New article by Gary Taubes in Globe and Mail

#1

Gary Taubes - Article in Globe and Mail - a good overview of keto and the community of scientists…

“To some, the word ‘fat’ conjures up a heart attack; to others, it may be the key to healthy living. The question is among the most important and controversial in all of medicine: Can a diet that has bacon at its centre, and shuns whole grains, actually be the key to a healthy waistline? Journalist Gary Taubes and a spate of doctors claim it is. So why won’t the medical community accept their findings?”

FAT. By Gary Taubes
(Dameon Welch-Abernathy) #2

I think we all know the answer to that: the pharmaceutical medical industrial complex won’t make money on people who are well. :expressionless:

(Keto in Katy) #3

Here’s the quick business model analysis.

On one end of the Pharma Industry Profitability Spectrum you have healthy people. No profits there.

On the other end of the spectrum you have dead people. Not profitable because… dead.

In the middle are chronically sick people who require medications. This is the :moneybag: sweet spot.

#4

I wish I could get this through more people’s heads!

(G. Andrew Duthie) #5

Incentives matter…that’s true.

But I think that blaming big pharma is also an oversimplification. There are other factors, including egos, liability, etc. that play a role in the reluctance to turn away from the bad advice of the last several decades. None of those are good reasons, but they also play a role.

(Keto in Katy) #6

Absolutely right.

Once someone becomes invested in a certain narrative (nutrition, science, politics, religion, nationality, etc) it becomes very difficult to back away from it. This is because they have become personally identified with the position. It is part of their identity. In other words: ego.

#7

Not sure if any of you are reading the article.

(Keto in Katy) #8

I read it. What are you referring to?

(G. Andrew Duthie) #9

I read it, too. If you’re referring to the comments on pharma, you would be correct to observe that Taubes makes no mention of them, apart from noting that once Insulin was discovered, the preferred path was to medicate diabetics rather than put them on a LCHF diet.

#10

Um, yep, sure did. Why?

(Dameon Welch-Abernathy) #11

Of course I read the article. Pharma is always going to push a pharma-based solution rather than a behavior-based solution. They don’t make money on behaviors, unless that behavior is “take this pill.”

(Marie Dantoni) #12

If I’m getting it right…to summarize, he seems to be briefing the reader on the current state of afffairs
ie- While LC gets results, and doctors are starting to say so, there is still not enough science to back it.
Thats like saying its raining outside but don’t wear a raincoat until we show you the evidence.

#13

Well, we should also never expect to see scientific evidence to any large extent. There’s no profit to be made from healthy people. If people are chronically ill, scared to death, and constantly frightened of every new thing they’re told is going to kill them then they’re a goldmine for the medical industry.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #14

I don’t think that’s what Taubes is saying. Taubes is an unabashed promoter of LCHF/Keto. He does it, and he knows it works in the vast majority of cases. He has researched the history, studied the anthropological data, and finds that it all supports LCHF/Keto.

All Taubes is saying with respect to the lack of scientific data is that we do not have randomized, controlled studies (the gold standard of scientific evidence) to demonstrate the benefits of LCHF/Keto. But he also notes that no such evidence exists for low-fat diets either.

(Marie Dantoni) #15

I agree thats not his stance. He is informing the general public of the current state of affairs.

#16

I have had two different experiences recently with this. First I know someone who is a research based obstetrician. We were discussing diet and she said, of course everyone knows you need to cut out carbs if you are T2 and dietary cholesterol does not cause heart disease made it seem like the most obvious idea in the world. Huh? Try telling your endocrinologist co workers that one. Then I have lay friends asking me about diet. When I get to fat they will usually say, of course you eat low fat or limit fat and they are absolutely shocked when I say no. It is simply too ingrained in the public mindset. Even a relative who knows the value of low carb for his T2 is afraid to eat high fat

#17

Hey, it scared the hell out of me at first and I had researched and knew it was good for me.