Comments on: The Atkins Paradox? http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/ Respect Your Food. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:04:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Timbuk Too http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/#comment-102878 Timbuk Too Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:20:41 +0000 http://www.modernforager.com/blog/?p=100#comment-102878 Pomai, your points have validity, but your conlusion is also flawed and your criticism lacks credibility. Going by "what science says" presumes that "science" is an infallible entity. Science is an instrument and as such is susceptible to manipulation and distortion to serve whatever ends one seeks. Science, as reported in mainstream media, suggests following a diet that virtually eliminates all sources of fat and relies on grains and carbohydrates for the majority of our calories. Where is the evidence that this sceintific diet leads to physically fit people with 8% bodyfat? What diet do you yourself follow and what is your level of fitness and bodyfat percentage? Pomai, your points have validity, but your conlusion is also flawed and your criticism lacks credibility. Going by “what science says” presumes that “science” is an infallible entity. Science is an instrument and as such is susceptible to manipulation and distortion to serve whatever ends one seeks. Science, as reported in mainstream media, suggests following a diet that virtually eliminates all sources of fat and relies on grains and carbohydrates for the majority of our calories. Where is the evidence that this sceintific diet leads to physically fit people with 8% bodyfat? What diet do you yourself follow and what is your level of fitness and bodyfat percentage?

]]> By: Pomai Kajiyama http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/#comment-101553 Pomai Kajiyama Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:14:24 +0000 http://www.modernforager.com/blog/?p=100#comment-101553 Very interesting. I read the article first and then your letter and I have to say that neither of you are very convincing. It is obvious in both the article and the letter that both of you have ulterior motives for expressing your opinions . Unfortunately for you, their article was in a format that is hard for the untrained to spot bullshit, whereas your rantings make for easy point by point disseminations. You call him rightly on his "mountains of data" and yet you yourself have absolutely no peer reviewed journals as evidence. In fact, this whole website has a severe lack of citation of any sort of reputable scholarly articles. I know for a fact that no one has linked agriculture with the decline of health, since pre-agriculture archaeological evidence accounts for <1% of all archaeological records, so theres no way that they got p<0.05, and I already know of one example where the introduction of meat to the native diet was extremely detrimental, so scientifically speaking, that is already debunked. Also, itʻs poor form to comment on how he can so blatantly dismiss aspects of the study while yourself dismissing several important ones, namely genetics. The one thing that both of you are guilty of is generalizing. Unfortunately it is not so sensational to go, "everyone is different, so the right diet for you is unique and must be discovered for yourself", and much easier to fall back on "carbs are bad" and "Cholesterol kills". And now to end it all on a friendlier note. You may very well be right about everything, and Chris Wanjek might be right about everything too. After reading both articles Iʻve come to the conclusion that neither of you are right, but that doesnʻt mean you are wrong. It just means that without enough evidence, this skeptic will just go by what science says. Very interesting. I read the article first and then your letter and I have to say that neither of you are very convincing. It is obvious in both the article and the letter that both of you have ulterior motives for expressing your opinions . Unfortunately for you, their article was in a format that is hard for the untrained to spot bullshit, whereas your rantings make for easy point by point disseminations.

You call him rightly on his “mountains of data” and yet you yourself have absolutely no peer reviewed journals as evidence. In fact, this whole website has a severe lack of citation of any sort of reputable scholarly articles. I know for a fact that no one has linked agriculture with the decline of health, since pre-agriculture archaeological evidence accounts for <1% of all archaeological records, so theres no way that they got p<0.05, and I already know of one example where the introduction of meat to the native diet was extremely detrimental, so scientifically speaking, that is already debunked.

Also, itʻs poor form to comment on how he can so blatantly dismiss aspects of the study while yourself dismissing several important ones, namely genetics.

The one thing that both of you are guilty of is generalizing. Unfortunately it is not so sensational to go, “everyone is different, so the right diet for you is unique and must be discovered for yourself”, and much easier to fall back on “carbs are bad” and “Cholesterol kills”.

And now to end it all on a friendlier note. You may very well be right about everything, and Chris Wanjek might be right about everything too. After reading both articles Iʻve come to the conclusion that neither of you are right, but that doesnʻt mean you are wrong. It just means that without enough evidence, this skeptic will just go by what science says.

]]> By: Scott Kustes http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/#comment-33 Scott Kustes Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:10:00 +0000 http://www.modernforager.com/blog/?p=100#comment-33 Hey y'all, thanks for the kudos! I haven't heard back from him yet, and I'm not sure if I expect to. Part of me says "Sure, he'll respond" and the other part says "Not a chance...he'll ignore it so it goes away."<br/><br/>Cheers<br/>Scott Hey y’all, thanks for the kudos! I haven’t heard back from him yet, and I’m not sure if I expect to. Part of me says “Sure, he’ll respond” and the other part says “Not a chance…he’ll ignore it so it goes away.”

Cheers
Scott

]]> By: BamaGal http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/#comment-31 BamaGal Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:58:00 +0000 http://www.modernforager.com/blog/?p=100#comment-31 standing ovation....you did a magnificiant job here--I will refer to this often<br/>kepp up the fight...<br/><br/>JM---I'm a nurse and I know what you mean---I've even had docs tell me to keep my diet advice to myself--they are still stuck on stupid when it comes to nutrition-- standing ovation….you did a magnificiant job here–I will refer to this often
kepp up the fight…

JM—I’m a nurse and I know what you mean—I’ve even had docs tell me to keep my diet advice to myself–they are still stuck on stupid when it comes to nutrition–

]]> By: jm_funk http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/#comment-30 jm_funk Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:02:00 +0000 http://www.modernforager.com/blog/?p=100#comment-30 Great rebuttal. I go on rants like that to my friends or friends of friends who are nutritionists/into health/nurses every now and then. Never quite as elegantly. Most of them mean well and we have good conversations, but it is hard to open their eyes. I always send them links of stuff like this. Sounds like a letter Jimmy Moore would send.<br/><br/>Keep up the good work. Love the blog. Great rebuttal. I go on rants like that to my friends or friends of friends who are nutritionists/into health/nurses every now and then. Never quite as elegantly. Most of them mean well and we have good conversations, but it is hard to open their eyes. I always send them links of stuff like this. Sounds like a letter Jimmy Moore would send.

Keep up the good work. Love the blog.

]]> By: Fat Victoria http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-atkins-paradox/#comment-29 Fat Victoria Wed, 11 Apr 2007 01:39:00 +0000 http://www.modernforager.com/blog/?p=100#comment-29 Right on! Preach it brother! The Atkins diet was a Godsend to me. I know that no matter what happens now or what diet I am on, I will always eat lower carb. Right on! Preach it brother! The Atkins diet was a Godsend to me. I know that no matter what happens now or what diet I am on, I will always eat lower carb.

]]>