Bad Science

[Doggy Styles]

"Gilliam McKeith, or to give her her full medical title, Gilliam McKeith"

Bizarrely, I'm of the opinion that whatever people ate 10,000 years ago is probably the most healthy diet.

I would explain, but I'm wary of the famous CUK ridicule and opprobrium. Besides, I'm not a PhD yet.

[EternalOptimist]

Bizarrely, I'm of the opinion that whatever people ate 10,000 years ago is probably the most healthy diet.

I would explain, but I'm wary of the famous CUK ridicule and opprobrium. Besides, I'm not a PhD yet.

Not so bizarre, and almost certainly correct

[sasguru]

Bizarrely, I'm of the opinion that whatever people ate 10,000 years ago is probably the most healthy diet.

I would explain, but I'm wary of the famous CUK ridicule and opprobrium. Besides, I'm not a PhD yet.

Actually I totally agree, with the exception that meat should be cooked rather than raw (bad meat probably killed a lot of our ancestors).

So a diet that hunter-gatherers had: lots of meat, and raw berries, fruits and veg is probably what our bodies have evolved to cope with.
Of course they had a lot more exercise too - running away from sabre-tooth tigers concentrates ones heart and lungs beautifully.

[Pogle]

Oh i LOVE Ben Goldacre his Guardian column is a must in our house.

Must buy the book

[minestrone]

Bizarrely, I'm of the opinion that whatever people ate 10,000 years ago is probably the most healthy diet.

I would explain, but I'm wary of the famous CUK ridicule and opprobrium. Besides, I'm not a PhD yet.

The Paleolithic diet.

Pretty trendy now.

[Mich the Tester]

Not so bizarre, and almost certainly correct

Is there one universal ‘healthy diet’?

Isn’t a healthy diet dependent on circumstance, activity and to some extent genetics?

For instance, some doctors suggest that one or two glasses of wine per day is good for health. Fine, but not for the large number of Asians who have no immunity to alcohol.

A diet of ryvita, lots of veg and oily fish might be great for that Doctor Turd woman, or someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle, but not for a weightlifter who needs to build muscle mass; he’ll eat lots of meat. The marathon runner might eat more grain as he needs lots of carbohydrates. A polar explorer will eat lots of fat as it’s really the only way he can carry enough food to fuel his body.

[sasguru]

Actually yes there is a flaw in thinking our ancestors diet was necessarily "good." If that diet caused disease after the age of childbirth say in your 30s, 40s , 50s, the species would still continue even though the diet was crap.

[EternalOptimist]

Is there one universal ‘healthy diet’?

Isn’t a healthy diet dependent on circumstance, activity and to some extent genetics?

For instance, some doctors suggest that one or two glasses of wine per day is good for health. Fine, but not for the large number of Asians who have no immunity to alcohol.

A diet of ryvita, lots of veg and oily fish might be great for that Doctor Turd woman, or someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle, but not for a weightlifter who needs to build muscle mass; he’ll eat lots of meat. The marathon runner might eat more grain as he needs lots of carbohydrates. A polar explorer will eat lots of fat as it’s really the only way he can carry enough food to fuel his body.

I was thinking of the broad mass of the population rather than the exceptions. I dont know many marathon runners, weightlifters or Polar explorers, but I do know loads of people who seem to live on chips, maccie D's, pizzas , curries and ten pints of lager. <cough>

I know little of the Dr Turd woman of whom you speak

[Mich the Tester]

I was thinking of the broad mass of the population rather than the exceptions. I dont know many marathon runners, weightlifters or Polar explorers, but I do know loads of people who seem to live on chips, maccie D's, pizzas , curries and ten pints of lager. <cough>

I know little of the Dr Turd woman of whom you speak

Gilliam Mackeith, who was mentioned earlier; she claims she can analyse people’s health by sniffing their turds.

OK, I’ve named extremes to illustrate my point, but they could apply quite well to lots of people. I guess the fast food diet could be universally unhealthy, but if people exercise a lot or go out in the cold, they might have different dietary requirements.

[BrilloPad]

Gilliam Mackeith, who was mentioned earlier; she claims she can analyse people’s health by sniffing their turds.

OK, I’ve named extremes to illustrate my point, but they could apply quite well to lots of people. I guess the fast food diet could be universally unhealthy, but if people exercise a lot or go out in the cold, they might have different dietary requirements.

If she thinks turds are so wonderful she should show us hers.

Actually on second thoughts maybe not...