The Swedish Study

[Serenity]

I think Steve did a good job today in using the publication of the Swedish study to talk about how to evaluate new information. He was balanced and wrote an article that will continue to stand when new articles come along.

I want to talk about the Atlantic's write-up of the study: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/06/time-to-retire-the-low-carb-diet-fad/258343/

First, I want to observe that the author uses several rhetorical manipulations to entice you into agreeing with her conclusion. This is lazy rhetoric and it is lazy journalism.

[VorJoshigan]

Yeah, that article pissed me off. She misrepresents the findings of the study which were not particularly conclusive to begin with. I think the article was written as click-bait. Just driving traffic. I expect better from the Atlantic.

[Kewilson]

Looking at the study, I'm surprised at how low the variation in average macro-nutrient intake is.

[aj_rock]

BUT WHERE DOES HE GET THE LEGO

[Serenity]

Back with more thoughts -- The thing I'd really like to say to her is, "Look, we actually agree, mostly." We agree that we need a minimum amount of protein. We agree that whole foods, with minimal processing, are preferable to industrial food products. We agree that plants, especially in the form of vegetables, are essential for health.

And at the end of the article she says that it's obvious that sugar should not be such a huge part of our diet. That right there opens her up to "low carb" in many of its forms.

For me the convincing thing about low carb is having observed first hand for over a year how eating carbs makes me hungrier. So when I read "Why we Get Fat" and "Wheat Belly" it makes total sense that the GI impact of wheat and grains would be as high or higher than sugar.

I would love to ask her the question, "If it behaves like sugar when you eat it, is it sugar?"

[aj_rock]

Only sugar can really behave like sugar. Have you actually looked at the science behing GI AND the associated GL? You seem to misunderstand what the problem with chronic high-sugar intake really is.