Comments on: Steven Colbert minces Michael Jacobson

By: Bruce Kleisner

Bruce Kleisner — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:04:07 +0000

Just a correction. I said “After getting the restaurants and junk food companies to switch to hydrogenated oils, CSPI is not attacking (and suing) them for doing so.”

That should have been “NOW attacking (and suing) them for doing so.” Hopefully, you got the gist of what I was trying to say. Getting rid of trans fat is a step in the right direction, since partially hydrogenated oils seem to cause abdominal obesity (at least in animals). But using an omega-6 vegetable oil in its place is not healthy, either. We need a campaign for restaurants going back to coconut oil, beef tallow, palm oil, and other natural fats.

Hi Bruce–

Thanks for correcting the typo. I figured that’s what you meant.

I agree with you 100 percent. I’m not so sure that going to omega-6 vegetable oils instead of trans fats is an improvement. We definitely need a move back to tallow, palm oil, coconut oil or even lard.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Bruce Kleisner

Bruce Kleisner — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:02:18 +0000

The trans fats are a big mess, because they are not being replaced with coconut oil and palm oil and butter that they replaced. They’re being replaced with non-hydrogenated oils that are high in PUFAs and extremely dangerous when heated or cooked, like canola and soybean. The CSPI people are totally inept. They see no problem with telling people to eat fast food and all sorts of high-carb junk foods, long as they are low in fat (esp saturated fat).

After getting the restaurants and junk food companies to switch to hydrogenated oils, CSPI is not attacking (and suing) them for doing so. What oils will be used now? More processed junk like “interesterified” fats, corn oil, soybean, canola oil, safflower, and rapeseed oil. Avoiding a hydrogenated oil by eating more omega-6 vegetable oils is a step backwards.

Hi Bruce–

You said it all in one sentence:

The CSPI people are totally inept.

They helped get us into the trans fat mess in the first place, and now they’re leading the charge to undo it, all the while trying to take credit for improving the health of America.

Maybe they’re not inept; maybe they’re malignant.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Rich Murray

Rich Murray — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:47:21 +0000

Michael Jacobson held up well, gracefully and amiably, under the relentless pressure of Steven Colbert’s relentless interrupting and accusatory haranguing.

In recent years, it’s official policy in the UK to reduce salt intake from about 10 to1 gm daily,
in order to save scores of thousands of lives yearly from strokes and heart attacks.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1458
ASDA, Wal-Mart’s UK supermarket chain, bans artificial colors, trans
fats, MSG and aspartame, Marguerite Kelly, The Washington Post: Murray
2007.08.03 ]

So far, USA print and broadcast media are deaf, blind, and dumb,
regarding recent major bans of aspartame and MSG in the UK and EU.

The EU Parliament voted July 12 to ban artificial sweeteners
in newly born and infant foods.

On May 15 four huge UK supermarket chains announced bans
of aspartame and MSG, food dyes, and many additives
to protect kids from ADHD –
Sainsbury, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and ASDA, a unit of WalMart.

I guess Jacobson’s performance was all in the eye of the beholder. I thought he performed like a grinning idiot.

Where is the valid data correlating the average salt intake to anything bad?

It doesn’t matter to me what some governmental agency’s policy is toward banning any substance. The vast majority of the time they’re totally in the wrong or ban the right stuff for all the wrong reasons. And the fact that large commercial establishments ban something carries no weight whatsoever. Most of them just follow the governments lead. Look at all the low-fat, no-fat crap out there in response to the US government’s unsubstantiated edicts about fat in the diet.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Porter

Porter — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:29:53 +0000

Dr. Mike,

In response to Ethyl’s question, the chains are not going from trans fats back to natural fats, rather they are going to another unnatural man-made fat called interesterified fat. It has it’s own different problems. See this link
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/60980.php

Porter

Hi Porter–

Thanks for the link. I guess I need to read up on this new stuff. (I actually have read a little on it, but not nearly enough. Since I don’t plan on eating it, I haven’t given it a lot of attention.)

Cheers–

MRE

By: ethyl d

ethyl d — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:06:52 +0000

On the subject of the conventional thinking that saturated fat is bad for you, I wonder if there may be some hope that this belief can change. I remember a few years back when the message was that all fat was bad and you should aim for as little of it in the diet as possible. Then a few years after that you started hearing that no, not all fat was bad; in fact, fat from vegetable oils, esp. olive, walnut, etc., was healthy in moderation, as well as fats from nuts, avocados, and so on. So maybe eventually we may start hearing, well, actually some saturated fat is healthful (but not too much!), until finally the evidence becomes so irrefutable that the message has to be that saturated fat conveys health benefits and is a necessity in a healthful, balanced diet. We can hope, can’t we?

Another fat-related question: it’s popular these days for the fast food chains to prove they are concerned about our health and are “doing something” about it by elimininating trans fat from their foods. However, I have yet to see any article reporting that Chain X is no longer frying with trans fat state what fat is replacing the trans fat. Anyone know what the new wonder fat is now in use as a replacement? Not that I am too personally affected by this: I don’t eat fast or processed food anymore, but just in the interest of the legion who do, I’m curious.

Hi Ethyl–

I hope you’re right about the saturated fat. It may happen, but it will take a while for the academic pin heads to buy into it.

Like you, I don’t frequent fast food joints, so I haven’t paid a lot of attention to what it is they’re using to replace trans fats. Let’s hope it’s coconut or palm oil. It would be too much to hope for beef tallow or lard.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Neal Winkler

Neal Winkler — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:49:41 +0000

I wish the government and people like Jacobson would stay out of everyone’s business. If people want trans fat to be against the law then they’ll vote with their dollars. If people want nutrition labels, then they’ll vote with they’re dollars. If the people want anything they’ll vote with their dollars. Most people don’t give a hoot, but for those of use that do, someone will put out products to fit our demands so long as it’s profitable to do so. That’s the beauty of the free market. Jacobson is free to spread his message but making legislation is ridiculous, and as we’ve seen time and time again, every time the government tries to fix something it just results in unintended consequences.

What’s you’re opinion of Dr. Ron Paul, Dr. Mike?

What’s my opinion of Dr. Ron Paul? I’ve met him a time or two and heard him speak a few times at various medical functions years ago. Of all the candidates out there, he’s my favorite because of all the candidates out there he is the only one who has consistently voted his principles throughout his time in office. And since I agree with the majority of his principles, I think he’s great. But even if I didn’t agree with most of his principles, I would rather have him than someone who constantly holds a moistened finger to the wind to assess public opinion before making major decisions. As Socrates said, it’s better to have someone in office who is principled even if you disagree with him/her than someone in office with whom you agree, but who has no principles. Of all the candidates out there I believe Ron Paul is by far and away the most principled and has proven it through thick and thin with his principled stances unpopular with his own party. There you have it. I hope he has a chance.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Porter

Porter — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:04:25 +0000

Dr. Mike,

If your readers want to read the complete story of CSPI and how they caused trans fats to increase so much in the public food supply, there is a great article on it by Mary Enig, cofounder of the Weston Price Foundation and a PhD in lipid chemistry and also one of the people who first blew the whistle on trans fats. See
http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/cspi.html.

Porter

Thanks for the link, Porter.

I read this piece a while back – it’s a good one.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Cindy Moore

Cindy Moore — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:58:43 +0000

I love Stephen Colbert….but I am convinced that some of his guests have no idea what he’s all about!!

As for Jacobson…..to quote a comic…..what a maroon!

What a maroon indeed. Thanks for the heads up on this one, Cindy.

By: Scott Kustes

Scott Kustes — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:45:58 +0000

I love Colbert. And I hate CSPI. Great vid! Isn’t potassium:sodium ratio more important than just total salt intake?

There is no doubt that potassium is important, but I�m not sure that there is a golden ratio that is the best.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:54:41 +0000

Please write a post someday about your thoughts on salt! The very idea that it could be anything but completely dangerous is totally new to me.

I�ll post it in due course. It seems that I have a zillion posts I need to make, but more immediate idiocy that needs attacking arises every day and I just can�t let it alone.

Cheers�

MRE