Chapter Twenty-three THE FATTENING CARBOHYDRATE DISAPPEARS Flashcards
What is the main focus of psychosocial scientists in relation to obesity?
Finding better ways of communicating with patients about obesity dangers and weight loss
Who testified before Congress regarding the dangers of sugars and starches in obesity?
Robert Atkins
What was the purpose of George McGovern’s Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs?
To address issues related to nutrition and obesity
What was Robert Atkins’ position on carbohydrate-restricted diets during the 1973 hearing?
He defended his diet as effective, despite opposition from nutrition authorities
What was Fred Stare’s opinion on the Atkins diet?
He condemned it as nonsense and dangerous
What did the panel of authorities testify regarding refined carbohydrates?
They discussed the potential dangers of refined carbohydrates in the diet
What significant shift occurred in the understanding of diet and health between 1973 and the mid-1980s?
The belief shifted from carbohydrates being fattening to dietary fat being responsible for obesity
What did Theodore Cooper emphasize during the 1976 hearings?
The need for further research on the diet-disease connection
Fill in the blank: The overconsumption of _______ sources is associated with obesity in economically disadvantaged populations.
high carbohydrate
What was the dietary prescription that emerged in response to the belief that fat causes obesity?
Diets targeting fat restriction and increasing carbohydrate consumption
What was the ketogenic diet prescribed by U.S. Navy physicians composed of?
70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbohydrate
What did Samuel Lepkovsky argue regarding obesity treatment at the 1967 conference?
Efforts should focus on increasing fat utilization by restricting carbohydrates
What was a common feature of the presentations at the 1968 Obesity Association symposium?
Belief in the fattening nature of carbohydrates and efficacy of carbohydrate-restricted diets
What did the INSERM investigators find about meal frequency and weight loss?
Weight loss increased when calories were divided among seven meals
What conclusion did Charlotte Young reach regarding carbohydrate-restricted diets?
They resulted in greater weight loss and fat loss with lower carbohydrate intake
What did Harry Keen emphasize regarding obesity and chronic diseases?
The need to set new patterns of body weight and size to reduce chronic diseases
True or False: The prevailing view in the mid-1980s was that obesity was primarily caused by high carbohydrate intake.
False
What did Yudkin state about low-carbohydrate diets?
They are higher in vitamins and minerals than calorie-restricted diets
Fill in the blank: The shift in dietary recommendations in the 1980s led to obesity being described as a _______.
carbohydrate-deficiency syndrome
What was the outcome of the 1973 conference in London regarding dietary therapies?
Increased focus on implicating carbohydrates as causes of obesity
What is necessary to reduce the frequency of atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus?
New patterns of body weight and body size
This concept emphasizes the importance of lifestyle changes in combating obesity-related conditions.
What dietary restriction was tested on ostensibly normal men by Keen and colleagues?
Carbohydrate intake restricted to less than five hundred calories a day
This study resulted in an average weight loss of fourteen pounds.
What was the average weight loss achieved by men instructed to restrict carbohydrate intake?
Fourteen pounds
This weight loss was maintained for almost five years.
What did The New York Times Natural Foods Dieting Book promote in 1972?
A low-calorie weight-loss plan and a low-carbohydrate method
It emphasized curtailing carbohydrate intake.
According to ‘Rating the Diets’, what carbohydrate intake is beneficial for weight loss?
Less than sixty grams of carbohydrates each day
This recommendation was based on a review of popular diets.
What was a significant caveat mentioned about carbohydrate-restricted diets?
They pay little attention to the kinds of fats consumed
This could potentially increase heart disease risk.
What hypothesis influenced the shift in nutritional wisdom regarding dietary fat?
Ancel Keys’s dietary-fat/heart-disease hypothesis
This hypothesis led to the notion that diets allowing liberal fat consumption were unhealthy.
Who argued that low-carbohydrate diets were essentially low-calorie diets?
Yudkin
He aimed to reconcile carbohydrate restriction with conventional wisdom.
What did Yudkin refer to as the ‘no bread, no butter’ argument?
Restricting carbohydrate calories also restricts fat calories
This suggests that low-carb diets can be low-calorie as well.
What was the response of nutritionists to the promotion of carbohydrate-restricted diets?
They often denounced them as quackery and nutrition nonsense
This was particularly true for diets promoted by non-university affiliated physicians.
What did Jean Mayer acknowledge about the understanding of obesity in 1968?
There were gigantic gaps in knowledge about obesity
He expressed awareness of the limitations of current concepts.
What was Dr. Atkins’s main claim about his diet?
Weight could be lost without hunger and potentially without restricting calories
He believed the type of calories consumed was more important than the quantity.
What did Atkins assert about refined carbohydrates and saturated fat?
Refined carbohydrates and starches cause heart disease and diabetes, not saturated fat
This was a key part of his argument against low-fat diets.
According to Atkins, why do calorie-restricted diets fail?
They do not address disturbed carbohydrate metabolism and lead to hunger
He cited three reasons for their ineffectiveness.
What assertion did Atkins make regarding calorie intake on his diet?
Patients could lose weight while consuming high caloric intake, even up to five thousand calories
This was based on his clinical experiences.
What did Atkins consider his contributions to the clinical science of carbohydrate restriction?
Reliance on ketosis to initiate and maintain weight loss and progressive addition of carbohydrates
These were key components of his dietary approach.
What was the title of Dr. Atkins’s influential book published in 1972?
Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution
This book popularized the low-carbohydrate diet.
What was the ‘cruel hoax’ that Atkins referred to in his book?
Calorie-restricted diets being ineffective for long-term weight loss
He believed these diets ignored the underlying causes of obesity.
What did Atkins argue about the effect of insulin on hunger?
Insulin raises blood sugar and induces hunger in overweight individuals
He linked carbohydrate intake to insulin production.
What was the main dietary approach suggested by Edgar Gordon in his 1963 article?
A diet beginning with a forty-eight-hour fast followed by protein and fat, limiting carbohydrates
This was one of the few early scientific approaches to treating obesity.
What was a significant outcome of the popularity of Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution?
It antagonized the medical and nutritional establishment
This led to further scrutiny and criticism of low-carbohydrate diets.
What did Atkins claim about eating fattening foods while avoiding carbohydrates?
You can eat any amount of this ‘fattening’ food and it won’t put a single ounce of fat on you.
What was the chief consequence of Atkins’ Diet Revolution according to John Yudkin?
To antagonize the medical and nutritional establishment.
Who were the dominant figures in obesity research in the United States during the 1970s?
- Jean Mayer
- Fred Stare
- Jules Hirsch
- George Bray
- Theodore Van Itallie
- Albert Stunkard
- George Cahill
- Philip White
What was the primary focus of obesity research in the United States after World War II?
The National Institutes of Health began to provide money for research.
Which committee held hearings in February 1977 regarding the Dietary Goals for Americans?
McGovern’s committee.
What was the conclusion of Van Itallie regarding research supporting the dietary recommendations?
He was unaware of any research to support their opinions.
What did Stunkard observe about the obese and dieting?
The obese rarely lose weight on diets, and if they do, they don’t keep it off.
What was Van Itallie’s primary contribution to obesity research?
The development of a feeding machine to study food intake.
What was Van Itallie’s opinion about Diet Revolution?
It was full of gross inaccuracies and could be dangerous.
What did the AMA declare about carbohydrate-restricted diets?
They lack scientific merit and are grossly unbalanced.
What was the opinion of the AMA critique on Atkins’ Diet Revolution?
It was not a balanced assessment of the science.
Who was the author of the official AMA declaration on carbohydrate-restricted diets?
Van Itallie drafted it, and White edited it.
What did Bray believe about all diets in relation to calorie restriction?
All diets worked by restricting calories.
What significant role did George Bray play in obesity research?
He chaired multiple obesity conferences and edited key reports.
What was the misconception about the effectiveness of low carbohydrate diets according to Bray?
He dismissed their effectiveness and did not acknowledge the need for further research.
What was the legacy of the era in obesity research regarding fat metabolism?
The dissociation of fat metabolism science from discussions of obesity causes or treatments.
Fill in the blank: Van Itallie and Bray effectively removed the concept of the ______ from nutritional canon.
fattening carbohydrate
True or False: The authorities in obesity research specialized in clinical treatment of obesity.
False
What did the 1973 NIH conference fail to address according to Bray?
The possibility that further research was needed on any dietary therapy for obesity.
What effect do carbohydrates have on insulin?
Carbohydrates influence insulin levels, which in turn affects fat deposition and hunger.
Who presented a summary talk on obesity therapies at the conference?
Bray
What is the role of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in fat accumulation?
LPL acts as the ‘gatekeeper’ for fat accumulation in cells.
Which figures believed that carbohydrate-restricted diets were effective for weight control?
- Denis Craddock
- Robert Kemp
- John Yudkin
- Alan Howard
- Ian McLean Baird
- Bruce Bistrian
- George Blackburn
What was the stance of those who opposed carbohydrate-restricted diets?
They believed carbohydrate restriction was merely calorie restriction in disguise.
What did Bray equate carbohydrate-restricted diets with?
Every fad diet that emerged.
What did the British Medical Research Council report say about carbohydrate restriction?
It referred to carbohydrate restriction as commonly prescribed and more effective than calorie-restricted diets.
What was the outcome of the diets promoted by Atkins and others, according to critics?
Critics claimed they faded into obscurity and were resurrected later in new forms.
What did Bray suggest about the proliferation of diet books?
He suggested it affirmed that no diet is a solution to obesity.
What did Hirsch imply about the motivations behind diet promotions?
He suggested they were motivated by financial rewards rather than health concerns.
What was a common critique regarding the commercialism of diet regimens?
Many believed someone profits from promoting these diets.
Who was accused of having conflicts of interest due to funding from the food industry?
James Hill
What did James Hill argue regarding causes of obesity?
He argued that passive overeating and sedentary behavior were the primary causes.
What financial support did Hill receive for his research?
- Over $300,000 a year from NIH
- $5 million from NIH for the follow-up trial of the Atkins diet
What was Donald Novin’s perspective on low carbohydrate diets?
He believed their efficacy has significant practical and theoretical implications.
What did obesity researchers claim about the cause of obesity?
They insisted obesity is caused by overeating without a clear explanation for why someone overeats.
What was Stare’s view on modern sugar consumption?
He stated it did not contribute to poor health.
Fill in the blank: The best weight-reduction results were reported by _______ and _______.
[Robert Kemp] and [Denis Craddock]
True or False: The medical and nutrition establishments took carbohydrate-restricted diets seriously.
False
