Flat Earth theory

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Around 12 months ago the medical community came out with the news that fat wasn't really that bad for you, and that sugar was the real killer.
Someone born 30 years ago would have had, throughout their entire life, a non-stop, 24/7, barrage of messages, advice, from every perceivable source, that saturated fats were the evil that will kill you.
By all means have a good laugh at someone who is a little , let's say 'eccentric'. But to accept at face value all those zeitgeist proclamations, is taking the easy option..

[Kris]

Around 12 months ago the medical community came out with the news that fat wasn't really that bad for you, and that sugar was the real killer.
Someone born 30 years ago would have had, throughout their entire life, a non-stop, 24/7, barrage of messages, advice, from every perceivable source, that saturated fats were the evil that will kill you.
By all means have a good laugh at someone who is a little , let's say 'eccentric'. But to accept at face value all those zeitgeist proclamations, is taking the easy option..

Who is accepting things at face value?

[lardy]

Around 12 months ago the medical community came out with the news that fat wasn't really that bad for you, and that sugar was the real killer.
Someone born 30 years ago would have had, throughout their entire life, a non-stop, 24/7, barrage of messages, advice, from every perceivable source, that saturated fats were the evil that will kill you.
By all means have a good laugh at someone who is a little , let's say 'eccentric'. But to accept at face value all those zeitgeist proclamations, is taking the easy option..

I see the point you're trying to make but it's not a great comparison. This is the advice of some (maybe many, it's hard to say) nutritionists rather than 'the medical community' as a whole. It's pretty hard to properly analyse the effects of what we eat because people are not good at making food diaries and perhaps there's a cause-and-effect going on here...people are told to eat less fat, so manufacturers put less fat in their foods but have to replace it with something. That means more sugar and bingo, 30 years later it's sugar that's the problem.


But it's an interesting argument you make. One question - if someone in your family was told they required heart surgery, would you say it's a bad idea because the medical community have changed their mind about fats and sugars?

[A Quiet Monkfish]

I see the point you're trying to make but it's not a great comparison. This is the advice of some (maybe many, it's hard to say) nutritionists rather than 'the medical community' as a whole. It's pretty hard to properly analyse the effects of what we eat because people are not good at making food diaries and perhaps there's a cause-and-effect going on here...people are told to eat less fat, so manufacturers put less fat in their foods but have to replace it with something. That means more sugar and bingo, 30 years later it's sugar that's the problem.


But it's an interesting argument you make. One question - if someone in your family was told they required heart surgery, would you say it's a bad idea because the medical community have changed their mind about fats and sugars?

Definately not. It's the problem with the whole 'experts' thing though. Once something is out there as accepted wisdom anyone who contradicts them is seen as eccentric. We had the big bang theory of the 'start' of the universe, for decades. Then someone eventually plucked up the courage to ask 'what happened before the big bang ? ' Since then the scientific community have come up with three or four alternatives ...

[Kris]

Definately not. It's the problem with the whole 'experts' thing though. Once something is out there as accepted wisdom anyone who contradicts them is seen as eccentric. We had the big bang theory of the 'start' of the universe, for decades. Then someone eventually plucked up the courage to ask 'what happened before the big bang ? ' Since then the scientific community have come up with three or four alternatives ...

Not at all. The great thing about the science community is that they are open minded and will change opinions based on evidence provided to them. They accept contradictions, providing that those contradictions are based on science and not on pseudo-science etc.

Are you having a dig because the science community are still debating what happened before the big bang? Do you really think that they only considered this once someone plucked up with the question?

[lardy]

Definately not. It's the problem with the whole 'experts' thing though. Once something is out there as accepted wisdom anyone who contradicts them is seen as eccentric. We had the big bang theory of the 'start' of the universe, for decades. Then someone eventually plucked up the courage to ask 'what happened before the big bang ? ' Since then the scientific community have come up with three or four alternatives ...

You've chosen an entirely theoretical period of time with unknown laws of physics to illustrate that 'experts' are not always right?

Amazing

[CCFCPhil]

I see the point you're trying to make but it's not a great comparison. This is the advice of some (maybe many, it's hard to say) nutritionists rather than 'the medical community' as a whole. It's pretty hard to properly analyse the effects of what we eat because people are not good at making food diaries and perhaps there's a cause-and-effect going on here...people are told to eat less fat, so manufacturers put less fat in their foods but have to replace it with something. That means more sugar and bingo, 30 years later it's sugar that's the problem.


But it's an interesting argument you make. One question - if someone in your family was told they required heart surgery, would you say it's a bad idea because the medical community have changed their mind about fats and sugars?

The majority of nutritionists are quacks.

[lardy]

The majority of nutritionists are quacks.

Agree. If you're trying to sell a book and the content is basically 'all that stuff you're doing that we've been advising for years...still ok. carry on' then you'll never be rich.