Tips Today Harvard Nutrient Police Monastic Nation Forum On Nutrient Policy Tedx Conference
Last Friday, it was my pleasance to attended too introduce at the Harvard Food Law Society's TEDx conference, Forum on Food Policy. I had never been to Cambridge or Boston before, too I was struck past times how European they experience compared to Seattle. The conference was a peachy success, thank yous to the dedicated efforts of the Food Law Society's presidents Nate Rosenberg, Krista DeBoer, too many other volunteers.
MD Robert Lustig gave a keynote address on Th evening, which I unfortunately wasn't able to attend due to my flying schedule. From what I heard, he focused on practical solutions for reducing national refined saccharify consumption, such equally instituting a refined saccharify tax. MD Lustig was a major presence at the conference, too mayhap partially due to his efforts, refined saccharify was a key focus throughout the day. Nearly everyone agrees that added refined saccharify is harmful to the nation's wellness at electrical flow intakes, thus the query kept coming upwards "how long is it going to conduct maintain us to create something close it?" As MD David Ludwig said, "...the obesity epidemic tin terminate live viewed equally a illness of technology scientific discipline amongst a simple, but politically hard solution".
Taxes/regulations are vigorously opposed past times the processed nutrient industry, too too (more understandably) past times people who don't desire to conduct maintain their nutrient choices legislated. Children inwards detail should live federally protected from predatory nutrient manufacture practices. Personally, I'm inwards favor of legislation that de-incentivizes added refined saccharify consumption. What if nosotros had a refined saccharify revenue enhancement that paid for some of the obesity too diabetes-related expenditures that taxpayers currently shoulder through Medicare too Medicaid? That would but repose the "externalized" toll of wellness problems that are caused past times refined saccharify inwards the start place.
The start panel of speakers on Fri was on nutrition too health, too position the tone for the repose of the conference, which was focused on policy. MD Walter Willett was the start speaker. MD Willett is the chair of the Harvard Nutrition subdivision too the 2d most cited scientist inwards clinical medicine. He reviewed the evidence from his observational studies supporting his vision of nutrition too health. His optimal diet focuses on whole grains, vegetables too fruit, legumes, fish too poultry, unsaturated fats from nuts too seed oils, limited whole eggs, too avoids refined carbohydrate/sugar, cherry-red meat, too replaces saturated fats amongst unsaturated fats. He suggests that a fatty intake of 40% of calories is salubrious equally long equally the fatty is unsaturated.
I spoke second, giving a verbalize titled "The American Diet: a Historical Perspective". The verbalize was close the USA diet, thus apologies to non-US residents of North too South America for the imprecise terminology. The verbalize began past times describing briefly how certainly aspects of wellness conduct maintain changed inwards the USA over the final 120 years (increased obesity, diabetes, midpoint attacks, too other "diseases of civilization"), too thus focused on the major changes inwards diet over the final 200 years or so. The top dog betoken I kept coming dorsum to is that the diet has shifted dramatically from simple, home-cooked nutrient to commercially prepared food, although I covered many other aspects of dietary modify equally well. I think it was an informative talk, too it was good received. Volunteers told me it volition live freely available on the TED website, equally good equally their Food Law Society website, within 2-3 weeks.
MD David Ludwig spoke third. He's an accomplished researcher at Harvard too Boston Children's infirmary who focuses on childhood obesity. His verbalize focused on the danger of excessively processed/refined nutrient too I thought it dovetailed nicely amongst what I presented. He started out amongst a perspective on the development of the human diet from early on hominid times-- it's dainty to run into this work of thinking run to a greater extent than prevalent, although his concept of the Paleolithic diet was non only consistent amongst the evidence I've seen. I thought 1 of the most memorable moments of the conference was when he showed a motion painting too described a repast marketed to children called "Mess With Your Mouth Tacos". He must conduct maintain bought 1 of these too carefully position out too photographed everything the box contained, which included diverse "pastes too concoctions", refined tortilla shells, a Capri Lord's Day sweetened beverage, too Nerds (candy). Whether or non the Nerds run within the tacos wasn't clear. The betoken is that when yous halt too think close it, the thought that this materials is nutrient too should live eaten past times children is thus ironic it had us snickering inwards our seats. They should rename it "Mess With Your Pancreas Tacos". The verbalize ended amongst MD Ludwig recommending a "Mediterranean"-type diet for health. Although it was largely crafted past times American nutrition researchers too does non adhere really closely to actual traditional Mediterranean diets (it's loosely based closed to the traditional diet of Crete), I yet believe it is far superior to the typical American diet.
After our talks, Drs. Willett, Ludwig, Lustig too I participated inwards a panel tidings close nutrition too health, moderated past times Corby Kummer, an accomplished nutrient author too senior editor at The Atlantic. We covered many topics, including diverse aspects of refined saccharify consumption (which were non peculiarly controversial), meat, too the glycemic index. I wasn't able to participate equally much equally I would conduct maintain liked, due to the assertiveness of the other panelists too the fact that the moderator essentially ignored me. But I got a few points inwards related to cherry-red essence consumption too traditional grain processing.
MD Willett made a few remarks that I wasn't able to address effectively at the fourth dimension but that I think are worth discussing further. One of the start things he did was limited his dim sentiment of diet-health information on the Internet. I truly concur amongst that to some extent. The Internet has democratized information, for improve too worse. On the positive side, it has given people unprecedented access to information that has allowed them to self-experiment too connect amongst interesting novel ideas, which has oft been helpful. On the other hand, it had allowed the proliferation of "instant experts" who are long on advice too brusk on rigor, too who create create to convince others to adopt dietary changes that aren't necessarily inwards their best interest. But these people existed inwards the pop press long earlier the Internet went mainstream.
Another theme that came up, but which I wasn't able to comment on was the glycemic index. Support for the importance of this concept comes almost only from observational studies, where people who consume high-glycemic foods tend to conduct maintain worse wellness outcomes (fat gain, diabetes) than those who consume lower-glycemic foods. I conduct maintain 3 difficulties amongst this idea: 1) the highest-glycemic foods inwards the USA diet are white flour products too sugar, thus how create nosotros know the glycemic index is the relevant factor? 2) controlled trials lasting from 10 weeks to xviii months overall conduct maintain shown no meaningful effects of glycemic index on total nutrient intake, fatty gain, insulin sensitivity or whatsoever other marking of wellness inwards non-diabetics (1, 2), 3) many non-industrial cultures consume diets that rely heavily on high glycemic refined saccharify such equally cassava, taro, partially milled rice, too milled millet too corn, too they mostly don't run overweight, diabetic or conduct maintain midpoint attacks (3). I readily acknowledge that could too conduct maintain to create amongst other lifestyle factors such equally exercise, sleep, etc., but that is truthful of whatsoever ancestral lifestyle.
This brings us to some other matter MD Willett seems to conduct maintain a dim sentiment of, which is historical diet-health evidence. I partially agreed amongst him, inwards that this sort of evidence is the to the lowest degree good controlled, too exactly because nosotros were doing something 100 years agone too weren't fat, doesn't hateful everything close our diet too lifestyle was optimal. However, what it gives us is an archetype for a diet/lifestyle that does non atomic number 82 to a high chronic illness burden over generations, which is valuable. I was disappointed to listen MD Willett deploy the "people didn't alive past times 50" declaration that is oft used to hastily discredit historical/anthropological evidence. I wasn't able to teach this betoken in, but the fact is that nosotros conduct maintain age-adjusted information from the US, the UK, too a number of non-industrial cultures, suggesting that at the same age, the chronic illness burden for certainly diseases was really depression compared amongst today. Furthermore, if yous compare illness precursors that are introduce inwards immature people inwards our society, such equally obesity too high blood pressure, the prevalence of these is oft radically lower equally well.
Another betoken that I didn't brand is that each grade of evidence has its limitations. While historical/anthopological evidence is the to the lowest degree good controlled, the 2d to the lowest degree good controlled is observational evidence. Its principal limitations are 1) it is intrinsically incapable of identifying drive too number relationships; 2) it oft suffers from substantial inaccuracy inwards nutrient assessment (such equally that inherent inwards nutrient frequency questionnaires), which is unevenly distributed across nutrient groups (5, 6). For these reasons, observational studies shouldn't live used equally the sole dry ground for world wellness recommendations. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 improve approach is to await broadly at historical/anthropological evidence, observational evidence, controlled trials, too basic science/mechanism, too run into if a coherent designing emerges. That allows us to increment our grade of confidence, since the strengths of each method volition buttress the weaknesses of the others.
The repose of the conference focused on nutrient policy from a health, susctainability too marketing perspective. There were some peachy speakers, whose talks volition live available online shortly. Policy isn't my specialty thus I'm non going to comment on these much, but it was goodness for me to live exposed to the ideas. One interesting betoken that came upwards is the fact that children don't conduct maintain the mightiness to create upwards one's heed persuasive intent inwards advertising-- i.e., they can't say when mortal is trying to convince them of something that isn't necessarily inwards their best interest. They conduct maintain things that people say them equally fact. Therefore, marketing to children is inherently deceptive. One of the highlights of the conference was the quote (I'm paraphrasing) "we involve to de-normalize the fact that a clown is telling our children how to eat". Apologies to the author of that quote whose yell I don't recall.
Overall, an splendid conference. Thanks to everyone who made it happen.
MD Robert Lustig gave a keynote address on Th evening, which I unfortunately wasn't able to attend due to my flying schedule. From what I heard, he focused on practical solutions for reducing national refined saccharify consumption, such equally instituting a refined saccharify tax. MD Lustig was a major presence at the conference, too mayhap partially due to his efforts, refined saccharify was a key focus throughout the day. Nearly everyone agrees that added refined saccharify is harmful to the nation's wellness at electrical flow intakes, thus the query kept coming upwards "how long is it going to conduct maintain us to create something close it?" As MD David Ludwig said, "...the obesity epidemic tin terminate live viewed equally a illness of technology scientific discipline amongst a simple, but politically hard solution".
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The start panel of speakers on Fri was on nutrition too health, too position the tone for the repose of the conference, which was focused on policy. MD Walter Willett was the start speaker. MD Willett is the chair of the Harvard Nutrition subdivision too the 2d most cited scientist inwards clinical medicine. He reviewed the evidence from his observational studies supporting his vision of nutrition too health. His optimal diet focuses on whole grains, vegetables too fruit, legumes, fish too poultry, unsaturated fats from nuts too seed oils, limited whole eggs, too avoids refined carbohydrate/sugar, cherry-red meat, too replaces saturated fats amongst unsaturated fats. He suggests that a fatty intake of 40% of calories is salubrious equally long equally the fatty is unsaturated.
I spoke second, giving a verbalize titled "The American Diet: a Historical Perspective". The verbalize was close the USA diet, thus apologies to non-US residents of North too South America for the imprecise terminology. The verbalize began past times describing briefly how certainly aspects of wellness conduct maintain changed inwards the USA over the final 120 years (increased obesity, diabetes, midpoint attacks, too other "diseases of civilization"), too thus focused on the major changes inwards diet over the final 200 years or so. The top dog betoken I kept coming dorsum to is that the diet has shifted dramatically from simple, home-cooked nutrient to commercially prepared food, although I covered many other aspects of dietary modify equally well. I think it was an informative talk, too it was good received. Volunteers told me it volition live freely available on the TED website, equally good equally their Food Law Society website, within 2-3 weeks.
After our talks, Drs. Willett, Ludwig, Lustig too I participated inwards a panel tidings close nutrition too health, moderated past times Corby Kummer, an accomplished nutrient author too senior editor at The Atlantic. We covered many topics, including diverse aspects of refined saccharify consumption (which were non peculiarly controversial), meat, too the glycemic index. I wasn't able to participate equally much equally I would conduct maintain liked, due to the assertiveness of the other panelists too the fact that the moderator essentially ignored me. But I got a few points inwards related to cherry-red essence consumption too traditional grain processing.
MD Willett made a few remarks that I wasn't able to address effectively at the fourth dimension but that I think are worth discussing further. One of the start things he did was limited his dim sentiment of diet-health information on the Internet. I truly concur amongst that to some extent. The Internet has democratized information, for improve too worse. On the positive side, it has given people unprecedented access to information that has allowed them to self-experiment too connect amongst interesting novel ideas, which has oft been helpful. On the other hand, it had allowed the proliferation of "instant experts" who are long on advice too brusk on rigor, too who create create to convince others to adopt dietary changes that aren't necessarily inwards their best interest. But these people existed inwards the pop press long earlier the Internet went mainstream.
Another theme that came up, but which I wasn't able to comment on was the glycemic index. Support for the importance of this concept comes almost only from observational studies, where people who consume high-glycemic foods tend to conduct maintain worse wellness outcomes (fat gain, diabetes) than those who consume lower-glycemic foods. I conduct maintain 3 difficulties amongst this idea: 1) the highest-glycemic foods inwards the USA diet are white flour products too sugar, thus how create nosotros know the glycemic index is the relevant factor? 2) controlled trials lasting from 10 weeks to xviii months overall conduct maintain shown no meaningful effects of glycemic index on total nutrient intake, fatty gain, insulin sensitivity or whatsoever other marking of wellness inwards non-diabetics (1, 2), 3) many non-industrial cultures consume diets that rely heavily on high glycemic refined saccharify such equally cassava, taro, partially milled rice, too milled millet too corn, too they mostly don't run overweight, diabetic or conduct maintain midpoint attacks (3). I readily acknowledge that could too conduct maintain to create amongst other lifestyle factors such equally exercise, sleep, etc., but that is truthful of whatsoever ancestral lifestyle.
This brings us to some other matter MD Willett seems to conduct maintain a dim sentiment of, which is historical diet-health evidence. I partially agreed amongst him, inwards that this sort of evidence is the to the lowest degree good controlled, too exactly because nosotros were doing something 100 years agone too weren't fat, doesn't hateful everything close our diet too lifestyle was optimal. However, what it gives us is an archetype for a diet/lifestyle that does non atomic number 82 to a high chronic illness burden over generations, which is valuable. I was disappointed to listen MD Willett deploy the "people didn't alive past times 50" declaration that is oft used to hastily discredit historical/anthropological evidence. I wasn't able to teach this betoken in, but the fact is that nosotros conduct maintain age-adjusted information from the US, the UK, too a number of non-industrial cultures, suggesting that at the same age, the chronic illness burden for certainly diseases was really depression compared amongst today. Furthermore, if yous compare illness precursors that are introduce inwards immature people inwards our society, such equally obesity too high blood pressure, the prevalence of these is oft radically lower equally well.
Another betoken that I didn't brand is that each grade of evidence has its limitations. While historical/anthopological evidence is the to the lowest degree good controlled, the 2d to the lowest degree good controlled is observational evidence. Its principal limitations are 1) it is intrinsically incapable of identifying drive too number relationships; 2) it oft suffers from substantial inaccuracy inwards nutrient assessment (such equally that inherent inwards nutrient frequency questionnaires), which is unevenly distributed across nutrient groups (5, 6). For these reasons, observational studies shouldn't live used equally the sole dry ground for world wellness recommendations. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 improve approach is to await broadly at historical/anthropological evidence, observational evidence, controlled trials, too basic science/mechanism, too run into if a coherent designing emerges. That allows us to increment our grade of confidence, since the strengths of each method volition buttress the weaknesses of the others.
The repose of the conference focused on nutrient policy from a health, susctainability too marketing perspective. There were some peachy speakers, whose talks volition live available online shortly. Policy isn't my specialty thus I'm non going to comment on these much, but it was goodness for me to live exposed to the ideas. One interesting betoken that came upwards is the fact that children don't conduct maintain the mightiness to create upwards one's heed persuasive intent inwards advertising-- i.e., they can't say when mortal is trying to convince them of something that isn't necessarily inwards their best interest. They conduct maintain things that people say them equally fact. Therefore, marketing to children is inherently deceptive. One of the highlights of the conference was the quote (I'm paraphrasing) "we involve to de-normalize the fact that a clown is telling our children how to eat". Apologies to the author of that quote whose yell I don't recall.
Overall, an splendid conference. Thanks to everyone who made it happen.
