You've seen the headlines blaring: "Low-fat Diet is Healthiest." We have a tendency to trust what we hear in the media, especially if it's based upon research. The problem is that it's dangerous to trust the media's interpretation of research. We must all realize that "the news" we hear and read is based upon what will draw people to watch the show. It's all based upon advertising and ratings.
The Problem with Interpreting Research for Your Health
Frequently the media does not accurately reflect what was found in an article in a medical journal. It may contain a piece of information taken out of context, and it may not report the whole truth. After all, the whole truth is difficult to reduce to a 5-second sound bite.
Another problem about research that is being revealed is something I, and most scientists, consider unethical. Pharmaceutical industries and food corporations are actually ghost writing the research. This means that the doctor's name on the paper is not the one who wrote the research. S/he was paid to put her name on the paper... a pretty cushy job!
Another problem are the statistics. Yes, I'm sure you've heard how statistics can be manipulated to fit whatever conclusion you want. What if the statistics themselves are wrong? Dr. Stanton Glantz, a Professor of Medicine at the University of California has found that 50% of the top medical journals based their conclusions on the wrong statistics.
The problem is who to believe. Please note: I searched for information on Dr. Glantz and found that others are accusing him of manipulating statistics. I don't know if this has anything to do with him being the one to state that second hand smoke is deadly.
Back to Fats in Food
Do you enjoy the mouth-watering taste of a juicy steak... you know, the one filled with marbled fat? Just so you know, I do. Rib eye is my favorite. I wanted to give you this piece of information before I gave you some information that assures me this steak is perfectly healthy for me.
Ann F LaBerge wrote the scholarly article How the Ideology of Low Fat Conquered America. As she traces the history of the low-fat diet, she found no research to back it up.
Brian Peskin, in his book The 24-Hour Diet talks about the scientific knowledge of cellular biology that the cell membranes of your cells, more than 100 Trillion (note the "T"), are made up of 50% fat. We need fat. He even suggests a little experiment you can do. Eat scrambled eggs made up of 5 egg whites. Now time how long it is until you're hungry. Now try it with 3 egg whites and 2 whole eggs. Time how long it is until you're hungry.
The fat in the yolk is what satisfies the hunger. The less fat you eat, the hungrier you will be. It you know the research showing that obesity has risen with the fat-free diet, it makes sense. If you're hungry you will eat more.
Get your diet information from more than one source so you can attempt to discover the truth about eating healthy.
Cathy Chapman, PhD, LCSW assists people in achieving their dreams of health, wealth and abundance. To receive your Special Report Diet Myths Evaluated: Myths, Differences of Opinion and Propaganda go to youreatinghealthyplan.com youreatinghealthyplan.com/ and fill out the form.
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