Bias can influence public health narratives, as demonstrated by Ansel Benjamin Keys, who overlooked the link between smoking and heart disease while emphasizing dietary fats as a primary concern. This raises skepticism about blaming traditional food items for contemporary health issues, particularly when certain foods like butter have been consumed for millennia without being associated with heart disease until recent decades. Thus, it is crucial to critically evaluate health claims and their historical context.
On Skeptical Sunday, Michael Regilio dishes out the skinny on fat-free foods and their weighty consequences that led to our 21st-century obesity epidemic!
Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio!
On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:
- The low-fat diet trend, popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, was based on flawed science and cherry-picked data, particularly from the selective research of physiologist Ancel Keys.
- Removing fat from food products often led to increased sugar and refined carbohydrate content, contributing to the obesity and diabetes epidemics in the United States.
- The American Heart Association and other institutions have been slow to change their dietary recommendations due to conflicts of interest and corporate donations.
- Consuming healthy fats is essential for proper bodily functions, and low-fat diets have not been shown to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer.
- By educating ourselves on proper nutrition, focusing on whole foods, and reducing refined carbohydrates and processed foods, we can take control of our health and potentially reverse or prevent diet-related maladies like type 2 diabetes.
- Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
- Connect with Michael Regilio at Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and make sure to check out the Michael Regilio Plagues Well With Others podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts!
Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1034
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