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  #1   ^
Old Sat, Jul-13-02, 04:36
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Talon Talon is offline
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Default A Diet Rich in Partial Truths - Ornish

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/13/o....html?tntemail0

A Diet Rich in Partial Truths
By DEAN ORNISH


AUSALITO, Calif. — In Woody Allen's movie "Sleeper," a man wakes up 200 years in the future to find that science has proved deep-fried foods to be healthy. Is the future here already?

By now, many Americans are thoroughly exasperated by the seemingly contradictory information in the press about what a sound diet is. Lately, I hear many people say, "If the doctors can't make up their minds, I'll eat whatever I want and quit worrying."

That would be unfortunate. Science can help people distinguish what sounds good from what's real. Nowhere are the claims more conflicting than in the area of diet and nutrition. Unfortunately, this is an area where misinformation can make a huge difference to an individual's health and well-being.

The high-protein diet (which is almost always high in fat), for example, has become very popular; just about everyone knows someone who has lost weight on this kind of diet. Given the American epidemic of obesity, isn't that a good thing?

Not necessarily. You can lose weight with fen-phen, too, but that doesn't mean it's good for you. When you go on a high-protein, high-fat diet, you may temporarily lose weight — but you may also mortgage your health in the process. The only peer-reviewed study of the effects of a high-protein diet on heart function found that blood flow to the heart actually worsened and heart disease became more severe.

But high-protein diets help people lose weight because they are based partially on science, which is what makes them seductive. The high-protein advocates are right when they say that people in the United States eat too many simple carbohydrates like sugar, white flour and white rice. These foods are absorbed quickly, causing blood sugar to spike, which in turn provokes an insulin response that accelerates the conversion of calories to fat. There is a clear benefit to reducing the intake of simple carbohydrates, especially to people who are sensitive to them.

So the diagnosis is correct: we are eating too many simple carbohydrates. But the cure is wrong. The solution is not to go from simple carbohydrates to pork rinds and bacon, but from simple carbohydrates to whole foods with complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, brown rice, and fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes in their natural forms.

These foods are naturally high in fiber, which slows their absorption, preventing a rapid rise in blood sugar. Fiber also fills you up before you eat too many calories, whereas you can eat large amounts of sugar without feeling full. Best of all, these foods contain at least 1,000 substances that have anti-cancer, anti-heart disease and anti-aging properties.

For the past 25 years, my colleagues and I have conducted a series of randomized studies demonstrating that this whole-foods diet can reverse the progression of even severe heart disease in most people. These results have been published in the leading peer-reviewed medical journals. On average, our patients lost 24 pounds and kept more than half of that off for at least five years.

We demonstrated in hospitals throughout the country (including places where we were told that gravy is a beverage) that most heart patients were able to safely avoid bypass surgery or angioplasty by following this diet combined with moderate exercise, stress management techniques and participation in support groups. Medicare is now paying for 1,800 patients to go on this diet. Recently we found that this program may stop or reverse the progression of early prostate cancer as well. The more closely people followed the diet, the more their heart disease reversed and the lower their prostate-specific antigen, a marker for prostate cancer, became.

It's not that fats are bad; we just eat too much of them. Fish oil and flaxseed oil are very good for you because they provide the kind of fatty acids that can substantially reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death and may help prevent some forms of cancer, but you only need a few grams a day. And because fat has more calories per gram than protein and carbohydrates, when you eat less fat, you consume fewer calories without having to eat less food.

Science can help us sort out conflicting claims. Researchers now are studying the effects of high-protein diets. It would be wise to wait for these results rather than discouraging people from making dietary changes that have been medically proved to be so beneficial.

Dean Ornish is president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the author of "Eat More, Weigh Less.''
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  #2   ^
Old Sat, Jul-13-02, 10:46
Dave Bing Dave Bing is offline
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Default From the NY Times

A Diet Rich in Partial Truths
By DEAN ORNISH


AUSALITO, Calif. — In Woody Allen's movie "Sleeper," a man wakes up 200 years in the future to find that science has proved deep-fried foods to be healthy. Is the future here already?

By now, many Americans are thoroughly exasperated by the seemingly contradictory information in the press about what a sound diet is. Lately, I hear many people say, "If the doctors can't make up their minds, I'll eat whatever I want and quit worrying."

That would be unfortunate. Science can help people distinguish what sounds good from what's real. Nowhere are the claims more conflicting than in the area of diet and nutrition. Unfortunately, this is an area where misinformation can make a huge difference to an individual's health and well-being.

The high-protein diet (which is almost always high in fat), for example, has become very popular; just about everyone knows someone who has lost weight on this kind of diet. Given the American epidemic of obesity, isn't that a good thing?

Not necessarily. You can lose weight with fen-phen, too, but that doesn't mean it's good for you. When you go on a high-protein, high-fat diet, you may temporarily lose weight — but you may also mortgage your health in the process. The only peer-reviewed study of the effects of a high-protein diet on heart function found that blood flow to the heart actually worsened and heart disease became more severe.

But high-protein diets help people lose weight because they are based partially on science, which is what makes them seductive. The high-protein advocates are right when they say that people in the United States eat too many simple carbohydrates like sugar, white flour and white rice. These foods are absorbed quickly, causing blood sugar to spike, which in turn provokes an insulin response that accelerates the conversion of calories to fat. There is a clear benefit to reducing the intake of simple carbohydrates, especially to people who are sensitive to them.

So the diagnosis is correct: we are eating too many simple carbohydrates. But the cure is wrong. The solution is not to go from simple carbohydrates to pork rinds and bacon, but from simple carbohydrates to whole foods with complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, brown rice, and fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes in their natural forms.

These foods are naturally high in fiber, which slows their absorption, preventing a rapid rise in blood sugar. Fiber also fills you up before you eat too many calories, whereas you can eat large amounts of sugar without feeling full. Best of all, these foods contain at least 1,000 substances that have anti-cancer, anti-heart disease and anti-aging properties.

For the past 25 years, my colleagues and I have conducted a series of randomized studies demonstrating that this whole-foods diet can reverse the progression of even severe heart disease in most people. These results have been published in the leading peer-reviewed medical journals. On average, our patients lost 24 pounds and kept more than half of that off for at least five years.

We demonstrated in hospitals throughout the country (including places where we were told that gravy is a beverage) that most heart patients were able to safely avoid bypass surgery or angioplasty by following this diet combined with moderate exercise, stress management techniques and participation in support groups. Medicare is now paying for 1,800 patients to go on this diet. Recently we found that this program may stop or reverse the progression of early prostate cancer as well. The more closely people followed the diet, the more their heart disease reversed and the lower their prostate-specific antigen, a marker for prostate cancer, became.

It's not that fats are bad; we just eat too much of them. Fish oil and flaxseed oil are very good for you because they provide the kind of fatty acids that can substantially reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death and may help prevent some forms of cancer, but you only need a few grams a day. And because fat has more calories per gram than protein and carbohydrates, when you eat less fat, you consume fewer calories without having to eat less food.

Science can help us sort out conflicting claims. Researchers now are studying the effects of high-protein diets. It would be wise to wait for these results rather than discouraging people from making dietary changes that have been medically proved to be so beneficial
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  #3   ^
Old Sat, Jul-13-02, 21:10
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DebPenny DebPenny is offline
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Quote:
The only peer-reviewed study of the effects of a high-protein diet on heart function found that blood flow to the heart actually worsened and heart disease became more severe.
As usual, he doesn't cite the study or any studies that support his claim that low-fat is the best way to health. I can't wait for the day when he is so proved wrong.

;-Deb
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Jul-14-02, 00:14
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tamarian tamarian is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by DebPenny
As usual, he doesn't cite the study or any studies that support his claim that low-fat is the best way to health. I can't wait for the day when he is so proved wrong.


LOL, he's been proved wrong for a long while, that's why he's po'ed and lashing out, caliming all those secret invisible studeis proving he's right

Wa'il
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  #5   ^
Old Sun, Jul-14-02, 22:34
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vmaxjohn vmaxjohn is offline
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Plan: atkins
Stats: 214/204/165
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Progress: 20%
Location: Midland, MI
Default re

That article is filled with fear words! It disgusts me on a daily basis, how people in the media speak word after word, about how we should be scared of something or other. It chaps my *ss!

This guy may be a doctor, and have a fancy title, but he a many like him have refused to see the truth of how some people are put together. He even is gracious enough to say, sure folks lose weight with low carbs, but they put it right back on! Be scared, be very scared!

After all the studies come out, whether they find the 'truth' that low carb folks have or not, we need to keep in mind what our bodies want. My tongue wants chocolate anything, but my body needs protein!

If I stick to this way of life, and get heart disease, I'll think differently than I do now. If I don't, I'm perfectly willing to rub low-fat bandwagoneers noses in it! HaHEE!
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Jul-15-02, 07:13
lee lee is offline
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How does Ornish get from low carb to eating mostly pork rinds and bacon? The impression he intentionally gives is that low carb implies non-healthy diet. In fact, my diet is much healthier when I'm low-carbing. I have simply cut out bread, pasta, flour, rice, corn products, milk, ice cream, candy, chocolate, pastries. What could be unhealthy about that?

Please remember, Ornish makes his money by talking against Atkins.
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  #7   ^
Old Mon, Jul-15-02, 07:17
lee lee is offline
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Plan: modified Atkins
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p.s.

Forgot to say, I eat more vegetables on lc diet than when not dieting.
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  #8   ^
Old Mon, Jul-15-02, 09:23
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vmaxjohn vmaxjohn is offline
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Plan: atkins
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Progress: 20%
Location: Midland, MI
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I agree. I now eat a cucumber for a snack, instead of a plate of nachos. I look forward to my evening salad, when I used avoid anything green! Anti-Atkins thinkers don't bother to look into the WHOLE diet, rather skimming over it, and blabbering the same untruths we hear all the time. This guy gets an F for Creativity.
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  #9   ^
Old Mon, Jul-15-02, 10:01
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Scarlet Scarlet is offline
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Plan: Gluten free wholefoods
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I am on a low GI diet so have a lot more carbs than others here and also eat low fat, but that guy makes me so mad!! I mean if I could low carb I would. Everything low carbers eat is NATURAL and made for the human body. Bread can't be found on trees can it?

Also, he is so not up-to-date with nutrition. Simple and complex carbs went out the window about 10 years ago- it's now high GI and low GI. Idiot!! Does he not realise how much veggies low carbers eat?

Can't wait for the proper low carb study to start. I hear there will be one soon.

Scarlet
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  #10   ^
Old Mon, Jul-15-02, 23:24
DrByrnes DrByrnes is offline
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Default Dean Ornish's Brain

Dean Ornish's books are so full of mistakes, its a wonder they got into print! Read my review of his heart disease book at amazon.com. This guy would not know a scientific fact if it came up and bit him in the butt.
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  #11   ^
Old Wed, Jul-17-02, 09:37
jujubaby jujubaby is offline
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Location: houston
Default refinance your mortgage!!

What is interesting, is his program works from what I read, but was so drastic, people could not make the life style changes needed to stay on this.
WW works for lots of people when they follow it to the letter!
Low calorie diets works as in starvation.
By pass works in some people at first but at what price?

But he can't be wrong about one thing and that is eating food that is not processed first. Stone ground whole wheat flour made into bread and pasta takes some adjustment to taste. Including greens, beans, and fresh veggies takes some time to include them into your daily consumption.

But eating this way does not ensure that you will loose weight unless you have another ingredient and that is moving around.

What Ornish proposes can be incorporated safely in ones plan of low carb eating and that is what ever carbs you do eat should be made of whole grains and stone ground flours.

If you live long enough everybody gets heart disease or something else along the way, like arthritis, knees that hurt. spines that have narrowing of the vertebrae etc. etc.

Finding your own way is difficult to do, but over the years, people have warned us of dangerous paths that we take. Such as the course of DDT used in farming; water polution and contaminants we never dreamed were getting into our water, streams lakes etc.
Not much the private citizen can do about the farming practices and technologies used to bring lots of food to the market place.
We only hear of them after the damage is done.

I would like to refinance my "mortgage" and live another 20 years relatively free from pain and misery and if I can do that by eating fresh fish, real beef protein, wholesome grains, fresh veggies and fruits in moderation and add wholesome first pressed virgin olive oil, pure butter and nothing hydrogenated, I will at least be trying to slow up the process that has already taken hold of my body.

I just went to the endocrinologyst and as an overweight person, eating low carbs has helped me to keep diabetes from arms length, now to loose some weight!! HA! He suggests smaller portions, maybe I have to measure?

But I know:
I don't move around enough at seventy, firbromyalgia pain and stenosis of the spine just do a number on you.
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Jul-19-02, 14:54
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tamarian tamarian is offline
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Posts: 19,570
 
Plan: Atkins/PP/BFL
Stats: 400/223/200 Male 5 ft 11
BF:37%/17%/12%
Progress: 89%
Location: Ottawa, ON
Default

There are some interesting letters to the editor regarding Ornish's diatribe, apparently, many see him for who he really is, nut just low-carbers

---

The Myth of the Low-Fat Diet

To the Editor:

Dean Ornish's studies ("A Diet Rich in Partial Truths," Op-Ed, July 13), while demonstrating the importance of lifestyle, do not prove that low-fat diets reduce obesity or risk for any other disease. Health improvements on the Ornish plan may have been caused by a variety of factors unrelated to total dietary fat.

The "gold standard" for scientific truth in medicine is the randomized-controlled trial. According to a recent analysis of such trials by the Cochrane Review, subjects treated with low-fat diets tended to lose less weight than those on higher-fat diets.

Most probably, humans can do quite well on diets varying widely in the ratio of fat to carbohydrate, so long as adequate attention is given to the quality of foods consumed.

A primary emphasis on reducing dietary fat may have actually contributed to the dramatic increase in rates of obesity, diabetes and certain heart disease risk factors observed over the last two decades in the United States.
DAVID S. LUDWIG, M.D.
Boston, July 13, 2002
The writer is director of the obesity program, Children's Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.

To the Editor:

Dean Ornish (Op-Ed, July 13) should own up to the influential role that he has played in getting the American diet out of whack. His classic book, "Eat More, Weigh Less," puts no limits on the amount of carbohydrates one can eat as long as fat is avoided.

On his diet I gained 30 pounds, and my triglycerides shot up to 300.
D. J. DOOLING
Fair Haven, N.J., July 13, 2002

To the Editor:

In delivering the truth about simple and complex carbohydrates, Dean Ornish omitted some facts about protein diets ("A Diet Rich in Partial Truths," Op-Ed, July 13). The most famous protein diet, the Atkins diet, has never recommended protein only.
MARIA LITTLE
Seattle, July 13, 2002

To the Editor:

Government recommendations and research on diet and nutrition are important, but not the sources from which to expect a cure for America's obesity epidemic ("Challenging the Accepted Wisdom," editorial, July 14).

A combination of dietary common sense and some self-discipline will reverse the trend. In most cases, moderate portions of a balanced diet, combined with daily exercise, is a simple, straightforward approach to maintaining a healthy weight.

The challenge is to integrate this approach into a daily living routine that factors in family and work responsibilities.

We don't need more reports or research to know that frequent trips to the fast-food restaurant and a sedentary lifestyle, however busy we are, will contribute to excessive weight gain.
DAVID MURPHY
New York, July 15, 2002

To the Editor:

Saying the federal government has not tackled the obesity epidemic "with the vigor applied to other scourges like smoking" is an understatement (editorial, July 14).

If the government seriously wanted to fight obesity, it would take these steps:

Increase financing for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to $60 million to strengthen national programs and double the number of states financed for nutrition, physical activity and obesity programs.

Promote physical activity to children by restoring financing for C.D.C.'s Youth Media Campaign, which the president plans to terminate in 2003.

Require chain restaurants to list calories along with prices on their menus; that would encourage downsizing instead of supersizing.

Ban junk-food ads on children's TV, and remove junk foods from schools.

Given obesity rates in adults and kids, we cannot afford to postpone action.
MARGO G. WOOTAN
Dir. of Nutrition Policy, Center
for Science in the Public Interest
Washington, July 15, 2002

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/17/opinion/L17DIET.html
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