, and my son had developed alopecia at age 4. So before watching your movie we were trying gluten free for her and for him and no processed foods., I had read a website that suggested it for both problems. They improved dramatically with both issues. With in three weeks my sons hair was growing back in the patches where he was bald, and my daughter had no more scabs from scratching. I was so happy for them both.
I started the LCHF diet and lost 25 pounds in about 3 weeks, but I seem to have hit a wall. Only losing about 2 to 3 pounds in the last few months. But I just bought a bike so I can go riding with my kids, so hopefully I will press on.
I just wanted to let you know how much better I feel eating this way. It has been a 70% improvement. I no longer take naps and have energy to keep up with my little ones who are the most important. I also have two older children who play sports, and they have commented on how much better they feel. So thank you for the information you give here and for inspiring me to be the best I can be for my family.
Dr. Eenfeldt has a nice how-to section on his blog:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
hmmm this is the Atkins diet by and large – non ?
It’s a low-carb diet. Atkins and others promoted the idea.
hmm a cursory perusal of the web seems to indicate that atkins suffered heart disease – possibly a cardiac arrest at one stage and that vascular disease may have contributed to his demise – and that he, unlike pritikin ( whom you may deem to be in the “opposing camp”) declined an autopsy which may have shed light on the cardio efficacy of his much promoted diet plan – of which you are a proponent – non?
Your cursory perusal of the web must have taken you to the vegan propaganda sites. Dr. Atkins had an infection of the heart muscle, not atherosclerosis. He recovered from that. His demise was the result of slipping on ice and banging his skull against a curb. I’m pretty sure the infection didn’t contribute to that.
lol @vegan propoganda sites …
hmm he did have a cardiac arrest though – and an infection of the heart muscle is a fairly rare condition in his case – a condition that appears only be confirmed by is own physician – but not independently – the lack of autopsy seems a missed opportunity – deliberately omitted perhaps ? – what proof is there that Atkins was free of atherosclerosis as you assert – do you have any contributing angiography to support such a statement – and there are questions that relate to the cause of his fatal fall – so abrupt in such a supposedly robust individual . Atkins could so easily have provided the ultimate proof of his dietary regimes benefits to health by specifically instructing via his will that an autopsy be conducted and made public – hmmm but did that pose to great a threat to the income streams of the Atkins empire. ?
LOL … what “questions” are there about a guy who cracked his skull on a concrete curb? And what is strangely “abrupt” about a 72-year-old man slipping on ice? When I lived in Chicago, I took some rather dramatic falls a couple of times after slipping on ice. I hit the sidewalk so hard once, I thought for a moment I’d broken my arm. People slip on ice in the winter.
If Dr. Atkins’ physician diagnosed an infection of the heart muscle, are you suggesting he should have also gone out and gotten an “independent” confirmation just in case he died in an accident later and the vegan whackjobs decided to claim he died of heart disease? Seriously?
You clearly prefer to believe that Atkins had heart disease because of his high-fat diet. So here’s what I’d suggest:
1. Ignore all the emerging clinical evidence that people on the Atkins diet show greater improvements in cardiovascular markers, including higher HDL and lower triglycerides, than people on low-fat diets.
2. Ignore the published meta-analyses which show no correlation between saturated fat and heart disease, but a strong correlation between refined carbohydrates and heart disease.
3. Ignore the data on native populations where the diet was full of fat, but heart disease was very rare.
4. Jump all over any vegan zealot’s speculation that Dr. Atkins died of heart disease, despite the medical reports that he died from head trauma.
5. Ignore the many cases of vegetarians dying young of cancer or heart disease. (Ever hear of Davey Jones from the Monkees?)
Do all that, and I’m sure you’ll be a happy person since you will have engaged in enough confirmation bias to support your previously existing beliefs. As we all know, it’s painful to change one’s mind in the face of actual evidence.
Boom! Just lowered it on the vegan guy. You can’t reason with unreasonable people. I’ve watched fathead like 5 times in the last 3 weeks. I’m currently in progress in a training program that has taken me from 297lbs to 251lbs. I still have a lot to go, but i think i’m gonna try the low carb high fat deal for 30 days and see what my results are. Great docu.
Thank you. What the vegan zealots don’t seem to grasp is that I was a vegetarian, and I was convinced about the health benefits of low-fat and meatless diets. I changed my mind based on the evidence.
LOL … what “questions” are there about a guy who cracked his skull on a concrete curb? And what is strangely “abrupt” about a 72-year-old man slipping on ice? When I lived in Chicago, I took some rather dramatic falls a couple of times after slipping on ice. I hit the sidewalk so hard once, I thought for a moment I’d broken my arm. People slip on ice in the winter.
*** but you broke your arm old chap – dont you see – I defensive injury against the fall – atkins suffered no such injury – implying a different circumstance to what caused atkins fall .
I don’t know what “I defensive injury against the fall” means. I was lucky to land on my arm. (I landed on it. I didn’t stick it out to break my fall.) Atkins banged his head on a concrete curb.
If Dr. Atkins’ physician diagnosed an infection of the heart muscle, are you suggesting he should have also gone out and gotten an “independent” confirmation just in case he died in an accident later and the vegan whackjobs decided to claim he died of heart disease? Seriously?
*** spare me the empty jaded rhetoric please – i am saying that dr Atkins doctor (of so long standing ) would have been seriously compromised by his involvement so closely with atkins’s influence and business enterprises – Only extreme niavety would accept his opinion at face value with out any independent testing .
I see. So here’s the scenario in your mind:
“Bob, I’m afraid you have heart disease. That fatty diet of yours clogged your arteries.”
“Oh no! Well, here’s what we do: you commit medical fraud by writing it down as an infection of the heart muscle. I’m going to continue eating the diet that gave me heart disease. I’m also going to continue recommending to millions of people that they continue eating a diet I now know will give them heart disease. I don’t mind killing millions of people to keep my reputation intact.”
You clearly prefer to believe that Atkins had heart disease because of his high-fat diet. So here’s what I’d suggest:
*** i believe what creditable research indicates – please dont imply anything in what i am saying – other than a factual pursuit of the truth .
1. Ignore all the emerging clinical evidence that people on the Atkins diet show greater improvements in cardiovascular markers, including higher HDL and lower triglycerides, than people on low-fat diets.
***please post a link – all I have found is a consensus of expert opinion in complete contranediction of what you have expressed
Uh, no. I’m not going to do your homework for you, especially since you’re clearly closed-minded. I’ve written about those studies on this blog. If you’re actually interested in evidence, go find them. As I already said, you clearly want to believe a high-fat diet causes heart disease. Since I suspect evidence will have no effect on your beliefs, I’m not going to waste my time trying to educate you. I don’t care what you choose to believe.
2. Ignore the published meta-analyses which show no correlation between saturated fat and heart disease, but a strong correlation between refined carbohydrates and heart disease.
***please post a link – all I have found is a consensus of expert opinion in complete contranediction of what you have expressed
See above. You can easily find posts about those studies on this blog.
3. Ignore the data on native populations where the diet was full of fat, but heart disease was very rare.
***please post a link – all I have found is a consensus of expert opinion in complete contranediction of what you have expressed
See above.
4. Jump all over any vegan zealot’s speculation that Dr. Atkins died of heart disease, despite the medical reports that he died from head trauma.
***please post a link – all I have found is a consensus of expert opinion in complete contranediction of what you have expressed
5. Ignore the many cases of vegetarians dying young of cancer or heart disease. (Ever hear of Davey Jones from the Monkees?)
See above.
*** you logic here is that davey jones died young and since he was a vegetarian that all vegetarians are prone to such an outcome – if that is your analytical methodology then sorry i am not a believer .
I’m using your own form of logic. Strange how that form of logic doesn’t work for you when it doesn’t support your beliefs. You have decided the Atkins diet causes heart disease based on an unsubstantiated rumor that Dr. Atkins had heart disease. We KNOW Davey Jones died of heart disease. You can’t decide one (false, rumored) isolated case proves a point but another isolated case doesn’t. (Well, you can decide that, but you’d be wrong.) And once again, I don’t care if you’re a believer or not.
Do all that, and I’m sure you’ll be a happy person since you will have engaged in enough confirmation bias to support your previously existing beliefs. As we all know, it’s painful to change one’s mind in the face of actual evidence.
***Hmmm me thinks thou protest too much lol – you seem a bit defensive old chap – a bit choleric – spare me the empty hot air – it reflects badly on your position – and you didnt address my specific pointswith any detail – but launched a well rehearsed unsubsantiated rant – the great wealth of expert opinion runs against your position.
Yeah, I protest too much. That’s why I go around trolling vegetarian blogs trying to convince them they’re wrong. Oh, wait … I don’t do that.
hmmm you and your accolytes might find this of some interest…..
“Low-Carbohydrate Diets and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: Two Cohort Studies”
Teresa T. Fung, ScD; Rob M. van Dam, PhD; Susan E. Hankinson, ScD; Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH; Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH; and Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD
HARVARD
Background: Data on the long-term association between low-carbohydrate diets and mortality are sparse.
Objective: To examine the association of low-carbohydrate diets with mortality during 26 years of follow-up in women and 20 years in men.
Design: Prospective cohort study of women and men who were followed from 1980 (women) or 1986 (men) until 2006. Low-carbohydrate diets, either animal-based (emphasizing animal sources of fat and protein) or vegetable-based (emphasizing vegetable sources of fat and protein), were computed from several validated food-frequency questionnaires assessed during follow-up.
Setting: Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study.
Participants: 85Â 168 women (aged 34 to 59 years at baseline) and 44Â 548 men (aged 40 to 75 years at baseline) without heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.
Measurements: Investigators documented 12Â 555 deaths (2458 cardiovascular-related and 5780 cancer-related) in women and 8678 deaths (2746 cardiovascular-related and 2960 cancer-related) in men.
Results: The overall low-carbohydrate score was associated with a modest increase in overall mortality in a pooled analysis (hazard ratio [HR] comparing extreme deciles, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.24]; P for trend = 0.136). The animal low-carbohydrate score was associated with higher all-cause mortality (pooled HR comparing extreme deciles, 1.23 [CI, 1.11 to 1.37]; P for trend = 0.051), cardiovascular mortality (corresponding HR, 1.14 [CI, 1.01 to 1.29]; P for trend = 0.029), and cancer mortality (corresponding HR, 1.28 [CI, 1.02 to 1.60]; P for trend = 0.089). In contrast, a higher vegetable low-carbohydrate score was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR, 0.80 [CI, 0.75 to 0.85]; P for trend ≤ 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.77 [CI, 0.68 to 0.87]; P for trend < 0.001).
Limitations: Diet and lifestyle characteristics were assessed with some degree of error. Sensitivity analyses indicated that results were probably not substantively affected by residual confounding or an unmeasured confounder. Participants were not a representative sample of the U.S. population.
Conclusion: A low-carbohydrate diet based on animal sources was associated with higher all-cause mortality in both men and women, whereas a vegetable-based low-carbohydrate diet was associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality rates.
HARVARD
Wow, thanks for bringing that to my attention! Now that you’ve dug up an observational study (the weakest form of evidence) that supports your beliefs, I’m going to ignore all the clinical evidence out there and start believing what you think I should believe. Blessings to you for saving me from my crazy ideas about nutrition and health.
Well, that’s one way to go. The other is to point out that I (and others) already read and analyzed this study:
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/09/08/brand-spankin-new-study-are-low-carb-meat-eaters-in-trouble/
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2010/09/09/the-atkins-study-ahem-ahem-according-to-ornish/
footnote to the two cohort Harvard study on Low carb diets and all cause mortality …
(The study followed more than 85,000 women and 44,500 men for a period of 20 to 26 years. All the study participants were without heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. To reach their conclusion, the study authors accounted for lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise, multivitamin use, and alcohol intake. The study participants were all health professionals who filled out regular questionnaires about their food intake over the long follow-up period. The study authors acknowledged that while the large sample of participants was a strength of the study, its participant pool of all health care professionals was a limitation because it was not representative of the larger population.)
I gave a speech titled “Science For Smart People” to explain the difference between weak studies and strong studies. It’s available on YouTube. If you really want convert me to your beliefs, watch that, make notes of the criteria for studies that actually mean something, then go find studies fitting those criteria that support your beliefs. Hint: the conclusions drawn from observational studies have turned out to be wrong more than 80% of the time. Their only usefulness is in producing hypotheses. They’re worthless as evidence of cause and effect.
I like dressing up in women’s underclothes and then eating tofu before I go trolling blogs and preaching my vegetarian beliefs.
I suspected as much.
Yeah, I protest too much. That’s why I go around trolling vegetarian blogs trying to convince them they’re wrong. Oh, wait … I don’t do that.
*** lol -how is entering into to debate on a blog on your website trolling lol i am not trying to convince you your wrong but merely mentioning counterveiling facts and points of view to what you are so vigorously promoting here .
hmmm you put up a website, that serves to invite comment and anyone who posts adverse comment and facts are howled down as a vicious troll promoting “vegan beliefs ”
sheesh
Your “countervailing facts” are the same old nonsense all the vegan trolls show up to spout. Read this. Perhaps you’ll get the idea:
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2010/08/24/to-the-vegetarian-evangelists/
When I troll blogs and post links to lousy observational studies, I don’t feel the need to reply to anyone’s careful analysis of those studies. In fact, I don’t actually read the studies in the first place. Dealing with all that data makes my head hurt. I just accept whatever the authors of the study wrote in the “conclusions” section.
Yes, I noticed that.
I feel extremely insecure when other people don’t believe what I believe about diet and health. My psychiatrist said I only have two choices: accept that other people have different beliefs, or convince the whole world to believe like me. That’s why I show up on blogs and preach at people. Convincing everyone to believe what I believe could take years.
Good luck with that.
I have eczema and after 35 years of using topical steroid creams, my skin had become addicted. I quit the creams and underwent a very severe cold turkey phase during which my adrenal glands almost shut down completely. (Google topical steroid withdrawal for more info on this – it is another controversial topic, and another lie fed to us by the medics, that steroid creams are perfectly safe.)
While my adrenal function was impaired I couldn’t metabolise sugar – it made me feel so very ill. Plus it made my skin itch like crazy, about an hour after I ate it. As a result I gave up sugar completely and started to research the way the adrenals, cortisol and insulin work with the body. This research led me here, and everything finally fell into place and stated making sense.
I’m amazed that the information in ‘Fat Head’ isn’t more widely accepted – it seems so obvious. An A level biology student (I’m in the UK) learns about metabolism and the ATP cycle, so why isn’t this information carried forward into our knowledge about nutrition?
My only problem is that I have been so brainwashed over the years into the belief that low-fat = healthy and starchy carbs = good that I have to constantly remind myself that this is not the case. It’s not easy overcoming so many years of conditioning, even though I have lived through the evidence of sugar and high carbs being very bad for my system.
I lost 5 stone in weight when I quit sugar. Two years on, I haven’t regained an ounce, I eat what I want and my body seems to be content to maintain its own natural weight without me having to work at it at all.
I’m sorry you went through that misery, but glad you’re recovering.
I just watched “FatHead” and it was a real eye opener for me. It’s hard to go from one extreme of “never eat fat, lower fat, reduce fat” to the other extreme of eating lots of fat and no carbs or sugars, like in the Keto diet. That diet kind of scares me. Its hard to decide what is right for you with so many opinions in the world. I do believe in everything you said in “Fathead” and I want to try this lifestyle of eating. Do you ever have days where you feel like pasta or bread or rice and have a little “cheat day”? Amazing documentary by the way. I have never watched a documentary that moved me so much. I watched it three times in a row! lol.
On rare occasions, I’ll eat those foods. I don’t really crave them anymore. If I go whole-hog on cheating, it’s usually with pizza. Maybe three times in a year.