A very thought provoking article on the Diet Industry

spiritangel · 02-09-2011, 09:28 PM

For anyone who wants to read it it is very much an eye opener and not what you would expect to read

it is about where the funding for reasearch comes from and other such things

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/43218.html

CleverBomb · 02-10-2011, 03:56 AM

Interesting -- and surprisingly in-depth.

-Rusty

spiritangel · 02-10-2011, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CleverBomb

Interesting -- and surprisingly in-depth.

-Rusty

yes and from a very reliable place, I was really impressed with how in depth it is and it totally fascinates me that the people who make money from weightloss fund 98% of the research that seems crazy to me

Webmaster · 02-10-2011, 08:37 AM

The article nicely illustrates the problem that a lot of obesity research is sponsored by the diet industry. That's been an issue for decades.

I honestly wouldn't want to be in an obesity researcher's shoes. Getting funding for research is always a struggle for academics of any kind, with the competition for grants fierce. So the temptation to accept funding from the diet and pharmaceutical industry must be great. I am pretty sure a lot of those researchers accept the money convincing themselves it's the only way they can do work they believe in, though deep down they know the results will be abused for marketing and exploitation purposes.

butch · 02-10-2011, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Webmaster

I am pretty sure a lot of those researchers accept the money convincing themselves it's the only way they can do work they believe in, though deep down they know the results will be abused for marketing and exploitation purposes.

I think the folks over at Yale's Rudd Center (one of the leading places for anti-obesity research in the US), have admitted as much, from what I hear.

kioewen · 02-10-2011, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by butch

I think the folks over at Yale's Rudd Center (one of the leading places for anti-obesity research in the US), have admitted as much, from what I hear.

Is there a link to such a comment? It would be wonderful to be able to quote them on their concerns in this matter.

butch · 02-11-2011, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kioewen

Is there a link to such a comment? It would be wonderful to be able to quote them on their concerns in this matter.

I don't think so, as the comments I've heard have been off the record, but from reliable sources (people active in the fat acceptance community and in scholarship on the fat acceptance community).

Adrian · 02-11-2011, 11:09 PM

Its the diet industry, -big money why am I not surprised. As Mr Crabs on Sponge Bob Square Pants, says many times, "the money is always right!" It expresses how to many people and companies feel.

I remember growing up in a ghetto in San Francisco -Hunters Point and you look around at most 'extended' families and they were headed by a matriarch who was widowed BBW. She has seen usually at least seen the death of her husband and maybe a child or two. I ask if the matriarch is a BBW and she outlived many members of her family who were not BBWs or BHMs, being among the last of her family's generation to die... why is being fat is so unhealthy? Or, is this an abnormality found only in ghettos???

CastingPearls · 02-11-2011, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adrian

Its the diet industry, -big money why am I not surprised. As Mr Crabs on Sponge Bob Square Pants, says many times, "the money is always right!" It expresses how to many people and companies feel.

I remember growing up in a ghetto in San Francisco -Hunters Point and you look around at most 'extended' families and they were headed by a matriarch who was widowed BBW. She has seen usually at least seen the death of her husband and maybe a child or two. I ask if the matriarch is a BBW and she outlived many members of her family who were not BBWs or BHMs, being among the last of her family's generation to die... why is being fat is so unhealthy? Or, is this an abnormality found only in ghettos???

All the women on my father's side lived into their 90's--all BBWs (except his mom who was thin)...and my maternal grandmother is a BBW and she's 86...every last one of them matriarchs outliving their spouses, so it's not just the ghetto and I don't think it's an abnormality or aberration either.

LillyBBBW · 02-12-2011, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adrian

Its the diet industry, -big money why am I not surprised. As Mr Crabs on Sponge Bob Square Pants, says many times, "the money is always right!" It expresses how to many people and companies feel.

I remember growing up in a ghetto in San Francisco -Hunters Point and you look around at most 'extended' families and they were headed by a matriarch who was widowed BBW. She has seen usually at least seen the death of her husband and maybe a child or two. I ask if the matriarch is a BBW and she outlived many members of her family who were not BBWs or BHMs, being among the last of her family's generation to die... why is being fat is so unhealthy? Or, is this an abnormality found only in ghettos???

Quote:

Originally Posted by CastingPearls

All the women on my father's side lived into their 90's--all BBWs (except his mom who was thin)...and my maternal grandmother is a BBW and she's 86...every last one of them matriarchs outliving their spouses, so it's not just the ghetto and I don't think it's an abnormality or aberration either.

I wondered that too Adrian. I'm a ghetto girl too and have experienced this phenomenon. In fact I will take it one step further and say that some of the more horrific deaths I've witnessed have been after someone began to aggressively lose weight. Now granted, the fattest among us were by no means the healthiest. Usually they walked with aids and lived on medications but weight loss would be a ticket to a premature death. You never saw anyone skipping around saying, "I used to be fat but now my life has changed." Usually their numbers went down but their aches and pains got worse and then they were gone. I thought it might be just the way it effects black communities as it seems in a lot of medical treatments African Americans, Hispanics, etc. can sometimes respond differently. No one outright denies that this is the case but no one will address it directly or try to find out why this happens. It's one of the things that have turne me off personally on gung-ho weight loss. My body is deteriorating for sure but weight loss has been like kerosene to the problem. It always seems to make matters worse among the culture I grew up in particularly.

Adrian · 02-12-2011, 07:34 AM

Thank you Casting Pearls and LillyBBBW, it is good to see I am not the only one who has noticed this pattern!

bigmac · 02-12-2011, 08:35 AM

My maternal grandmother was a very thin Hispanic woman who was widowed early and left to raise five children -- she lived to be 97. My wife's maternal grandmother was a very round plump Hispanic woman who was widowed early and left to raise six children -- and, surprise, she lived to be 97 too.

02-09-2011, 09:28 PM	#1
spiritangel In the Moment Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Putting one foot in front of the other in the darkness in search of the light Posts: 8,562	A very thought provoking article on the Diet Industry For anyone who wants to read it it is very much an eye opener and not what you would expect to read it is about where the funding for reasearch comes from and other such things http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/43218.html __________________ I wish

02-11-2011, 11:09 PM	#8
Adrian ?? Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silicon Valley, Calif. Posts: 1,260	Re: A very thought provoking article on the Diet Industry Its the diet industry, -big money why am I not surprised. As Mr Crabs on Sponge Bob Square Pants, says many times, "the money is always right!" It expresses how to many people and companies feel. I remember growing up in a ghetto in San Francisco -Hunters Point and you look around at most 'extended' families and they were headed by a matriarch who was widowed BBW. She has seen usually at least seen the death of her husband and maybe a child or two. I ask if the matriarch is a BBW and she outlived many members of her family who were not BBWs or BHMs, being among the last of her family's generation to die... why is being fat is so unhealthy? Or, is this an abnormality found only in ghettos???

02-12-2011, 07:34 AM	#11
Adrian ?? Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silicon Valley, Calif. Posts: 1,260	Re: A very thought provoking article on the Diet Industry Thank you Casting Pearls and LillyBBBW, it is good to see I am not the only one who has noticed this pattern!

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02-10-2011, 03:56 AM	#2
CleverBomb On Space Out Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5,129	Interesting -- and surprisingly in-depth. -Rusty

02-10-2011, 08:37 AM	#4
Webmaster The Chief Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA area Posts: 5,676	The article nicely illustrates the problem that a lot of obesity research is sponsored by the diet industry. That's been an issue for decades. I honestly wouldn't want to be in an obesity researcher's shoes. Getting funding for research is always a struggle for academics of any kind, with the competition for grants fierce. So the temptation to accept funding from the diet and pharmaceutical industry must be great. I am pretty sure a lot of those researchers accept the money convincing themselves it's the only way they can do work they believe in, though deep down they know the results will be abused for marketing and exploitation purposes.

02-12-2011, 08:35 AM	#12
bigmac Master Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sunny California -- the middle part no one goes to unless they have to Posts: 4,991	My maternal grandmother was a very thin Hispanic woman who was widowed early and left to raise five children -- she lived to be 97. My wife's maternal grandmother was a very round plump Hispanic woman who was widowed early and left to raise six children -- and, surprise, she lived to be 97 too.