Comments on: Thinking About Diets and Other Complex Matters

By: Diet

Diet — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:57:42 +0000

[...] Thinking About Diets and Other Complex Matters | Above the Crowd …http://abovethecrowd.com/2012/01/05/thinking-about-diets-and-other-complex-matters/ [...]

By: Diet | Zeal for Life Wellness Drink

Diet | Zeal for Life Wellness Drink — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 02:29:00 +0000

[...] Thinking About Diets and Other Complex Matters | Above the Crowd …http://abovethecrowd.com/2012/01/05/thinking-about-diets-and-other-complex-matters/ [...]

By: Shane Lynch

Shane Lynch — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:17:07 +0000

Awesome post! I am a professional athlete in Taekwon – Do I hear all these things about diet and weight loss each year as the season starts and we begin to train and prepare for weight cuts. Everyone has their own opinion and the truth is that each of our bodies is a very complex system. What is true and works for me may not be the same for someone else and usually isn’t. Very insightful. Right on the button I would say.

Keep it up.

By: sinjin81

sinjin81 — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Great post Bill. I can only speak anecdotally. Growing up I was always a bit skinny for my age. I could never understand quite why I stayed so thin when I frequently consumed things like cheetos, soda and bbq ribs. Intuitively, I always assumed that it was because I was a pretty active person. I make it a point to walk frequently each day as well as balance in some weekly running into the mix. I feel a bit guilty admitting it but I am still a rather skinny guy – my friends can’t understand how I can plow through a Chinese buffet or hit up for multiple runs the concession stands at sporting events. My intuition tells me that what keeps me thin is my consistent walking and jogging routine.

By: Sales Chat Sean

Sales Chat Sean — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:50:08 +0000

Hi Bill,

Thanks for this article. As you yourself have said that there are many arguments in favor and against specific food so I would like to comment about the benefits of carbohydrates which takes the form of sugars, oligosaccharides, starches and fibres and are one of the three major macro-nutrients which supply the body with energy (fat and protein being the others). There is now good evidence that at least 55% of our daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Whereas it is important to maintain an appropriate balance between calorie intake and expenditure, scientific studies suggest that: A diet containing an optimum level of carbohydrates may help prevent body fat accumulation, starch and sugars provide readily accessible fuel for physical performance, dietary fibre, which is a carbohydrate, helps keep the bowel functioning correctly.

By: dylandandsophia

dylandandsophia — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:44:10 +0000

Bill,
Good post. As you point out, the post isn’t really about nutrition. It’s about how complex systems can cause us to draw the wrong conclusions, especially in the situations prone to groupthink (e.g., capital markets).
As I was reading it, I couldn’t help but think of last week’s article in the NYT about the Fed’s whiff on the impending housing crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/business/transcripts-show-an-unfazed-fed-in-2006.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=all

By: Gary Taubes- Why We Get Fat. « Killsession Musings

Gary Taubes- Why We Get Fat. « Killsession Musings — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:26:28 +0000

[...] Thinking About Diets and Other Complex Matters (abovethecrowd.com) [...]

By: bgurley

bgurley — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:30:52 +0000

But people become “dogmatic” and spend and waster real money. The low-fat craze of the past 30 years was a useless event.

By: Tom Howard (@tomhoward)

Tom Howard (@tomhoward) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:07:32 +0000

Hey Bill, great post, I’ve been thinking a lot about this stuff lately and similarly found Taubes and Lustig to be the most insightful thinkers on the topic.

A couple of other links that may interest your readers:

– EconTalk interview with Gary Taubes, discussing “Why We Get Fat”, and particularly the issue of why diet misinformation persists http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2011/11/taubes_on_fat_s.html

– TEDx talk by Dr. Terry Wahls – “Minding Your Mitochondria” – a remarkable story of recovery from MS after a few months of simply adhering to a nutrient-rich, hunter-gatherer diet, after years conventional medical treatment offered no relief. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc

By: Tom Howard (@tomhoward)

Tom Howard (@tomhoward) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:38:12 +0000

I think you got the wrong takeaway See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_to_moderation

Just because these writers are pushing ideas that are unconventional, doesn’t make them extreme. The validity of any position depends on its supporting evidence, not the extent of its divergence from the mainstream.

“Can you lose weight just eating fats/protein? Sure. Can you lose weight counting calories? Yep.”

The answer to these questions is in fact “it depends”. That’s the real point about complexity. There are so many variables that will differ from one person to another, that it’s misleading and potentially damaging to suggest that, for example, anyone could lose weight counting calories.

I’ve watched up close as loved ones rigidly adhere to conventional wisdom about weight loss through calorie-counting, fat-reduction and exercise, only to see them not lose weight but actively damage their physical health and self-esteem, because these methods just don’t work given their physiological makeup. It’s utterly heartbreaking, particularly when it’s clear that there are other methods that would probably work very well for them, but are ignored because they’re unconventional.