Jack LaLanne vs Ancel Keys
An annoying comment I hear all the time whenever I talk about how Ancel Keys set the country on the disastrous nutritional course it has been on for the last 40 years runs something like this: ‘I dunno. Key’s must have been doing something right because he lived to be 100.’
First, the fact that Key’s himself lived to be 100 doesn’t mean squat. Everyone has a relative somewhere that defied the odds. I would bet that just about anyone can name someone who smoked, drank and was obese who lived to a ripe old age. Winston Churchill, for one, comes to mind. Smoked, loved his booze, was obviously obese, and lived to be 90. It’s not the individuals that matter in terms of health and longevity, but populations as a whole. And since the US (and now the world, it seems) has been following the wisdom of Ancel Keys, look what has happened. Obesity and diabetes are at epidemic levels. So, while Ancel himself lived a long life, I’m not so sure a lot of his victims will.
But, since people obnoxiously continue to point out that Keys made it to triple digits by allegedly following his own recommendations, let’s look at another individual (which, again, mean nothing in scientific terms) for comparison’s sake.
A reader sent me the link to the following YouTube. It’s a few minutes long, but well worth watching. It shows diet and fitness expert Jack Lalanne having a heart to heart with viewers of his show back in the 1950s. Observe. And listen carefully to the diet he recommends. (And notice how far television production values have come in 50 years)
Now, let’s assume that Mr. LaLanne practices what he preaches. He is 93 years old now, going on 94. A photo of him taken this year is at the top of this post. Below are a couple more.
Below is a photo of Ancel Keys taken when he was 100 and was being honored by the Scripps Institute. I suppose he could have looked as good as Jack LaLanne seven years before this picture was taken, but somehow I kind of doubt it.
So, you be the judge. Who would you rather look like when you reach your golden years?
Remember these photos the next time you hear someone rabbit on about how Ancel Keys lived to be 100, therefore he must have been doing something right.
Not so fast Mary. Ancel cherry picked data to arrive at 7 countries that fit his preconceived conclusion that saturated fat was associated with heart disease. Put another way, Keys used the equivalent of a sledge hammer to pound a square peg into a much smaller round hole and then crow that saturated fat was a perfect fit with heart disease, a conclusion that is subject to challenge even with the 7 cherry picked countries.
And let’s not forget that it was Keys who during WW II developed the precursor of today’s fast, convenience food, the K ration which spawned what is arguably the greatest killer in history, today’s fast food.
Wow, that video was superb. He didn’t stress enough about fat intake, but hey, this was in the 50s! Honestly, I think everyone could benefit from HFLC woe. Remember people, being ‘intolerant’ of sugar is more than just being ‘obese’. It affects everyone differently. In fact, sometimes storing it as fat can be protective in some ways…or rather, just delays the effects longer than if your body tries to compensate in other ways.