[extropy-chat] Failure of low-fat diet

[Robin Hanson]

At 04:46 AM 2/22/2006, BillK wrote:
> > Every study has flaws one can point out.   The point is that people
> > are quick to use the flaws to dismiss studies whose conclusions 
> they don't like,
> > and they hardly notice the flaws of the studies whole conclusions 
> they do like.
> > That habit allows one to pretty much ignore the evidence in favor of
> > preconceived expectations.
>
>In this survey, ten years ago, 20000 old, overweight or obese women
>changed their diet slightly in a rather unspecific fashion, but didn't
>exercise or reduce their alcohol consumption, and they found no effect
>on their heart disease or cancer levels.
>Well that's a surprise!

It was a surprise to many.  The diet was changed enough to have an effect,
based on prior studies, and the effect was expected to work for overweight old
women.    You sound like you feel sure you know that reducing alcohol would
be good, but most studies say the opposite.

>"The survey didn't reflect current advice for good heart health, such as salt
>reduction, increasing intake of good fats such as those in oily fish,
>and increasing exercise."

If we did a study based on current advice, the complaint would be that the
study didn't last long enough to see long term effects.  If we did a long term
study based on current advice, by the time the study was done the advice
would not be current.



Robin Hanson  rhanson at gmu.edu  http://hanson.gmu.edu
Associate Professor of Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326  FAX: 703-993-2323