The Founder

Everything in moderation. Tiny portions of a wide variety of many foods. That's why I like buffets so much; I can have a tiny spoonful of 40 different things instead of 30 bites of one or two things (think pizza, burgers, steak/potatoes).

This audio interview with Nina Teichholz has convincing arguments against low-fat diets. Her book is called The Big Fat Surprise. She finds fault with the research of Ancel Keyes upon whose work the "Mediterranean diet" and the USDA's "Food Guide Pyramid" are based.

Quote: Wizard

Seems to me the "experts" are changing their minds every decade or so. I will say I know someone who went to a no-carb diet, with virtually no other changes, and lost 90 pounds.

There are many problems with nutritional studies.

To begin with, the Gold Standard in all scientific studies is the double-blind, controlled method with a large population. This means you take a lot of people and divide them into two groups. One group gets a special diet, the other gets a regular one. The latter group is the control group. now, to do this double blind, neither the researchers taking the measurements (weight, body mass index, blood, stool, urine, etc.) nor the subjects eating the diet are supposed to know what each participant is getting.

You can see the problem right away. If you're given a low-carb diet, you will notice it.

You could do a limited study where, say, animal fats are replaced largely with vegetable fats. even this was done only once as far as I know, and the results did not match the conventional wisdom against saturated fats.

Then you have lots of confounders, like exercise, smoking, sodium intake, stress, etc. And again, try a double-blind study where the participants don't know whether they get regular exercise or not :)

So the usual method is the self-reporting study, where participants report what their diet and habits are. These are rife with problems, like how trustworthy the initial data is. Participants are supposed to keep track fo what they eat and what they do, but how reliable are they at this? there are also studies using human analogues, like rats, but these are even worse.

As complete and unfounded speculation, I'd look at what happens with proteins, vitamin D and vitamin A in low-fat and low-carb diets. I've a hunch the key lies there rather than with fats and carbs.

Quote: Evenbob

Thanks to advertising and convenience and a
lack of telling people how bad this food was
for them.

I don't mind the advertising to adults. But advertising this stuff to children is a different story.

Disney bailed on McDonalds in 2006:

Quote: Los Angeles Times

Disney is not renewing its cross-promotional pact with the fast-food giant, ending the arrangement with this summer's release of "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." One reason, say multiple high-ranking sources within Disney, is that the company -- which prides itself on being family friendly -- wants to distance itself from fast food and its links to the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Disney's motive was entirely about public relations & their corporate image, but I can't say I blame them. For better or for worse, they currently have a marketing agreement with Subway.

When I was with Social Security I often killed time in the Social Security library on slow days. There were big orange binders full of interviews taken of people after reaching age 100. There was little commonality among all these people. Obviously, the majority, about 80%, were women. None of them gave much emphasis to their diet as the reason for their longevity. About the only commonality I noticed was these people kept busy all their lives, mentally and physically. Many of them were farmers or farmers wives.

Quote: Wizard

None of them gave much emphasis to their diet as the reason for their longevity.

People who had reached age 100 back when you worked for SSA probably all grew up well before WWII before there was so much processed food.

I think the problem with processed food is more for growing children then for older adults.

Quote: Pacomartin

People who had reached age 100 back when you worked for SSA probably did most of their eating before there was so much processed food.

The first processed food was very likely either bread or cheese (or maybe beer).

Video about why In and Out Burger will never be a nationwide franchise. I personally don't get it. I've had In and Out Burger in Vegas three or four times and I don't see what's so special about it. It's in people's heads. I remember in the early seventies when Coors beer was not available east of the Mississippi and we would get it from truckers who would bring it in and we just thought it was wonderful when it really wasn't. We only thought it was great cuz we couldn't get it. In-N-Out Burger is a cult thing.

A couple of reasons for the popularity that I can see.
A Double Double Animal Style with chop chiles is a burger I can't get anywhere else.
And it is pretty tasty if you are looking for a good burger.
Second, the combo with fries & a refillable drink is currently $6.70
That is about the same as a Big Mac Combo and there really is no comparison in quality of burger.
McD's fries are liked by many, but fresh cut potatoes deep fried to order are pretty good hot on delivery.