Plant-based Propaganda
There’s no doubt that something has changed significantly in the American diet in recent decades. Certainly, our portion sizes have famously increased and our lifestyles have become more sedentary, with less manual labor. But since the middle of last century the Standard American Diet has been changing and it would seem not always in a good direction. Maybe it all started with President Eisenhower, who knows?
Science journalist Nina Teicholz has been investigating nutritional trends and food research for some time and last year, she published a scathing report about a vegan twin study conducted by Stanford. The study was quickly turned into a Netflix series, which promoted the idea that veganism is best for human health. Teicholz looked at the study and found some serious conflicts of interest, missing data and misguided conclusions. Vegan participants lost muscle mass and gained weight as well as reduced their good cholesterol, but the TV show clearly pushes the idea that plants are the answer.
On a recent podcast, Teicholz spoke about her investigations into the food industry and also the junk science propping up some of the most widely accepted myths about diet. Teicholz says that getting objective facts about what we eat and its effect on our health is harder than ever, given the amount of powerful stakeholders holding sway over every aspect of food production. Studies are underwritten by animal rights activists (as was the case with Stanford’s vegan one) and climate alarmists. Both groups have an interest in reducing the amount of animal products in our diet and form coalitions to promote favorable data. (Ask not what your oat milk can do for you, ask what you can do for the planet!) Given that processed foods consumed by Americans largely consist of vegetable oils, grains and sugar, multinational companies are also invested in keeping cereal, crackers, chips, cookies and pasta etc in the nation’s pantries.
Today, Teicholz says she eats few carbs and fills up with protein, including meat with its fat. She is on a mission to convince the world that saturated fats are not the problem that we’ve come to believe them to be. Whether she succeeds or not, raising awareness that not all science is created equal is a noble effort in a space dominated by noisy giants.
Other foodie news..
Oprah Winfrey has announced she is leaving the board of Weight Watchers after almost a decade with the company. Winfrey revealed a few months ago that she was using a weight loss drug, speaking of her fifty-year battle with the shame she felt at not being able to keep her weight down. Winfrey said “I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control…Obesity is a disease, it’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain.” (The Guardian, Today)
Winfrey’s point of view lines up roughly with Americans recently surveyed by Pew who believe weight loss drugs can be helpful and that willpower alone is not always enough to drop weight and keep it off. However, Americans also see connections with the quality of food available, stress levels and genetics when it comes to obesity, with many surveyed expressing doubt that weight loss drugs will have much impact on the nation’s levels of obesity. (Pew)
Weight loss drugs made using semaglutide are still being tested for long-term safety. (Vial)