Our View: Opinions in Brief

Editorial Board Staff, The East Carolinian, January 29, 2004

http://www.theeastcarolinian.com/vn...9/401961ab16ff8

Excerpt from editorial:

A little respect

Captain Kangaroo is dead, everybody. I hope it doesn't hurt you to find out. This is a year that's seen not only the death of Captain Kangaroo, but it comes only a few years after the death of the man who played Patton on screen. Hopefully, TV's Gilligan won't pass away before I can get over the loss of Captain Kangaroo.

I'm not trying to be insensitive to the deaths of these performers. Bob Keeshan, who's the actual person behind the character Captain Kangaroo, was by all accounts a caring man who cared for children. But just like usual, his life will amount to something he did for less then a third of it. And that annoys me to no end.

There are many celebrities who get pigeonholed as certain characters, and I find it sad. One day Jaleel White will die. And despite any accomplishments he may be involved with outside his time as an actor, the news will read "Man who played Steve Urkel dead." And it doesn't matter what he actually looks like at the time, viewers will see him decked out in suspenders and a few clips of his saying, "Did I do that?"

Why am I railing on this? Because I think it's disrespectful to bring up such inane details about a person when they pass away. I don't care if that's what they were famous for, I don't need to see a big picture of which ever character they played on the screen to go along with the announcement. It's stupid and disrespectful to the dead. The characters aren't actually people, they are personas.

It must seem amazing to the past century's proponents of fad diets and exercise trends that human bodies remained relatively stable before the advent of mass-marketed dream physiques.

For instance, according to Atkins mentality, cultures that eat carbohydrates (a large majority of the earth) should all be obese. But in China, where rice is a staple at most meals, instances of cancer and obesity are much lower than in protein-rich countries like the United States.

There's a connection between the sudden explosion of "Atkins approved" foods in the supermarket and the belief that carbohydrates are the enemy. Corporate tie-ins drive the public's conscience: what's available is good. Why would your friendly supermarket want to hurt you?

There are many ways to lose weight. Some are good; some are harmful. When a plethora of quickly-written, profit only books proclaim the wholesomeness of a diet revolution, it's in the best interest of a would-be dieter to question the motives and nutrition behind the hype.

Yes, and according to the Computer mentality, beaches must be very smart, because sand contains vast amounts of silicon.

QUOTE:
But in China, where rice is a staple at most meals, instances of cancer and obesity are much lower than in protein-rich countries like the United States.

----
That's wrong, actually.

China and Japan (and most of Asia) have about 7 times the rate of stomach cancer than we do. They die of that WAY more than we do.

Their rate of stroke is about equal to our rate of coronary artery disease (Heart attack)

They don't live forever. Going full-carb rice-eating only swaps the cause of death.

Their life expectancy is LOWER than ours.

Next myth?

The links and stats for the above:

Stomach Cancer
http://seer.cancer.gov/publications...sk/rates49.html

Stroke:
ww.aihw.gov.au/publications/health/hsvd/hsvd-c06.pdf

First in Japan the staples are fish and rice.
Second, traditional Japanese and Chinese foods, as traditional american foods (real steak, real meat, eggs), do not lead to obesity. Remember, America is way more obese than when we ate plenty of natural animal products.

I'm drafting a reply to these editors; here's what I've got so far.

To the editors:

Your comments regarding the "Atkins mentality" in your editorial of 1/29/2004 were off-base and in need of correction.

In reality, the "Atkins mentality" does not say that carbs are the enemy. What it does say is that an EXCESS of refined carbohydrates in the diet elevates insulin levels, which leads to fat storage and insulin resistance, which leads to obesity and type II diabetes. The cycle of insulin spikes and crashes further results in excesses of hunger and overeating that exacerbate the cycle. I suppose that when you try to compress the complexities of this science into a newsy sound bite it can sound like carbs are the enemy, but you owe your readers a bit more accuracy and respect than that.

Second, the "Atkins mentality" notes that, despite your claims of less cancer there, the rates of stomach cancer in Asian countries are several times greater than they are here. http://seer.cancer.gov/publications...sk/rates49.html (Thanks, K Walt!)

Third, the "Atkins mentality" recognizes that comparing sedentary Americans to labor-intensive agrarian economies is a false comparison when it comes to evaluating dietary needs.

Fourth, the "Atkins mentality" has been validated by several recent studies that have shown both greater weight loss and better cholesterol and glucose readings among the Atkins dieters.

Fifth, the "Atkins mentality" is a diet centered around minimally-processed meat, fish, eggs, low-sugar dairy products, low-starch vegetables, and some low-sugar fruits. That is about as wholesome as you can get. If you've read any of the Atkins books you would know that the low-carb replacement products are to be used as occasional treats, NOT as diet staples.

The low-fat diet fad led to the highest level of obesity this nation has ever seen. Atkins is different because Atkins works.

Nice work, gotbeer! Very succinct.

good one, as always Gotbeer

I noted something intersting on those charts...The US was 49th for both Men and Women, while only Thailand had lower rates than the US. Thailand's rates were about 1/5th the US [for men] and 1/4th for Women. So, what is different about Thailand, the US, and all those Asian and European Countries.

The Asians and Thai certainly eat plenty of Rice. The Europeans eat certainly eat plenty of Bread and Pasta. So, what is different ? As you scan down the list, you find Spain near the Middle and France near the bottom, with Greece and Switzerland. So, what do the Thai, French, Swiss, and Greek all have in common ?

SATURATED FAT...All four of them eat lots of Saturated Fat. The Thai particularly love Coconut, and their diet is perhaps one of the heaviest on Saturated Fat. Notably, they are also have the lowest rate of Stomach Cancer according to the chart. They drink Coconut Milk and use Coconut Oil like its going out of style. The French, Swiss, and Greeks eat lots of Cheese, Butter, and Whole Milk products. The Greeks eat the most Cheese in the world.

It is obvious from these charts that there is an inverse relationship between Saturated Fat intake and rates of Stomach Cancer. The conclusion could therefore be drawn that Saturated Fat has a protective effect against Stomach Cancer. Therefore, to claim that a diet high in Saturated Fats contributes to Cancers of the digestive system would be directly counter to the statistics, which show the populations with the greatest intake of Natural Saturated Fats [Butter, Milk, Cheese, and Coconut] also have the lowest rates of Stomach Cancer.

Very well said, gotbeer.

I notice on incidences of all cancers that Tasmania was the highest. http://seer.cancer.gov/publications...sk/rates25.html

Gambia is lowest on lots. I wonder if that isn't just poor reporting because folks don't get treatment for it?

Also, among all cancers in men, France is higher than US. But in women it is reversed.

On the charts of 50 countries [that a previous user posted a link to,] Thailand appears dead last for Stomach, Lung, Breast, Prostate, Colon, Rectum, and Cervical Cancers...and 2nd to last for Mouth Cancer. Some of their rates are so low, they are virtually 0.

This runs directly counter to the claim that Saturated Fat causes cancer, because the Thai use Coconut [Coconut Fat is 92% Saturated] like its going out of style...yet they have some of the lowest cancer rates, including rates for Digestive System and Breast Cancers which many falasely claim ARE CAUSED BY saturated fats.