Health & Nutrition by Michael R. Eades, M.D.

Virtually all of the results presented in medical studies are displayed as ‘average’ or ‘mean’ values. I’m sure everyone knows how to come up with an average or mean (the two are synonymous) value for a group of data points is to add them and divide the sum by the number of data points analyzed. For example, if you are a teacher, and you want to find out the average score on a test you gave to 30 students, you would add all the test scores together and divide by 30. You would then have the ‘mean’ or ‘average’ score of the students in your class.

Most medical papers list the mean values of whatever is being studied. If the researchers are trying to determine whether or not an experimental weight-loss therapy works, they add the weight lost by all the subjects participating in the study then divide by the number of subjects. The number they get is the ‘mean’ or ‘average’ weight loss brought about by the therapy being tested. It all sounds pretty reasonable and scientific, but is it really?

It would be realistic if we were all average people. But we’re not. And averages don’t represent us all that well. In fact, if you think about it, the average American would have one breast and one testicle.

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About a month ago I posted on a Swedish overfeeding study and how the results were misreported in the press. This study showed that increased carbohydrate intake can cause an increase in certain liver enzymes associated with the metabolic syndrome. Along with this liver enzyme data the authors reported on metabolic rate changes that are instructive in our quest to determine the existence (or lack thereof) of the metabolic advantage.

I would imagine that most people reading this blog have had problems with excess weight sometime in their pasts. Those of you who have struggled with overweight probably have little sympathy for those who have the opposite problem - that of inability to gain. Despite how easy it seems for those with weight problems to gain weight and especially to regain lost weight, it is extremely difficult for many people to gain weight almost irrespective of how much they try.

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A few days ago I got an email through the Protein Power website from Anthony Colpo. I won’t reprint the email because I don’t reprint personal emails from others unless I have their permission, but let it be said that it wasn’t particularly kind. Or, I guess, let it be said that it was typical for Anthony Colpo. The email contained a link to Anthony’s $20,000 challenge to me.

Here is a pdf of the challenge: anthony-colpos-challenge-to-eades-and-his-mad-followers.pdf

The challenge had a low signal to noise ratio, probably about 3 percent. But without all the accompanying blather, the challenge boiled down to these three requirements for me to get Anthony’s 20 grand: Read more »