Comments on: Ask Gary Taubes a question

By: Dewayne Richardson

Dewayne Richardson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:16:32 +0000

Seems to me the “correct” diet depends on your starting point. I have been on a low carb diet for 15 years and have lost over 50 pounds. But I am 80 years old, with insulin resistance , pre-diabetic, atherosclerosis and vascular calcification. CVD patients are advised to take it easy on meats and prefer vegies and fruits. Most meats are high in arachidonic acid which is not recommended for vascular problems. Would soy and other plant proteins be better than meats?
Also, does anyone else other than the Dutch group at Maastricht believe that vitamin K2 helps prevent additional arterial calcification?

No, I don’t think soy would be better. I think it would be worse. And, yes, many, including myself, believe that vitamin K2 probably helps prevent arterial calcification. But vitamin D3 probably does so as well.

By: Pauli Ojala

Pauli Ojala — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:56:05 +0000

So the United Nations WHO ICD10 diseases goes to Wikipedia, due to neglection of the developing countries?
http://www.helsinki.fi/~pjojala/ICD10_WHO.htm

Here’s some statistics of the medical contribution of Jewish population all over the world to the host country in terms of inventions, science and technology:
http://www.helsinki.fi/~pjojala/Indicator.html

Pauli Ojala
Finland

By: bill

bill — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:55:42 +0000

Hi. I am a family physician who often is confronted by patients so desperate to loose weight that they want me to refer them for surgery. I have found that using Beta HCG (as per Dr Simeons protocol) with a strict low calorie diet works brilliantly (the patients simply stick to the very low calorie diet because the BHCG relieves the hunger by releasing mainly fat for digestion). I have done this protocol on myself (did it first, and the results were impressive) and by tracking my body composition on a Tanita Innerscan I found that the weight lost was mainly FAT tissue, and very little muscle tissue. I would be grateful if you would ask Gary Taubes if he has come across any interesting research on this neglected bit of medical tinkering. Simeons noted the benefit of this BHCG approach to obesity in a childhood syndrome, and just tried it on obese patients. The theory has been raised to EXPLAIN the observed weight loss, but as far as I know that theory is 30 years old and better explanations may be now known. The follow-on diet after this protocol is pure Protein/Good Fats and leafy greens for a month or so, and if the patient reintroduces carbs/sugar/alcohol in that time the weight PILES back on at an astonishing rate.

thanks for considering the question!

Hi Bill–

I did ask the question, and Gary is not familiar with the protocol. I’ve read a little about it, but have never used it on myself or on patients. I’ve always found that a low-carb diet all by itself seems to work well, so I’ve not tried to boost its effectiveness with a more expensive and painful (painful to me anyway because I hate shots) addition. Since the protocol is coming back into fashion, I probably ought to look into it a little more closely because I’ll probably get a lot of questions about it when we tour the new book.

Best–

MRE

By: Noah

Noah — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:07:11 +0000

I’d like to make a reply in reference to Michael’s question about the Japanese/diet/thinness.

I don’t live in Japan, but I go there a lot every year. And for reasons that I won’t go into, but you can speculate, I’ve seen quite a few naked Japanese people. I think there’s a misconception between what you’re seeing when you’re on the street, and what they actually look like w/o their clothes. Yes, they have small waists, etc, but the majority of them naked have what I call “skinny fat”. They have little paunches and they have absolutely no definition at all, and droopy skin. In men, there’s a very visible fat accumulation around the bottom of the pectoral muscles that borders on gyno. If you saw the majority of them naked, you would not consider them in perfect shape. But when they’re wearing clothes, it’s not apparent.

Another aspect is that:
A.) they do eat a much smaller serving size of everything,
B.) and a lot of them still smoke like houses
C.) They also drink a lot energy drink that are pretty good at surpressing appetite.
And a lot of canned coffee (most of which is black or like 25 calorie or less)
D.) In general they are shorter than the average American. I’m 5’8 and I’m fairly tall over
there.

A lot of the younger kids/adults tend to eat pretty much garbage.

I don’t doubt that there’s probably a genetic or adaption component to it. As you don’t see as many of these mega-heifers that you see here, but I do notice there’s a lot of “skinny fat” over there, it’s just not apparent in clothes.

By: ethyl d

ethyl d — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:59:44 +0000

I would like to second the following questions already posed:
Please address:
1. The increased difficulty of losing weight the second or more time one returns to low-carb;
2. The influence of female hormones and menopause on weight loss;
3. Someone above mentioned heart palpitations on low-carb. I’ve been experiencing those too. My doctor was not concerned about them, but I cannot say the same. This might be more a question for Dr. Eades, but any experience with patients who exhibited this symptom on low-carb?

Loved the book, by the way. Just think how much more compassionately the obese would be treated if it was understood they really do have a metabolic disorder, and are not just “lazy gluttons.” So much of their suffering is caused by their not being given the correct nutrional education and treatment. I wish everyone who dispenses nutrional advice would just shut up until they have read GCBC (and/or PPLP!).

By: Katya

Katya — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:45:47 +0000

I have a great question, and please, please answer it. Its about calories distribution. I am for one get busy during the day and and dont eat a lot. But when I come home, relax and watch tv, BUM I start eating and eating and eating, and soemtimes eatiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Ok I guess you get my point. So does it hurt my fat loss effort from evolutionary biology point of view? Lets say my caloric consumption and threshold for loosing is 1700 calories. Let say that during my busy hours of the day I eat lets say about 700 calories. And then I come home at night and eat the rest which eqauls about 1000 calories. Would it make a difference if I ate those calories during the day in small meals? I would think that from evolutionary point of view big meal, low carb or not would signal the brain that famine is coming next. Since our ancestors didnt eat large every day, no refrigeration and keilbsa nearby or fast food. So would I benefit from distributing my calories more evenly or as long as I keep my caloric intake within my limits it makes no difference?

By: Carly

Carly — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:22:09 +0000

I would like to second the question regarding the amount of rice Japanese people eat. I had figured it had to do with the composition of carbohydrates (i.e. I assumed it was mostly glucose and had very little fructose). I would like to hear what Taubes has to say (and also you, Dr. Eades, if you have additional comments).

I would also like to second the person who asked:
“Is it possible to build muscle only by changing diet, without resistance-training?”

Thanks

By: mikidede

mikidede — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:18:38 +0000

I have an idea for Mr.Taubes,which I haven’t seen covered in the media. I wish that new research of Mr.Taubes to be focused on vegetarian(vegetarianism) versus carnivore(omnivore) diet, covering all aspects such as diet comparison ,health differences,longevity,vegetarianism urban myths……….. political militancy,proselitism….and so on.All in the same style as his previous book .I’m sure it will have huge impact on the media.
Thank you!

By: Lula

Lula — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:49:56 +0000

Thanks so much Dr. Eades for the opportunity, and Mr. Taubes for an amazing book. I would like to know more about the intersection of female hormonal cycles with low carb eating and weight loss success. Any research that you’ve vetted, and conclusions you can share?

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:49:42 +0000

My question is regarding the obfuscated and incomplete section on exercise. A previous poster asked about the effect of HIIT on fat loss. My questions relates to this.

Gary never distinguishes between the types of exercise as an intervention for fat loss. Unless he clarifies, I can only assume that he is referring to all forms of exercise. I will also assume that by weight loss he means “fat loss”.

My question is if he would care to revise or clarify his assertions here. It would be good to see some solid evidence that exercise interventions which include resistance training and/or higher intensity cardio do not result in additional fat loss.

Perhaps if he has time, he can also go through these studies on that show exercising does not make you hungry, and explain why he thinks his research is more valid to come to such a hard-lined conclusion on exercise. Here are the studies (thanks to Tom Venuto)

Blundell JE, cross talk between physical activity and appetite control: does physical activity stimulate appetite? Proc Nutr Soc, 62, 651-661. 2003
Donahoo WT, Variability in energy expenditure and its components. Curr Op Clin Nutr Metab. 7: 599-605. 2004.
King NA, et al, Individual variability following 12 weeks of supervised exercise: Identification and characterization of compensation for exercise-induced weight loss. Int J Obes, 32, 177-184, 2008.
King NA, effects of exercise on appetite control: Implications for energy balance. Med Sci Sport Exer, 29(8): 1076-1089. 1997
King, NA, The relationship between physical activity and food intake. 57: 77-84. 1998.
Lluch A, Exercise enhances palatability of food, but does not increase food consumption, in lean restrained females. Int J Obes, 21: supp a129.Melzer K., effects of physical activity on food intake. Clin Nutr, 24: 885-895. 2005
Slentz CA. Effects of the amount of exercise on body weight, body composition, and measures of central obesity. Arch Intern Med. 164: 31-39. 2004
Titchenal A., Exercise and Food Intake: what is the relationship? Sports Med, 6: 135-145. 1988
Yoshioka M, Impact of high-intensity exercise on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness. Int J Obes. 25, 332-339. 2001

If Taubes were just raising a minor objection to certain aspects of the exercise = weight loss theory, I don�t have a problem. The problem I have, is the blinding and misleading generalization that exercise is innefective for fat loss – period.

Also noteworthy, I do believe that diet is a crucial factor – you can’t exercise your way out of a crappy diet and lose fat.

Here’s a study conducted by Kraemer et al. that took a diet only, diet + endurance training and diet + endurance + weight training.

12 week results:
- Diet only group: -6.68 kg fat loss (-2.96kg lean mass)
- Diet + Endurance: -7 kg fat mass (-2.0 kg lean mass)
- Diet + Endurance + strength: -9.97 kg fat mass
(only .33 kg lean mass loss)