Comments on: Want To Lose Weight? Reduce Calories.

By: Resveratrol

Resveratrol — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:40:20 +0000

One theory of the effect of calorie restriction on life extension is that it drastically reduces the rate of cancer development, not necessarily the rate of aging.

By: HHC

HHC — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:03:07 +0000

oderb, Beautiful color photo from link, looks like those fellows did not receive hospice care.

By: oderb

oderb — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:37:33 +0000

If anyone is still following this post I’d like to see someone attempt to rebut Dr. Michael Eades’ utter demolition of this study – and thus of Dr. Novella’s argument.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/bogus-studies/last-gasp-of-the-dark-ages-of-nutrition/

By: Fifi

Fifi — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:23:53 +0000

HHC – Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. We DO get a great deal of fluid from fruits and vegetables, with the added bonus of salts and minerals. So, reaching for food to slake thirst isn’t a dysfunctional instinct but if what we eat is a donut not an apple we’re not getting the fluid we’re craving and satiating the motivating need.

By: HHC

HHC — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:18:40 +0000

Food for thought: I worked with young patients who were mentally retarded or mentally ill and were diagnosed with polydipsia. They were unable to distinquish a feeling of fullness with respect to water consumption. In these cases, I had staff behaviorally intervene in redirecting patients to other daily living activities. I have also found elderly congestive heart patients have difficulty regimenting their diets. They take in too many fluids because they have never been aware of natural fluid intake in consumption of caloric foods. Hospital nutritionists are useful for explaining to these patients and their families basic dietary information.

By: Fifi

Fifi — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:02:45 +0000

Really, talk about obsfucating and then running away. You’re focusing on one point to the exclusion of everything else and refusing to admit that there’s any possibility that obesity isn’t purely genetic. I’ve repeatedly posted links to studies that show how the amygdala (which is also involved in emotions) is related to feeling full which is related to feeling satiated, how obesity is linked to poor needs recognition in parent/child relationships and to research that shows that rats that are deprived of water and food will try to fill their needs with food. You clearly want this to be a simplistic “it’s all about genes” issue when I’ve repeatedly said that science does not know everything (but apparently you do!) and that the current evidence points to there being many factors that include genes but don’t exclude environment and behavior.

On top of this, you’re refusing to answer questions about how this genetic predisposition is similar or different to genetic predispositions to alcoholism and cocaine addiction. You seem to want to have your cake and eat it too here.

By: Parrot

Parrot — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:54:47 +0000

> Parrot – So, are you now changing your tune and acknowledging
> the existence of alexythemia

Changing my tune and acknowledging the existence of alexythemia?? What the hell are you talking about??? I’ve never made any claims one way or the other about alexythemia!

It’s become exceedingly clear that you are ignoring my arguments, constantly changing your definitions, and moving the goal posts of your arguments in order to avoid actually addressing the points being presented.

Nobody reading this should find any reason to blame me now for asserting that you’ve proved yourself to be unwilling to have a rational conversation. Just like the purveyors of pseudo science, you’re constantly dancing about the points being raised and won’t admit that you’re wrong even when you have zero evidence to back up your statements.

I’ve wasted far too much time and effort already on your little dance of obfuscation when there were other more interesting posts that I let fall to the wayside.

Rant some more against your strawman arguments of my position if you wish, this is the last time I’ll be responding.

By: Fifi

Fifi — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:47:09 +0000

Parrot – So, are you now changing your tune and acknowledging the existence of alexythemia and that some people may confuse hunger and thirst? And your main objection now is my use of “many” instead of “some” when I originally brought this up?

What I have presented here isn’t “woo”, it’s research into the underlying biology and psychology of obesity and satiation. I’m not claiming to have a definitive answer (you’re the one doing that and ignoring any science that doesn’t affirm your belief that appears to be based on a NYT’s article!). That you consistently try to label it “woo” without presenting any science to discredit what I’ve presented is pretty much how Pec argues for her articles of faith here. That you’re focused solely on this one thing while ignoring other relevant and interlocking issues – combined with the obvious fact that you clearly want to believe that obesity is purely genetic and therefore outside of any form of behavioral influence or personal responsibility (even though it’s commonly known that environment influences genetic expression) – makes it seem like you’re more interested in being “right” and affirming your belief. You seem uninterested in understanding the current state of research into obesity (and haven’t presented anything recent!) and acknowledging that there is no definitive answer at this point since you’ve decided that a NYT’s article is the be all and end all of research into obesity!!!

By: Fifi

Fifi — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:21:46 +0000

Purely speculatively, of course, it’s interesting to consider whether stomach expension caused by drinking large quantities of water may actually provide an experience of satiation.

By: Parrot

Parrot — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:18:30 +0000

> Parrot – Prove to me it’s woo, it should be easy enough to do
> since you’re so sure it is.

You made a testable statement about scientific fact and are unable to show any evidence to support it.

That’s woo, plain pure and simple.

> If you’re so sure that alexythemia doesn’t exist and that people
> can’t have difficulty distinguishing hunger from thirst

Are you claiming that alexythemia is a common problem, which is causing widespread confusion between hunger and thirst?

You remember your claim, right? You said that “many of us misinterpret a desire for fluids as a desire for food”, and that telling the difference was “tricky at the best of times”.

If, by these statements you were referring to alexythemia, then show me the evidence that this is a common condition among humans, and show me the evidence that it leads to a common inability to distinguish between hunger and thirst.

> And stop dodging relevant questions such as…
>

I’m not dodging any questions. I’m just focusing on one issue at a time right now.

And frankly if you’re not even able to admit that you’re wrong on your most ridiculous claim which is absolutely without any scientific merit whatsoever, then I have grave doubts about your ability to converse coherently on matters where there might be some legitimate reasons to disagree.