Posts Tagged ‘magical thinking’

At a press event last week, announcing a deal to make obesity medicines more affordable, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz told us “Americans will lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms” because of this. Comedian Stephen Colbert pointed out a problem with the numbers. They imply that every single American will be losing 393 pounds. It […]

This one definitely sounded too good to be true from the start. A little bit of apple cider vinegar daily for young persons with obesity supposedly produced lower body weight, BMI, body fat ratio, blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol. No side effects. However, this stunning piece of research on apple cider vinegar in obesity was […]

It’s here again – a familiar spike in magical thinking about health and wellness. Our new president has installed an evangelist for raw milk, vaccine cynicism, and psychedelics to lead his department of health and human services. Because MAHA rhymes with MAGA so nicely, it is completely unsurprising. But it’s unsurprising for a more fundamental […]

“Is the Atlantic diet the new Mediterranean miracle?” This headline (and a host of others like it) says a lot about the ultra-processing of nutrition research by consumer media. It takes a fascinating study about the health effects of a traditional pattern for eating called the Atlantic diet and removes all the nuance. The product […]

We do admire the tenacity of folks who promote the virtues of a plant-based diet. But that admiration stops when we move on to the dimension of scientific rigor and objectivity. In BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, and Health, a group of researchers are claiming that plant-based diets “may be considered protective against COVID-19 infection.” The only […]

The headlines are great. “Pecans: the surprising superfood for obesity prevention and wellness” says one. “Pecans pack a punch in fighting obesity, diabetes and inflammation” according to another. All this magical thinking about pecans comes from a study of mice on a high-fat diet. What does this mean for humans? Mainly it means that the […]

We started this new decade “pretty sure” about stories that would grab headlines this year. But we also said we should be “ready for surprises.” That was probably our most accurate prediction. Little did we know then, a new coronavirus was already at work. Thus it turned out that, more than anything, a pandemic made […]

It’s startling to see a medical journal and a major university promote magical thinking. But there it is. A press release from Oregon State University offers this headline: Dietary Supplements an Important Weapon for Fighting Off COVID-19 We’ve said it before. Beware of such poppycock. Using a Marginal Journal to Promote Nonsense This particular example […]

Welcome to a world of magic. In this world, obesity is simple. One pound of fat is the result of eating 3,500 calories. In this magical kingdom, the exalted Mayo Clinic tells us: Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. […]