Gambling with my life

[Hoodoo]

It's much like the scientists working in every field imaginable that get grants to study the obvious; if you eat too much and don't exercise enough, you get fat. I knew that even BEFORE I started diet counseling with my Dr. Even looooong before the internet.

This totally ignores the genetic component of obesity, phenotypic plasticity, and development. The statement that it's all about energy balance and we know all there is to know is simplistic and trite.

That scientists get grants to study the obvious is a straw man. Have you ever read a grant proposal? Are you an expert in every field imaginable? There are many things people once thought were obvious (e.g., the earth is flat, ulcers are caused by stress) that are not. But science bashing is fashionable among the luddites of the world so blather on. You have a computer and that's all that is required to be an internet authority.

 

[santaman2000]

There's alot of goodness in natural fats and in moderation are important to our diets...

diabetes problem in America is shocking, 1 person diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every 17 seconds. 10% of their population suffers from it and it's because of the sugar and no exercise.

Some people claim salt and fat will make you die younger but I don't think so...

Fats found in fresh dairy and nuts have lots of beneficial nutrition

and adding salt to your fresh meals is far better the ammounts stuffed into premade meals...

1. "natural" fats are pretty much the only fats in our diets even now (there was an artificial one for a while, Olestra, but it never caught on) I think you mean the healthy fats (omega 3s) but while they're are found in nuts, they are NOT the ones in milk or dairy) Dairy has loads of beneficial nutrition but not from ti's animal fat. The "healthy" fats (omega 3s) generally come from nuts and seafoods.

2. Re excess sugar and not enough exercise, your on the right track anyway. It's excess calories; it really doesn't matter if they're excess sugars, fats, or even healthy calories.Too much is still too much.

3. Excess salt will raise your blood pressure and yes that will shorten your life; excess fats will raise cholesterol and triglycerides and do the same thing (as well as block your arteries and raise risk of heart attack and/or stroke) HOWEVER!!!! +1 on the fact that the biggest danger of excess salt and/or fats comes from processed or junk foods.

 

[santaman2000]

Yes, but not generally animal fat in an unprocessed form, more likely to be hydrogenated vegetable oils or something

While hydrogenated fats are no better for your health than animal fats, vegetable oils may or may not be healthier (depends on just which veg they come from) By and large though, the candy and chip makers are going to use the cheapest, not the healthiest so your way of thinking is definitely correct.

 

[santaman2000]

I'm with you spamfit ;-) one plate of english complete with bacon dip made with dripping for me today . Good health . An with winter on its way , a few extra tasty calories are welcome B-)

Actually I agree with both of you to a point. The key is MODERATION. That's getting harder in today's world. I fear that's the real problem with the proliferation of fast food restaurants; the fact that we get our high fat meals so cheaply, easily, and regularly. The more traditional high fat meals took time to render the fat and prepare the meal and when all that's taken into account, our predecessors probably actually ate less of them than we would think. At least by comparison.

Our parents may have eaten an egg and chips (both high fat/cholesterol) but we on the other hand get a big Mac or a Quarter Pounder with fries (definetly much higher in fat) and to compound it, the serving size goes up every so often. Think about it, The clerk asks, "do you want to supersize that" and if you answer yes, the size of the fries is doubled! Also the burger itself; originally fast food burgers were 2 or 3 ounces of meat, mnow the quarter pounder id 4 ounces and it's common to order double meat!

So our real problem is our lack of self control in portion size.

 

[santaman2000]

This totally ignores the genetic component of obesity, phenotypic plasticity, and development...

The statement that it's all about energy balance and we know all there is to know is simplistic...

That scientists get grants to study the obvious is a straw man. Have you ever read a grant proposal?...

1. Yes it does.

2. Yes it is. If you had said you were studying nutrition (rather than obesity) I would have been more sympathetic.

3. No, I have never "read" a grant proposal; but I have helped "write" one.

 

[santaman2000]

...Are you an expert in every field imaginable?...science bashing is fashionable among the luddites of the world so blather on. You have a computer and that's all that is required to be an internet authority.

Not every subject imaginable. But I do make it a point to become an expert on the subjects that directly effect me. I've been hypertensive for almost 30 years and diabetic for over 15 years and my daughter's a celiac with crohn's disease. So yes diet and nutrition does directly effect me and my family and I've been studying it intensively for quite some time.

No I don't bash science. But I suppose I do sometimes bash selected scientists opinions.

 

[sandbender]

"...Ask an innuit which bit of a narwhal he eats first!..."

It doesn't specifically identify this family as Inuit, but I think they are from the right area.

The weekly shop for the Melansons of Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory



You can see similar 'shops' for other families around the world on this earlier thread. The families (selected for the pictures) in the UK and USA seem to consume the most muck.

 

[rik_uk3]

Lots of talk these days about 'Specialists' in the medical world and elsewhere. The great late Kenneth Williams sums up my views on many of them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdDtwc9HA7s

Spot on in my opinion