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  #1   ^
Old Wed, Jan-30-02, 02:10
tamarian's Avatar
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
Talking Have a laugh at the Journal of the American College of Nutrition

O.k. In our Low-Carb Studies section, we have placed a request for any links to research proving low-carb diets to be unhealthy.

Well, a user sent me a very patronizing email, cannot quote it since I don't have his/her permission. They essentially said all you need is to use a search engine! and supplied this link:

http://www.uky.edu/PR/UK_News/lifestyles112000.html

Quote:
Fad diets may do more harm than good, UK study finds

The study results were published in last monthıs Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Many Americans are losing weight on so-called ³fad² diets ~ but in the process, they could be putting themselves at greater risk for developing coronary heart disease, according to a University of Kentucky College of Medicine study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

A team of researchers led by James W. Anderson, professor of medicine and clinical nutrition in the UK College of Medicine, performed a critical review and computer analysis of eight popular weight-loss diets. He was joined by David Jenkins, professor of medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Toronto, and Elizabeth Konz, a doctoral candidate in nutrition at UK.

Eight weight loss diets were analyzed in the UK study: Sugar Busters!, Protein Power, The Zone and Dr. Atkinsı New Diet Revolution were compared with moderate diets, Dr. Andersonıs High-Fiber Fitness Plan and the American Diabetes Association/American Dietetic Association Exchange Diet. The other two analyzed, the Pritikin Diet and the Ornish Diet, are on the opposite extreme of many of the popular diets, stressing a very low fat, high carbohydrate, vegetarian diet.

The researchers found that Protein Power and Dr. Atkinsı New Diet Revolution had negative effects --raising cholesterol levels, which have been linked with an increased risk for coronary heart disease.

The Atkins and Protein Power diets were found to be the highest in total and saturated fat compared to dietary guidelines. Long-term use of the diets likely would increase significantly serum cholesterol concentrations and risk for coronary heart disease, Anderson said.

³Of course, weight loss contributes to the lowering of cholesterol, but high-fat diets such as the Atkins diet increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes by raising LDL cholesterol -- the bad stuff -- and increasing the tendency for blood to form clots, which are the forerunners of most heart attacks and strokes,² Anderson said.

The protein content of four of the diets (Sugar Busters!, Protein Power, The Zone and Dr. Atkinsı New Diet Revolution) is almost double the recommended daily allowances. High animal protein intakes have been linked to higher risks for coronary heart disease. This high protein load may lead to kidney damage, especially in people with diabetes or those who have high blood pressure, Anderson said.

Sugar Busters! and The Zone diets werenıt found to cause any harm, but the researchers also did not find any evidence supporting the dietsı health claims.

³Overall, the best diet for general health promotion, weight loss and weight maintenance is a high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diet that is low in fat,² Anderson said.

Vikki Franklin


Now, reading this, I though wow! How could I have missed this! A study on "patients" proving Atkins and PP raise bad cholestrol.

So, I did a search for the original study this article is quoting, and here's what the "study" is about:

http://www.am-coll-nutr.org/jacn/vol_19/no_5/pg578.htm
Quote:
Health Advantages and Disadvantages of Weight-Reducing Diets: A Computer Analysis and Critical Review

James W. Anderson, MD, FACN, Elizabeth C. Konz, MS, RD, David J. A. Jenkins, PhD, MD, FACN

Metabolic Research Group, Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, and Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky (J.W.A., E.C.K.),Clinical Nutrition & Risk Factor Modification Center, St. Michael's Hospital, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, (D.J.A.J.) E-mail: jwandersmd~aol.com

Background: Some weight-loss diets are nutritionally sound and consistent with recommendations for healthy eating while others are "fad" diets encouraging irrational and, sometimes, unsafe practices.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to compare several weight loss diets and assess their potential long-term effects.

Design: Eight popular weight-loss diets were selected (Atkins, Protein Power, Sugar Busters, Zone, ADA Exchange, High-Fiber Fitness, Pritikin and Ornish) to be non-clinically analyzed by means of a computer to predict their relative benefits/ potential harm. A summary description, menu plan and recommended snacks were developed for each diet. The nutrient composition of each diet was determined using computer software, and a Food Pyramid Score was calculated to compare diets. The Mensink, Hegsted and other formulae were applied to estimate coronary heart disease risk factors.

Results: Higher fat diets are higher in saturated fats and cholesterol than current dietary guidelines and their long-term use would increase serum cholesterol levels and risk for CHD. Diets restricted in sugar intake would lower serum cholesterol levels and long-term risk for CHD; however, higher carbohydrate, higher fiber, lower fat diets would have the greatest effect in decreasing serum cholesterol concentrations and risk of CHD.

Conclusions: While high fat diets may promote short-term weight loss, the potential hazards for worsening risk for progression of atherosclerosis override the short-term benefits. Individuals derive the greatest health benefits from diets low in saturated fat and high in carbohydrate and fiber; these increase sensitivity to insulin and lower risk for CHD.


I made in bold the key points. But to emphasize it, here's what they did:

No patients (that's why they said non-clinical) were involved, just computer software that was programmed to give results. i.e. the computer is told:

If the fat intake is above 50%, output an increase in cholestrol

If diet is low-fat, make results really good

It is a computer software based on nutritionists "recommendations".

Unfortunately, the public will be fooled by it, just as Ms. Vikki Franklin (writing for the University of Kentucky) was fooled, or tried to fool the public. The report/article she wrote, made no mention of this computer software that "simulated" the results, and talked about it is if they were actual results!

Sadly, this fraud works. And since the medical community and nutritionists cannot find any scientific bases for their calims against low-carbing, they just had to fake the results.

Wa'il
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Jan-30-02, 02:39
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
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Lightbulb

I thought this sounded familiar. This "study", along with several others published by the JACN was part of my debunk post in the Dangers of Soy thread. This journal published a study about tofu and brain shrinkage. Here's what I thought back then about the JACN:
Quote:
The Journal of the American College of Nutrition is very interesting. Some good and useful articles there, but this organization is geared to proviidng educational information about nutrition to health professions, and non-professional nutrition consultants. I searched the site, and discovered on the links page that their corporate sponsors include The National Dairy Council .. which would explain the plethora of articles about calcium, and the importance of consuming dairy products to get it .... and the Alliance for Better Foods, which is an organization devoted to Biotechnology and genetic modification of food.

The journal itself has only been published since February 2000, although the organization has been in existence since 1959. Here are some other interesting studies that have been published in this Journal
  • Feb 2000 article "proving" that a diet rich in grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits had more favourable effect on blood lipids than a diet high in saturated fat.
  • June 2000 supplement is devoted entirely to the glory of grains, and their role in disease prevention.
  • Oct 2000 (this is the same article posted above)
The journal title is confusing, because it could easily be mistaken for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) which IS a respected, science-based and peer-reviewed journal.

Doreen
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  #3   ^
Old Sun, Feb-03-02, 13:40
Jilly Jilly is offline
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Plan: Schwarzbein
Stats: 238/224/126
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Location: UK
Default What are they so afraid of?

Hi,

I am surprised at this unscientific "scientific" study. We already knew that Atkins etc has many times the recommended daily level of fat. Did it really need doctors working round the clock with a big expensive computer to confirm that?

They were measuring things they already knew, leading to no new conclusions. They were not measuring important things they didn't know, which might have led them to make some new discovery, or at least be able to take a tilt at us with a little more authority.

I really object to this pseudo-science masquerading as medical research. As far as I am aware, the first and most essential requirement for research is that you approach the task with an open mind, and you throw away preconceptions and prejudice. Thank goodness not all scientists, historians, anthropologists, biologists, astronomers, and doctors have thought this way in the past. There has been as much progress in all fields through error as through success.

If institutions want to spend money on evaluating diets, then I would suggest they organise themselves in a more practical and academic manner. They could follow the example of real scientists, people who scientifically threw preconceptions to the wind, scientifically opened their minds, scientifically made their observations, scientifically tested their hypotheses, and medically went on to restore the health of thousands of people all over the world. They could read some diet books properly for starter ....

Einstein himself said (pardon my paraphrase) that any new discovery is ALWAYS derided at the outset. Low carb is not a new discovery, but proper research into it is long overdue. I don't think I am alone in my discovery that I react in exactly the OPPOSITE way I should to eating a low fat diet - it makes me extremely ill. Same for low carb - opposite reaction. It makes me extremely well. For the sake of other people who could be made well, aren't the universities and labs of the world remotely curious about that?

Jilly
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Feb-03-02, 16:07
allisonm allisonm is offline
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Plan: Atkins/PP
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Default

I'm embarrassed for the researchers' intellectual dishonesty. Shame!

I noticed one other thing:

"A team of researchers led by James W. Anderson, ..."

"Eight weight loss diets were analyzed in the UK study: ..., Dr. Andersonıs High-Fiber Fitness Plan, ..."

"... the best diet for general health promotion, weight loss and weight maintenance is a high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diet that is low in fat,² Anderson said."

I'm sure that the Dr. Anderson of the "Dr. Andersonıs High-Fiber Fitness Plan" is the same Dr. Anderson who led the research team here. I looked him up and he's published writings on high-fiber diets all over the place. His bio says, "He pioneered use of high fiber diets for treatment of diabetes and launched the 'oat bran craze.'"

So basically you've got a guy who's pretending to do a scientific study of 8 diets. One of them just happens to be his own. He concludes his is the best. How convenient.

Oh, by the way, although he is founder and president of the Obesity Research Network and has been pushing his diet for decades, in his picture he looks fat.

Last edited by allisonm : Sun, Feb-03-02 at 16:22.
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  #5   ^
Old Sun, Feb-03-02, 16:33
tamarian's Avatar
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

Yes, he is the author! Nice catch.

This thread is developing into a nice detective story

Wa'il
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  #6   ^
Old Sun, Feb-03-02, 18:10
sammiejam sammiejam is offline
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Posts: 199
 
Plan: FatLoCity
Stats: 85/80/60
BF:
Progress: 20%
Location: sydney australia
Default

its just a joke, isn't it?!

Parading "findings" such as these as medical certainties should surely be illegal?

People are dying, going blind and having limbs amputated, not to mention having to face needles on a daily basis, because of people such as "Dr" Anderson. They should be liable for the damage they are causing.

If you can sue a cigarette company because you get sick from their product ...

Last edited by sammiejam : Mon, Feb-04-02 at 20:07.
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  #7   ^
Old Mon, Feb-04-02, 03:59
Jilly Jilly is offline
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Posts: 15
 
Plan: Schwarzbein
Stats: 238/224/126
BF:
Progress: 13%
Location: UK
Question Erm...

Perhaps things are done differently in America... I don't know what to make of this. Have you seen Dr Anderson's University's list of sponsors? Many of them make sugared, processed food, processed carbohydrates. One of them is Slimfast - I don't really know how to categorise that product, but I wouldn't have thought it was a food.

The more I look, the more I feel dissatisfied with this whole thing.

I suppose one of the practical commercial problems is that people producing fresh foods (as recommended by Schwarzbein etc) tend to be farmers or companies on smaller margins. They don't have the mega budgets of the processed food makers, and cannot sponsor research in the same way.

Jilly
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Feb-07-02, 00:53
tamarian's Avatar
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

I have update our web site's main page with the findings of our conversation.

I hope I don't get sued for slander

Wa'il
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  #9   ^
Old Thu, Feb-07-02, 04:13
Jilly Jilly is offline
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Posts: 15
 
Plan: Schwarzbein
Stats: 238/224/126
BF:
Progress: 13%
Location: UK
Default Libel? You have to be kidding!

LOL!

I think we can all sleep soundly at night. No one can be sued for speaking the truth!

Keep up the good work.

Jilly
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