Video of the starvation study
Ancel Keys, Ph.D.
Once again I’m putting up a post out of sequence. I just found this great video on the life of Ancel Keys that I wanted to make available to all readers of this blog.
Keys video high bandwidth download
Keys video low bandwidth download
The entire thing is pretty interesting, but the part about the starvation study that I posted on several months ago is really fascinating. As I pointed out in my post, the people on this long-term semi-starvation study were on a predominantly carbohydrate diet of almost 1600 kcal/day. This kind of diet is often recommended for weight loss and health by dietitians, nutritionists and even physicians. As this film demonstrates, it indeed works for weight loss.
In my post I discussed the depression, constant sleeping and loss of libido exhibited by the subjects in this study. Here are the words of Henry Scholberg, one such subject, as recorded on this film:
And what I wasn’t expecting was the effect it would have on the mind; the total feeling of, I guess, depression, the total occupation with the idea of food. Somebody would say, “food for thought,” an expression like that, and they mentioned the word “food,” you know what I mean? I remember eing a little bit critical of guys in the early part who would lick their plates. I thought that was really pretty crude, but by the time we were into about the second month of it, I was doing it myself. You just needed every single calorie you could get your hand on. Then the other thing that we weren’t expecting was how weak we became. I remember one time I was dating this girl and we were walking home from the movie, and I said to her, “You know, if we get attacked by a bunch of hoodlums, run like hell because I won’t be able to help you.” We lost our sex drive, and I told you I was dating this girl, and I never kissed her the whole time I was dating her. So sexually we were, you might say, dead.
Remember these words the next time someone tells you that you need to go on a calorically restricted diet to extend your life. Would life really be worth living?
Among the many comments received on the Tim Ferriss post I did a few days ago were several questioning the psychological impact on people thinking they were going into a starvation study. As this film makes clear, these folks were glad to sign up because they believed they were helping the war effort. Their responses make it pretty obvious how they felt. I don’t believe they had a lot of negative psychology going in.
If you’re just interested in the part about the starvation study, go to about 8:22 in the film and finish at 14:39. I would watch the entire thing, though, because there are other insights into Keys’ psyche that I found intriguing.
For example, when he first presented his ideas on fat and cholesterol in the diet as causes of heart disease, he was publicly humiliated. Given his disposition, it is entirely in character for him to pursue the data showing himself to be correct and the rest of the scientific community wrong – even if it meant fudging the data, which he did his famous (infamous?) Seven Countries Study.
You can watch this short film below by Tom Naughton to see what I mean. In the above film about Keys it looks as though he selected seven countries based on a number of criteria, gathered the data, analyzed the data and found it to show a strong correlation between fat consumption and heart disease. The truth is that there were many more countries involved in the study than seven. Keys simply threw out the data on the countries that didn’t fit his preconceived notion. And everyone took it hook, line and sinker. Tom’s film shows this well.
There you have it. Two films on the long and productive lives of one of the main architects of the obesity epidemic. Enjoy.
MrFreddy,
For what it’s worth, have a decency to name those “dubious claims and assertions without any real substations” instead of making innuendoes based on, as you said, your “meager and limited knowledge.”
Go figure — you agree with my book “main premise” but the book itself is “dubious…”
It sounds like old Soviet Union: “I don’t know who that darn Sakharov (a famous dissident), but I hate everything he stands for…”
Great argument — “This guy is right about everything, but he is a jerk…” Lovely!
Smarts like you compromise Dr. Eades reputation, not my book.
Konstantin Monastyrsky
Dear Dr. Eades,
Well, a good third of Fiber Menace’s content is available on the Internet, so readers can make up their own mind about its editing.
In regard to major publishers: You know as well I do that I can’t get published by a major publisher because they don’t work with non-fiction authors who lack celebrity or notoriety. It has nothing to do with content, and everything with money-making. That’s their business model, and I am not the one to go nuts altering it.
So, “self-publishing” was the only possible venue for Fiber Menace. That said, I am working hard in attaining name recognition, and, at this point, it’s only a matter of time – I switched over to English-language marketing only recently, just six months ago, and released my web site only four weeks ago. That’s how (by going over report logs) I came across your comments about my book.
In regard to weight loss: I stand by my calculation and methodology. They are derived from physiology textbooks, my Russian-language titles about weight loss, and my own practical experience with thousands of clients over the last eight years.
In my experience, only few people – mainly tall and healthy man, and tall and healthy women under 40 attain consistent weight on Atkins-style diet. The rest – don’t, unless they exercise daily, and keep VLC diet.
The Atkins diet was a profound failure, and the subject of my yet unpublished book Fixing Up The Atkins Diet. Dr. Atkins death killed its publication back in 2003, and, at this time, “major publishers” have zero interest in releasing this title. The third chapter of Fiber Menace provides a detailed math for phantom weight loss experience by people, who follow Atkins regimen, and it’s available on my site (i.e. FiberMenace.com).
I appreciate you recommending my book. I’ve been recommending Protein Power to my Russian-language readers, listeners, and viewers for years.
Thank you again for your detailed response,
Konstantin Monastyrsky, author of Fiber Menace
I don’t agree that people with no notoriety or celebrity can’t get published by the mainstream publishers. When I wrote my first book I was a totally unknown doctor practicing in Arkansas before Bill Clinton put Arkansas on the map. I had absolutely no celebrity whatsoever. So it can be done.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on whether or not low-carb diets as I prescribe them work or simply provide phantom weight loss. You have your ideas based on your experience – I have mine based on my experience and my reading of the medical literature.
I hope you do well with your book. I think it has value in refocusing people away from fiber.
Best–
MRE
Dear Dr. Eades,
Thank again you for your comments and good wishes. It’s unfortunate that this debate spilled into public realm, but I am happy to learn that you are sincere, open-minded, and brutally honest. That’s all that really counts.
Over the next several months I’ll be developing a video course about weight loss related-issues, and am looking forward to hearing your feedback. This course will address technical aspects of low-carb dieting (i.e. constipation, appetite reduction, hypoglycemia, fatigue, indigestion, anemia, halitosis, dehydration, etc..) more than the dieting itself, because this subject is already well covered by you and other authors.
There are several reasons I am switching to video format rather than book format: First, because I can. Second — younger audience prefers seeing and hearing to reading. Third, a lot of people with weight issues are also affected by ADD/HD, and video format simply works better for them. Finally, it’s much faster to produce, can be released in increments and more fun.
If you believe I can contribute my videos/articles to you blog, I’ll be honored to do so, and am hoping we’ll become good friends and close collaborators, not adversaries.
I am sorry again for approaching your comments with prejudices, and sincerely apologies for some things I’ve said for dramatic effect. A little earlier I contacted Dr. Bernstein seeking guidance on fiber-diabetes connection, and he treated me with incredible rudeness and contempt. That, I guess, made me oversensitive to your remarks about my book, hence I overreacted.
Thank you again,
Konstantin Monastyrsky
No problem. No offense taken. Sorry you had a bad experience with Dr. Bernstein – he’s usually a pretty nice guy.
I hope your video and book efforts do well.
Best–
MRE
Thank you again. I would very much appreciate if you can point me to those editing issues that you’d mentioned early. A number of English-language professionals read my book with whom I am not connected in any way, and I’ve heard nothing but praise for clarity, style, language, and editing… I would really love to address (fix) those problems that you noticed.
Thank you again,
Konstantin Monastyrsky
There are basically three things that editors do. They correct faulty grammar and ensure that English usage is proper; they look for inconsistencies and contradictions in the text; and they try to eliminate or at least tone down overwriting. (They do other things as well such as recommending different opening paragraphs, changes in wording, etc. but for our purposes, let’s just look at these three.)
The grammar in your book is fine – I didn’t have a problem with that. It is the other two that are troublesome.
In my opinion your book is what is called overwritten. In other words, you make an argument, then you remake the same argument, then you remake it again and again ad infinitum. And you explain things in ways that can be done in more simple fashion. You’ve got to assume that anyone buying your book has a modicum of intelligence and doesn’t have to have things explained to him/her in excruciating detail. That is over writing.
The other problem – again, in my opinion – is that there are inconsistencies and contradictions. In Chapter Three you basically describe what you believe is the only low-carb diet structure that really works. Then later throughout the book you make the case that simply restricting carbs a little works and that a switch to a moderately lower carb diet is a positive switch (these are the quotes you sent in an earlier comment). These are inconsistent with what you write in Chapter Three.
Cheers–
MRE
Dear Dr. Eades,
Thank you very much for your comments, and I appreciate you taking time to answer my question. In my defense I can say this:
1. Fiber Menace is about digestive disorders, not dieting per se, and my recommendation aren’t addressed to people with weight loss issue or metabolic syndrome, or seeking general diet advise, but for people with severe gastroenterocolitis, IBS, IBD, UC, Crohn’s, celiac disease, and so on. Tis is clearly stated on the cover: Fiber Menace: The Truth About the Leading Role of Fiber in Diet Failure, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and Colon Cancer.
Please, put yourself in my shoes, and ask yourself: Would I, Dr. Eades, advise a patient with any of the above conditions to assume the kind of diet I am enjoying, i.e. eggs and bacon in the morning, red wine for dinner, some desserts, etc… Of course, not.
True, from the Protein Power’s paradigm, Fiber Menace may come accross as inconsistent. That’s why when people ask me for low-carb diet advise, I recommend them to read your book, not Fiber Menace.
2. In regard to Fiber Menace being overwritten: You are a highly experienced physician with in-depth understanding of subject matter and stratospheric I.Q.. For you (and for me too) — Fiber Menace is ideed overwritten because it wasn’t written for doctors or nutritionists, but for general public, people who still believe that fiber is manna from heaven. On top, I am still getting e-mails daily with questions like this: “Dr. Monastyrsky, but what are carbohydrates?”… So I try to be as explicit as possible to make it stick…
Unfortunately, your comments about “bad editing,” no matter how well meant or intended, turned a lot of people away from Fiber Menace because they trust your opinion, and rightfully so they equate “bad editing” with “bad information”… So I was hoping a person of your stature would endorse it’s on substance, rather than would criticize its form, consider all those kids and adults who are suffering so badly from all of the conditions covered by Fiber Menace.
I am still hoping you’ll reconsider your initial reaction, and will use your unique position, authority, and credibility to let as many people, particularly in the media, to know about Fiber Menace. All things considered, reading an overwritten book beats losing life or colon to ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or colon cancer. I pray for those people every day, and I wrote this book for them.
After all that, just Imagine how I feel reading about myself: “Intelligent people can be so stupid” just because I advise people with acute gastroenterocolitis to stay off proteins until remission (a standard protocol, BTW), and restrict proteins to just one meal a day to remain in remission.
Please use your influence to let others, particulary people in the media, about Fiber Menace. If between two of us we can save just one child from getting affected by autism, or one adults from succumbing to Crohn’s, it will be worth our respective effort many times over.
Thank you again,
Konstantin Monastyrsky
Dear Dr. Eades,
Just one more brief comments to my previous e-mail:
We had published Fiber Menace the way we did not because of “greed and avarice,” but because I couldn’t find any takers for this controversial subject among the top tier publishers. If you believe Fiber Menace is meritorious and deserves a larger audience, please put me in touch with your publisher. It (the publishing company) would be much more receptive to your recommendation than to my cold solicitation. Obviously, they can then edit up/down Fiber Menace as much as they like – I am easy to work with in that regard.
Thank you again,
Konstantin Monastyrsky
Dear Dr. Eades,
Just got this e-mail today. It’s quite representative of the kinds of problems I deal with, i.e. severe gastroenterocolitis related to enzymatic deficiency, inadequate acidity, etc.
=== Message begins:
Dear Konstantin,
I started six monts ago a low-carb lifestyle, not to loose weight (i was 65 kg. for 173 cm. before starting the diet, so I haven’t so much wwight to loose), but just to get rid of my stomach pain, gastritis and heartburn.
I’d already read Norm Robillard’s book (“Heartburn cured”) so I decided to try a low-carb diet. It worked, at the beginning, and for months: my stomach was very well and my heartburn, after years, suddenly disappeared.
These months I’ve become free of pasta, pizza, bread and so on, and I’ve lost 7-8 kg. Now I am 57 kg. Since 2-3 weeks, unfortunately, I’ve started to experience abdominal pain, pain pressing my belly (everywhere), the pain is spread also in my lower back (right and left) and is sometimes like a pinprick.
For these reasons I think my bowel is involved.
I eat a very low fiber diet, but I’m thinking to give up my low-carb diet, that could be the culprit.
Obviously I’m not looking for a diagnosis via e-mail, but, since I’ve read about many low-carbers suffering conditions like IBS or colitis, I’m just curiously wondering whether (and why) a low-carb diet could imply these consequences.
Any ideas?
==== message ends…
Hope this will give you a better context to my non-dogmatic dietary advice…
This meant as a private message to you. Please don’t post it for general viewing. Unfortunately, I don’t know your e-mail to communicate it privately.
Thank you for taking time to reviewing my messages.
Konstantin Monastyrsky