Deaths happen in large populations all the time, of course. But the headline suggests these were the ones they could directly link. And I'm guessing of course there were risk factors.

Unless the people were taking it to lose 20 "vanity pounds" which would not surprise me either. And it's unlikely such a person actually is baseline healthy, or they would have already lost those pounds in a sensible manner. We now know that even thin people are suffering from the SAD. They can eat calorie-restricted junk and maybe it keeps them thin. Never worked for me -- insulin resistance locked those pounds away while I tried to live on 1200 low fat calories with very little protein.

I think it's this same simplistic thinking that creates "learned helplessness" about losing weight. I actually sympathize with the "fat activists" who are trying to normalize their condition, because they are rightly baffled that they can't lose weight "even if I starve myself!"

Because yes, that can happen. I suffered with it for years. Corporatism has invaded people's heads and it doesn't matter what science says, it matters how it can be twisted for people who no longer know what to believe, and can't -- competently -- use real science. They wait for "companies" to package their lives for them.

Oh, we've discovered protein is a magic macro? Great! Here's your snacks and plants, people!