EPILOGUE Flashcards
What does the community of science provide for scientific work?
Social validation
This validation is essential for ensuring that scientific knowledge is credible and trustworthy.
Who stated, ‘The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool’?
Richard Feynman
This principle emphasizes the importance of self-honesty in scientific inquiry.
What hypothesis did the special issue of Science published on February 7, 2003, emphasize regarding obesity?
Toxic-environment hypothesis
This hypothesis suggests that obesity results from consuming more food energy than is expended in activity.
What is the ‘energy gap’ concept introduced by Hill and Peters?
An energy gap of a hundred calories per person per day
This gap explains the obesity epidemic and suggests ways to reverse it.
What is the suggested method to address the obesity epidemic according to Hill and Peters?
Increase daily energy expenditure or decrease energy consumption
Examples include walking an extra mile or eating 15% less of a typical fast-food hamburger.
What did the USDA’s sixth edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend?
A reduction of 50 to 100 calories per day
This recommendation aligns with the concept of the energy gap.
What does the argument regarding body weight regulation treat it as?
A purely arithmetical process
This view simplifies the complex nature of weight regulation to calorie intake and expenditure.
What did Hill and Peters acknowledge about their estimate of the energy gap?
It is theoretical and involves several assumptions
They noted that this estimate needs empirical testing.
What did Francis Benedict and Wilbur Atwater test in the 1890s?
The law of energy conservation in humans
They sought to quantitatively demonstrate this law’s applicability to human metabolism.
What is essential for progress in science according to Robert Merton?
Establishing whether predecessors have erred
This process involves critically evaluating past work to further scientific understanding.
What is lacking in the study of nutrition, chronic disease, and obesity?
Institutionalized vigilance and critical judgment
This lack has led to questions about the scientific integrity of research in these fields.
What has taken precedence over rigorous evaluation of evidence in nutrition research?
Practical considerations of public health
This shift has compromised the scientific evaluation necessary for reliable knowledge.
What do many researchers in nutrition and obesity prioritize over scientific integrity?
Convincing the public that answers are already known
This approach undermines the scientific process and critical inquiry.
What is the essence of the conflict between science and nutrition?
Time and the urgency for reliable dietary guidance
This urgency creates pressure to simplify complex scientific information.
What is one common response to dietary uncertainties?
Eating in moderation
This implies a balanced diet approach despite individual variations in health outcomes.
What has been the prevailing conception of a healthy diet?
Minimizes salt, maximizes fiber, includes good fats, and limits bad fats
This diet is politically correct and widely accepted in the medical community.
What dietary elements are particularly harmful according to the author?
Sugars, specifically sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup
These sugars elevate insulin levels and overload the liver with carbohydrates.
What does the author conclude about dietary fat?
It is not a cause of obesity or chronic diseases
This challenges the conventional wisdom linking fat intake to health issues.
What is the primary regulator of fat storage?
Insulin
Elevated insulin levels lead to fat accumulation, while lower levels promote fat release.
What does the author believe about the relationship between carbohydrates and obesity?
Carbohydrates drive fat accumulation and increase hunger
Reducing carbohydrate intake is linked to maintaining a healthy weight.
What has the author found about the quality of research in nutrition and obesity?
It is inadequate and lacks substantial evidence
Many conventional beliefs about diet and health are not well-supported by research.
What does the author suggest about diets low in carbohydrates?
Their health effects remain untested in long-term studies
This raises questions about the validity of current dietary recommendations.
What conclusion does the author reach about the causes of obesity?
Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating
This shifts the focus from caloric intake to hormonal regulation of fat metabolism.
What effect do carbohydrates have on fat accumulation?
They increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy expended in metabolism and physical activity.
What is the traditional view of low-fat diets in relation to chronic disease?
Deviations from low-fat or low-saturated-fat diets have been considered dangerous.
What does the American Diabetes Association recommend regarding carbohydrate-restricted diets?
They recommend against the use of carbohydrate-restricted diets for managing Type 2 diabetes.
What is the saccharine-disease hypothesis?
It suggests that evolution should guide what constitutes a healthy diet, implying long-term consumption of certain foods is safer.
Who wrote the essay ‘Sick Individuals and Sick Populations’?
Geoffrey Rose.
What does Geoffrey Rose suggest about public health recommendations?
They should remove ‘unnatural factors’ and restore ‘biological normality.’
What significant dietary changes occurred with the invention of agriculture?
The transition from carbohydrate-poor to carbohydrate-rich diets.
What has been the trend in fructose consumption since the mid-eighteenth century?
Increased from less than ten or twenty pounds a year to nearly 150 pounds today.
Are carbohydrates required in a healthy human diet?
No, they are not required.
What alternative fuel sources does the brain use when carbohydrates are restricted?
Ketone bodies, glycerol, and glucose from protein.
What does the Institute of Medicine’s report say about carbohydrate requirements?
It sets an estimated average requirement of 100 grams and a recommended dietary allowance of 130 grams.
What essential nutrients are provided by animal products?
All amino acids, minerals, and vitamins essential for health.
What is the controversy regarding vitamin C in carbohydrate-restricted diets?
The only point of controversy is whether meat products provide sufficient vitamin C.
What types of vegetables are typically allowed in carbohydrate-restricted diets?
Leafy green vegetables.
What does a calorie-restricted diet that cuts all calories by a third do?
It also cuts essential nutrients by a third.
What does the author hope to change with this book?
Views on the nature of a healthy diet, focusing on carbohydrates rather than fat.
What is the primary test conducted by the National Institutes of Health regarding carbohydrate-restricted diets?
To determine if such diets can be safely and effectively used for weight loss.
What is the focus of the Look AHEAD trial funded by NIH?
To test if weight loss in obese diabetics leads to improved health.
What is lacking in the current trials regarding carbohydrate restriction?
They do not directly test the hypothesis that carbohydrates cause weight gain and chronic disease.
What is the primary question that needs urgent addressing regarding sugar?
The long-term health effects of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.
What does the author suggest about future public health recommendations?
They should be based on rigorous testing of the carbohydrate hypothesis.
What are the potential outcomes of a trial comparing carbohydrate-rich and carbohydrate-restricted diets?
Differences in glucose intolerance, obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and overall health.
What type of study is deemed necessary to establish clear links between diet and chronic disease?
Randomized trials that test competing dietary hypotheses.
What type of trials are needed to test the carbohydrate hypothesis and conventional wisdom?
Randomized trials
These trials would be expensive, costing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
After a year in the lifestyle-modification trial, how much did participants reduce their total food intake on average?
450 calories a day
This reduction included eating more fruits and vegetables while decreasing grain and sweets consumption.
What is the focus of the New Atkins diet?
Eating wholesome foods that turn the body into a fat-burning machine
The updated program is designed to be easy and flexible for various lifestyles.
How many studies support the low-carb science behind Atkins?
More than 50 studies
These studies provide scientific backing for the diet’s principles.
What does the book ‘1001 Low-Carb Recipes’ offer?
Hundreds of delicious recipes for low-carb lifestyle
It includes options for high-carb foods that can be made low-carb.
What is the primary feature of the CalorieKing Calorie, Fat, & Carbohydrate Counter 2012?
Tens of thousands of food listings
It includes up-to-date listings for fast food and restaurant chains.
True or False: Cholesterol is a deadly poison.
False
Cholesterol is vital to the cells of all mammals.
What does the body do concerning cholesterol intake?
Produces three to four times more cholesterol than consumed
The internal production of cholesterol adjusts based on dietary intake.
What is the stance of ‘Fat and Cholesterol are Good for You’ regarding saturated fat?
Saturated fat does not cause heart disease
The book argues that research on this topic has been manipulated.
What health issues are linked to having low cholesterol?
Cancer, stroke, and suicide
Low cholesterol is considered unhealthy by some researchers.
According to ‘Fat Head’, what is the relationship between being classified as overweight and lifespan?
People classified as overweight have longer lifespans
This challenges common perceptions about weight and health.
What is the primary focus of the book ‘Know Your Fats’?
Understanding the nutrition of fats, oils, and cholesterol
It discusses the optimal intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
What does Gary Taubes express gratitude for in his acknowledgments?
The efforts of skeptics who influenced his work
He acknowledges various individuals who contributed to his understanding of diet and health.
What is the title of Gary Taubes’ book that challenges conventional wisdom on diet?
Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It
This book addresses misconceptions about diet, weight control, and disease.
