It's ok to eat fat after all, says Michael Mosley

Faye Do you think that videos from 'Animal Liberation Media' are likely to be based on sound scientific research and unbiased?
Just wondering. I'm afraid the first 5 minutes was enough for me. It's really not good enough to say that meat eating in America has increased over the last hundred years, and so has heart disease, and then imply there's a direct link.

Hasn't eating in general increased over the past 100 years which,tied in with the fact that everyone in America drives everywhere [or so I've read] has been a contributory factor ?

According to a study recently published in the Lancet, a third of the world's population is now obese or overweight:

www.healthdata.org/news-release/vast-majority-american-adults-are-overweight-or-obese-and-weight-growing-problem-among

The problem is greatest in the developed and developing world, and no country has so far managed to reverse the trend. This does make for very depressing reading.

At a personal level, I cook from scratch almost exclusively. I don't bother too much about what experts say, but rather use a common sense approach, modified by personal preference. For example, with the exception of cheese, I eat very little animal fat, because I have never liked it, even as a child. I don't use butter or any spread when I make sandwiches or have toast. I cook with Greek olive oil, because I love the taste. Staying away from manufactured food, as much as possible, and only eating at mealtimes are the strategies I personally use to keep my weight at a reasonable level.

Jane that was old, I know. Dr Michael Klaper has not changed what he has been advocating for the last forty years. I thought he got to the point and he does have a current website.

I am just waiting for the headline 'It is OK to eat after all'

The only so called expert that I tend to listen to is Dr John Briffa who used to write for the Observer. Michael Mosely [who I used to really like] is in danger of over exposure imo [a bit like Clare Balding, much as I like her and Carol Vorderman, who I can't stand].

Sorry, I am just a pickety person who studied statistics. jane ainsworth is right, just showing that two sets of statistics go in the same or opposite directions does not mean that there is a link between them. For example meat consumption in the USA has gone up in the last 100 years - and so has longevity, suggesting on the basis of the previous supposed link that the more meat you eat the longer you will live.

And the point that nobody seems to realise - that we all have to die sooner or later and if you eliminate all the old causes of death, infectious diseases, malnutrition and scientific research makes more diseases, like diabetes, manageable, really all that is left is having your heart stop beating, and the cause of that is likely to be some form of heart disease, however mild. Both my parents died of heart disease, one was 85 the other 92.

Hear hear.

excellent post janeainsworth. Natural fats in reasonable proportions are fine- processed should be avoided.

I have several friends in their late 60s, early 70s who have crumbling bones, and who from teenagehood avoided all fats and were always obsessed with keeping weight down- not done any research but is there a link between osteoporosis and avoidance of all fats and very low weight?
Here in Switzerland many women also smoke like chimneys, as well as avoid all fats, to keep weight down- and the link between smoking and osteoporosis is strong, isnt't it?

There is certainly a link between osteoporosis and low weight. The leaflets put out to patients about osteoporosis, almost always say shorter and lighter people are more at risk than bigger heavier people.

I went to the bank last week and the only other customer was a lady who immediately caught my eye. Aged between 55 and 70+ and not more than 5 foot tall she was so thin that when she stood sideways I could hardly see her. She was wearing what could only have been children's clothes aimed at emphasising her minuteness, a fitted white T shirt tucked into close fitting jeans.

Now setting aside any questions of eating disorders, although I did notice that her pre-pubescent shaped body was balanced by what I would describe as a pinched smokers face, I also noticed a pronounced dowagers hump between her shoulders. DH also noticed her, commenting as we left the bank, 'If she tripped and fell she would probably shatter every bone in her body.'

Trouble is, there's absolute nothing you can do about your height. I have osteoporosis, have never smoked have never been underweight or more than a pound it two overweight and have been active all my life. The consultant said that being light and small was a factor. When I suggested that getting heavier might help she said certainly not - that was a risk factor for arthritis. So you can't win really.

The link that Faye posted is an hour's talk. You may not agree with what Dr Kapler says but you would have to listen further than the first few minutes to know that he is saying a lot more than: 'as meat eating has increased in the USA, so has heart disease'. He is certainly not proposing a simplistic link between two sets of statistics - I think he's a bit more educated than that.

You cannot assume because people are educated they do not misuse and/or misunderstand statistics. Consider how the British medical establishment is wedded to the BMI, a statistic formulated by an economist to analyse the relative well being of groups of people. It was never intended to apply to individuals and is wrong in two out of three cases when applied to individuals.

So what did Dr Kapler say, nightowl and faye?

I think that if you post a link to something that's going to take an hour to either read or listen to, you should at least summarise what it's about and its main message.
If you don't, you can hardly blame posters for listening to the first five minutes and then giving up on the basis of what they've heard.

There is a genetic risk to osteoporosis as well as a dietary, lifestyle and age-related ones. Weight bearing exercise is said to strengthen bones and protect against it. Despite being a runner, which is very weight bearing, I still was diagnosed with the beginnings of osteoporosis a few years ago. I've managed to stabilise the condition and it hasn't progressed.

It's a complicated condition.

Never heard of this diet guru. Won't be listening or reading anything he says either.You can't go wrong with the moderation in all things idea. Except for Thorntons brazil nut toffee [I want more of that.]

Jane I found it very informative and didn't notice it was so long, because it is very interesting. At 3:15 minutes he starts talking about how the huge consumption of meat and dairy had solidified in his patient's arteries and he goes onto say the fat is also in the muscle. At 12 minutes he is talking about the fat and if it clogs up particular arteries such as the brain, you would suffer a stroke etc. At 14 minutes he is talking about the difference in plant oils and animal fats and how animal fats are solid at body temperature. At 17 minutes he talks about growing up on a dairy farm and seeing all the fat clogging up his patients arteries and how he was also becoming concerned for his own health. At 17:40 minutes he is talking about what would you be deficient in nutrients in meat and dairy products if you didn't eat them. At 20 minutes he is talking about prostate cancer. At 21:15 minutes he is talking about the amount of protein in animal fat and at 23 minutes he goes on to talk about calcium in the body. At 24:40 he is talking about osteoporosis, then by 27:40 he is talking about the colon and cancer causing substances. At 28 minutes he is talking about the human digestive system vs a mountain lions digestive system. This is the part why he explains why we are not meant to be eating meat. At 33 minutes he starts to talk about what happened to him when he gave up meat and dairy. At 37 minutes he is talking about salmonella poisoning. At 39 minutes he is talking about the effect of meat and children. At 40 minutes he starts talking about high blood pressure. At 43 minutes he starts talking about premenstrual syndrome. At 45 minutes he is talking about athletes. At 45:40 he talks about the four food groups. At 47:30 he is talking about what human nutrition needs and by 48:30 he is talking about where to find your protein. Then he is talking about food and at 55 minutes he is talking about processed food. He ends up at 56 minutes by talking about the planet and the single most thing any one can do.... Watch it if you want to know the end.

Thank you Faye. I'll try to take a proper look later. A bit pre-occupied with DDand 2x DGC visiting at the moment