EPILOGUE

Question 1

What does the community of science provide for scientific work?

Answer 1

Social validation

This validation is essential for ensuring that scientific knowledge is credible and trustworthy.

Question 2

Who stated, ‘The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool’?

Answer 2

Richard Feynman

This principle emphasizes the importance of self-honesty in scientific inquiry.

Question 3

What hypothesis did the special issue of Science published on February 7, 2003, emphasize regarding obesity?

Answer 3

Toxic-environment hypothesis

This hypothesis suggests that obesity results from consuming more food energy than is expended in activity.

Question 4

What is the ‘energy gap’ concept introduced by Hill and Peters?

Answer 4

An energy gap of a hundred calories per person per day

This gap explains the obesity epidemic and suggests ways to reverse it.

Question 5

What is the suggested method to address the obesity epidemic according to Hill and Peters?

Answer 5

Increase daily energy expenditure or decrease energy consumption

Examples include walking an extra mile or eating 15% less of a typical fast-food hamburger.

Question 6

What did the USDA’s sixth edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend?

Answer 6

A reduction of 50 to 100 calories per day

This recommendation aligns with the concept of the energy gap.

Question 7

What does the argument regarding body weight regulation treat it as?

Answer 7

A purely arithmetical process

This view simplifies the complex nature of weight regulation to calorie intake and expenditure.

Question 8

What did Hill and Peters acknowledge about their estimate of the energy gap?

Answer 8

It is theoretical and involves several assumptions

They noted that this estimate needs empirical testing.

Question 9

What did Francis Benedict and Wilbur Atwater test in the 1890s?

Answer 9

The law of energy conservation in humans

They sought to quantitatively demonstrate this law’s applicability to human metabolism.

Question 10

What is essential for progress in science according to Robert Merton?

Answer 10

Establishing whether predecessors have erred

This process involves critically evaluating past work to further scientific understanding.

Question 11

What is lacking in the study of nutrition, chronic disease, and obesity?

Answer 11

Institutionalized vigilance and critical judgment

This lack has led to questions about the scientific integrity of research in these fields.

Question 12

What has taken precedence over rigorous evaluation of evidence in nutrition research?

Answer 12

Practical considerations of public health

This shift has compromised the scientific evaluation necessary for reliable knowledge.

Question 13

What do many researchers in nutrition and obesity prioritize over scientific integrity?

Answer 13

Convincing the public that answers are already known

This approach undermines the scientific process and critical inquiry.

Question 14

What is the essence of the conflict between science and nutrition?

Answer 14

Time and the urgency for reliable dietary guidance

This urgency creates pressure to simplify complex scientific information.

Question 15

What is one common response to dietary uncertainties?

Answer 15

Eating in moderation

This implies a balanced diet approach despite individual variations in health outcomes.

Question 16

What has been the prevailing conception of a healthy diet?

Answer 16

Minimizes salt, maximizes fiber, includes good fats, and limits bad fats

This diet is politically correct and widely accepted in the medical community.

Question 17

What dietary elements are particularly harmful according to the author?

Answer 17

Sugars, specifically sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup

These sugars elevate insulin levels and overload the liver with carbohydrates.

Question 18

What does the author conclude about dietary fat?

Answer 18

It is not a cause of obesity or chronic diseases

This challenges the conventional wisdom linking fat intake to health issues.

Question 19

What is the primary regulator of fat storage?

Answer 19

Insulin

Elevated insulin levels lead to fat accumulation, while lower levels promote fat release.

Question 20

What does the author believe about the relationship between carbohydrates and obesity?

Answer 20

Carbohydrates drive fat accumulation and increase hunger

Reducing carbohydrate intake is linked to maintaining a healthy weight.

Question 21

What has the author found about the quality of research in nutrition and obesity?

Answer 21

It is inadequate and lacks substantial evidence

Many conventional beliefs about diet and health are not well-supported by research.

Question 22

What does the author suggest about diets low in carbohydrates?

Answer 22

Their health effects remain untested in long-term studies

This raises questions about the validity of current dietary recommendations.

Question 23

What conclusion does the author reach about the causes of obesity?

Answer 23

Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating

This shifts the focus from caloric intake to hormonal regulation of fat metabolism.

Question 24

What effect do carbohydrates have on fat accumulation?

Answer 24

They increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy expended in metabolism and physical activity.

Question 25

What is the traditional view of low-fat diets in relation to chronic disease?

Answer 25

Deviations from low-fat or low-saturated-fat diets have been considered dangerous.

Question 26

What does the American Diabetes Association recommend regarding carbohydrate-restricted diets?

Answer 26

They recommend against the use of carbohydrate-restricted diets for managing Type 2 diabetes.

Question 27

What is the saccharine-disease hypothesis?

Answer 27

It suggests that evolution should guide what constitutes a healthy diet, implying long-term consumption of certain foods is safer.

Question 28

Who wrote the essay 'Sick Individuals and Sick Populations'?

Answer 28

Geoffrey Rose.

Question 29

What does Geoffrey Rose suggest about public health recommendations?

Answer 29

They should remove 'unnatural factors' and restore 'biological normality.'

Question 30

What significant dietary changes occurred with the invention of agriculture?

Answer 30

The transition from carbohydrate-poor to carbohydrate-rich diets.

Question 31

What has been the trend in fructose consumption since the mid-eighteenth century?

Answer 31

Increased from less than ten or twenty pounds a year to nearly 150 pounds today.

Question 32

Are carbohydrates required in a healthy human diet?

Answer 32

No, they are not required.

Question 33

What alternative fuel sources does the brain use when carbohydrates are restricted?

Answer 33

Ketone bodies, glycerol, and glucose from protein.

Question 34

What does the Institute of Medicine's report say about carbohydrate requirements?

Answer 34

It sets an estimated average requirement of 100 grams and a recommended dietary allowance of 130 grams.

Question 35

What essential nutrients are provided by animal products?

Answer 35

All amino acids, minerals, and vitamins essential for health.

Question 36

What is the controversy regarding vitamin C in carbohydrate-restricted diets?

Answer 36

The only point of controversy is whether meat products provide sufficient vitamin C.

Question 37

What types of vegetables are typically allowed in carbohydrate-restricted diets?

Answer 37

Leafy green vegetables.

Question 38

What does a calorie-restricted diet that cuts all calories by a third do?

Answer 38

It also cuts essential nutrients by a third.

Question 39

What does the author hope to change with this book?

Answer 39

Views on the nature of a healthy diet, focusing on carbohydrates rather than fat.

Question 40

What is the primary test conducted by the National Institutes of Health regarding carbohydrate-restricted diets?

Answer 40

To determine if such diets can be safely and effectively used for weight loss.

Question 41

What is the focus of the Look AHEAD trial funded by NIH?

Answer 41

To test if weight loss in obese diabetics leads to improved health.

Question 42

What is lacking in the current trials regarding carbohydrate restriction?

Answer 42

They do not directly test the hypothesis that carbohydrates cause weight gain and chronic disease.

Question 43

What is the primary question that needs urgent addressing regarding sugar?

Answer 43

The long-term health effects of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

Question 44

What does the author suggest about future public health recommendations?

Answer 44

They should be based on rigorous testing of the carbohydrate hypothesis.

Question 45

What are the potential outcomes of a trial comparing carbohydrate-rich and carbohydrate-restricted diets?

Answer 45

Differences in glucose intolerance, obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and overall health.

Question 46

What type of study is deemed necessary to establish clear links between diet and chronic disease?

Answer 46

Randomized trials that test competing dietary hypotheses.

Question 47

What type of trials are needed to test the carbohydrate hypothesis and conventional wisdom?

Answer 47

Randomized trials ## Footnote These trials would be expensive, costing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.

Question 48

After a year in the lifestyle-modification trial, how much did participants reduce their total food intake on average?

Answer 48

450 calories a day ## Footnote This reduction included eating more fruits and vegetables while decreasing grain and sweets consumption.

Question 49

What is the focus of the New Atkins diet?

Answer 49

Eating wholesome foods that turn the body into a fat-burning machine ## Footnote The updated program is designed to be easy and flexible for various lifestyles.

Question 50

How many studies support the low-carb science behind Atkins?

Answer 50

More than 50 studies ## Footnote These studies provide scientific backing for the diet's principles.

Question 51

What does the book '1001 Low-Carb Recipes' offer?

Answer 51

Hundreds of delicious recipes for low-carb lifestyle ## Footnote It includes options for high-carb foods that can be made low-carb.

Question 52

What is the primary feature of the CalorieKing Calorie, Fat, & Carbohydrate Counter 2012?

Answer 52

Tens of thousands of food listings ## Footnote It includes up-to-date listings for fast food and restaurant chains.

Question 53

True or False: Cholesterol is a deadly poison.

Answer 53

False ## Footnote Cholesterol is vital to the cells of all mammals.

Question 54

What does the body do concerning cholesterol intake?

Answer 54

Produces three to four times more cholesterol than consumed ## Footnote The internal production of cholesterol adjusts based on dietary intake.

Question 55

What is the stance of 'Fat and Cholesterol are Good for You' regarding saturated fat?

Answer 55

Saturated fat does not cause heart disease ## Footnote The book argues that research on this topic has been manipulated.

Question 56

What health issues are linked to having low cholesterol?

Answer 56

Cancer, stroke, and suicide ## Footnote Low cholesterol is considered unhealthy by some researchers.

Question 57

According to 'Fat Head', what is the relationship between being classified as overweight and lifespan?

Answer 57

People classified as overweight have longer lifespans ## Footnote This challenges common perceptions about weight and health.

Question 58

What is the primary focus of the book 'Know Your Fats'?

Answer 58

Understanding the nutrition of fats, oils, and cholesterol ## Footnote It discusses the optimal intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Question 59

What does Gary Taubes express gratitude for in his acknowledgments?

Answer 59

The efforts of skeptics who influenced his work ## Footnote He acknowledges various individuals who contributed to his understanding of diet and health.

Question 60

What is the title of Gary Taubes' book that challenges conventional wisdom on diet?

Answer 60

Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It ## Footnote This book addresses misconceptions about diet, weight control, and disease.