This important book thoroughly dissects over a century of scientific studies about proper nutrition -all meticulously referenced in some 67 pages of bibliography.
First, Gary Taubes questions the conventional wisdom - that fats, and especially saturated fats, cause high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity and other current chronic diseases- that has been spread by Public Health authorities, prominent health associations, as well as the Press for over 50 years.
He demonstrates how this conventional wisdom, turned into an axiom is actually based on thin scientific evidence, analyzing every single flaw in each one of the related studies, and pointing at the lack of underlying scientific method.
He shows how just a handful of "scientists" actually manipulated observational data so that they would fit their personal agenda, ignoring the embarrassing details that would cast any doubt, and spur more research. Then, they would use their personal clout in order to transfer their dogma into what are now our current Public Health diet recommendations.
The fact is, since the 80ies, when the fat hypothesis became fully legitimated into our Public Health policy, such chronic current diseases as the metabolic syndrom have started reaching epidemic level. Meanwhile, a few skeptics in scientific circles around the world have been testing the carbohydrates hypothesis from various angles. Gary Taubes also analyzes some 140 years of studies looking at the harmful effects of all sugars and refined carbs on our hormonal system (i.e. insulin issues), and all their consequences on our health, including coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
The integrity of Gary Taubes' analysis is striking as he raises the very questions a real scientist should ask himself when performing a study, with such sheer objectivity and meticulous attention to details that one cannot help reaching some unsettling conclusions, like : "Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease and other chronic diseases", as long as we are talking about natural fats.
This book makes a serious case for:
- bringing the fat axiom back to a hypothesis that remains to be proven.
- public funding to be provided for long-term clinical studies to validate or reject each hypothesis.
- Food corporation funding for scientific research to be counterbalanced by public funding to test the adverse hypothesis, or at least define an ethics code so that the results are cleared from vested interests before they are taken into account in Public Health recommendations.
- Public Health diet recommendations to be much more cautious before either hypothesis is scientifically validated.
- All scientific specialists to be encouraged to cross the barriers of their sub-specialization field and collaborate with other sub-specialists to work on larger task studies, such as an obesity study, that would involve different angles.
First, Gary Taubes questions the conventional wisdom - that fats, and especially saturated fats, cause high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity and other current chronic diseases- that has been spread by Public Health authorities, prominent health associations, as well as the Press for over 50 years.
He demonstrates how this conventional wisdom, turned into an axiom is actually based on thin scientific evidence, analyzing every single flaw in each one of the related studies, and pointing at the lack of underlying scientific method.
He shows how just a handful of "scientists" actually manipulated observational data so that they would fit their personal agenda, ignoring the embarrassing details that would cast any doubt, and spur more research. Then, they would use their personal clout in order to transfer their dogma into what are now our current Public Health diet recommendations.
The fact is, since the 80ies, when the fat hypothesis became fully legitimated into our Public Health policy, such chronic current diseases as the metabolic syndrom have started reaching epidemic level. Meanwhile, a few skeptics in scientific circles around the world have been testing the carbohydrates hypothesis from various angles. Gary Taubes also analyzes some 140 years of studies looking at the harmful effects of all sugars and refined carbs on our hormonal system (i.e. insulin issues), and all their consequences on our health, including coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
The integrity of Gary Taubes' analysis is striking as he raises the very questions a real scientist should ask himself when performing a study, with such sheer objectivity and meticulous attention to details that one cannot help reaching some unsettling conclusions, like : "Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease and other chronic diseases", as long as we are talking about natural fats.
This book makes a serious case for:
- bringing the fat axiom back to a hypothesis that remains to be proven.
- public funding to be provided for long-term clinical studies to validate or reject each hypothesis.
- Food corporation funding for scientific research to be counterbalanced by public funding to test the adverse hypothesis, or at least define an ethics code so that the results are cleared from vested interests before they are taken into account in Public Health recommendations.
- Public Health diet recommendations to be much more cautious before either hypothesis is scientifically validated.
- All scientific specialists to be encouraged to cross the barriers of their sub-specialization field and collaborate with other sub-specialists to work on larger task studies, such as an obesity study, that would involve different angles.
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