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posted by janrinok on Wednesday February 04 2015, @03:51PM   Printer-friendly
from the I'll-never-close-my-eyes-again dept.

Scott Adams of Dilbert fame writes on his blog that science's biggest fail of all time is 'everything about diet and fitness':

I used to think fatty food made you fat. Now it seems the opposite is true. Eating lots of peanuts, avocados, and cheese, for example, probably decreases your appetite and keeps you thin. I used to think vitamins had been thoroughly studied for their health trade-offs. They haven’t. The reason you take one multivitamin pill a day is marketing, not science. I used to think the U.S. food pyramid was good science. In the past it was not, and I assume it is not now. I used to think drinking one glass of alcohol a day is good for health, but now I think that idea is probably just a correlation found in studies.

According to Adams, the direct problem of science is that it has been collectively steering an entire generation toward obesity, diabetes, and coronary problems. But the indirect problem might be worse: It is hard to trust science because it has a credibility issue that it earned. "I think science has earned its lack of credibility with the public. If you kick me in the balls for 20-years, how do you expect me to close my eyes and trust you?"

 
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  • (Score: 3, Disagree) by opinionated_science on Wednesday February 04 2015, @04:54PM

    by opinionated_science (4031) on Wednesday February 04 2015, @04:54PM (#141199)

    His point is perhaps that it is a complex problem that has been over simplified to the point it is just noise.

    The vast number of medical conditions are not "controlled" for diet. It is not just quality/quantity of food that is in dispute or the toxic additives (HFCS), but the pure politically motivated misinformation by the government agencies. Not intentionally perhaps, but suspiciously doesn't conflict with the Food industry's need to sell more every year. The magic pill does not exist, at least not in a medically sane manner. We all eat too much for our lifestyles - unless you are a farmer or Amish, the dietary advice is hopelessly out of date.

    It is, however, very simple. Diet and exercise have to be in balance. This balance is yours and yours alone to manage. It is made *harder* because not all food is similarly nutritious, or portioned or even available. There is variation in body type, sure, but not 300%. 10-20% is reasonable.

    Education, as in most things is the single most effective treatment for opulent malnutrition.

    Perhaps Scott Adams is just saying what is obvious to those who have the time and faculty to think about why the world they see is as it is?

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  • (Score: 2) by halcyon1234 on Thursday February 05 2015, @02:30PM

    by halcyon1234 (1082) on Thursday February 05 2015, @02:30PM (#141498)

    toxic additives (HFCS)

    "Toxic/toxins". The Godwin's Hitler of food science conversation.

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    Original Submission [thedailywtf.com]