LMAOFOTGRITD

LMAOFOTGRITD

In the New York Times today there is an article about a study of diet in which it was found that low fat diets do nothing to extend human life. This shows one of the primary tenets of Zero Base Thinking, which is that, to a large extent, science is a political enterprise, and scientists are political creatures. Even their excuses echo the excuses of political failure. As in:

Dr. Dean Ornish, a longtime promoter of low-fat diets and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., said that the women did not reduce their fat to low enough levels or eat enough fruits and vegetables, and that the study, even at eight years, did not give the diets enough time.

That sounds the same as the excuses given by the Left for the failure of communism, i.e. not pure enough, not given a long enough time. Or maybe even that not enough have died. Yet.

It gets really funny when you hear the same quacks who told everyone to forego the best foods now making excuses, or outright denials of this study. In one article, for which "more than 50 specialists in heart disease, cancer and nutrition" were contacted, well, rather than having me characterize their responses, read them for yourself. A small sample:

"Should these results lead to any changes in public health recommendations? Absolutely not. Remember, the dietary goals of this study were not entirely reached, and there is enough reason to continue with research studies that would tighten up the weaknesses and then see the results." — Keith-Thomas Ayoob, nutrition and pediatrics professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

This quack is actually saying that, rather than following the advice one can garner from this "Rolls Royce of studies" we should continue to deny ourselves the finest foods for the rest of our lives, waiting for better information! What a laugh we had over this one at ZBT headquarters this morning!

What this shows is the limitations of science, and the extent to which politics and power considerations color all human activity. This study does not say that eating a healthy diet is not important. It does say that science does not know exactly what constitutes a healthy diet. And it shows clearly that the advice that has been given to us over the last fifty years by the scientific establishment, backed up by our government, will not be altered easily, and not by mere facts. Too much is riding on the continuation of the present regime, and new ideas, like the Atkins-style low carbohydrate approach to weight loss, will be blotted out.

As for me, I never stopped putting butter on my bacon sandwiches, never trimmed the fat off my pastrami. Imagine, all those poor fools who gave up one of the greatest joys of a life well lived, and now we gourmands get the last laugh. Color me as LMAOFOTGRITD. (For those who do not speak technogeek, that means "Laughing My Ass Off, Falling On The Ground, Rolling In The Dirt.")

Link courtesy of Daily Pundit.