Death by Diet
by Dr. Doug Cardell
In my last article, Crony Capitalism? I explained corruption in terms of money. However, money is by no means the only gain sought by corruptors. Those pressing for undue influence also do so for power, status, and recognition. In this article, we will discuss what is probably the most egregious example of corrupted capitalism as measured by the direct effect on the people. In the 1950s, the American Heart Association invested millions in heart disease research. It was the beginning of a story that led to one of the most seriously flawed results of federal intervention ever produced. The results were a disaster that continues today almost 75 years later. It is the story of Dr. Ancel Keys and the American diet. Keys was an example of using cronyism to seek power and status rather than money. It is also an example of professionals using their high status, based on intelligence and talent, rather than money to achieve their ends. Credentialed expertise is second only to wealth in the ability to exert undue power and influence. Official Washington suddenly took notice of the disease that was "suddenly" striking the rich and powerful after President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack. As official Washington is prone to do, a mentality of 'we have to do something or at least appear to' began to take hold. As often happens, they quickly fell under the spell of 'experts' who offered quick, easy solutions. In 1961, Keys, who had no nutrition science or cardiology training, got himself and an ally onto the American Heart Association nutrition committee. Keys had a hunch that saturated fat, and cholesterol were influential factors in heart attacks and strokes. Without evidence supporting that position, Keys persuaded the committee to include recommendations for 'reasonable substitutions' of corn or soybean oil for saturated fats. Later that year, Time magazine, in the ultimate status reward, featured Keys on the cover along with his advice to cut dietary fat down to fifteen percent of total calories. The rest of the media picked up the ball and ran with it. Study after study failed to provide evidence to support Key's claims, but his outsized reputation kept him from being discredited. At the same time, other researchers produced credible research indicating that it was not fat but carbohydrates that were the actual culprits. Almost all of us have been brainwashed to believe that eating too much saturated fat is responsible for elevating our cholesterol levels and increasing the risk of heart disease. The government has told us to significantly reduce our consumption of red meat, dairy products, eggs, and salt. These unfounded claims have been part of school health classes for decades. The media constantly reinforces the same claims. The USDA and the NIH have assured us that these are facts supported by extensive scientific evidence. As a result, the FDA and many state and local governments have taken steps to try and limit public consumption of transfats. But it's all bogus nonsense. A large study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine concluded that saturated fat does not cause heart disease. Just like virtually every research effort in the past half-century, this one confirms that there is no evidence that the saturated fats in butter, cheese, and red meat, demonized by the government, should be avoided. The studies do not show that dietary cholesterol increases serum cholesterol and is responsible for clogging our arteries. It is propaganda generated by self-serving pseudo-scientists, status, and power-seeking frauds, and politicians pandering to the food industry, anxious to sell more and more junk food to addicted consumers. Study after study has shown that the sugars in processed foods are more addictive than cocaine. The food industry lobbies hard to prevent the government from taking too hard a line on them. Nutritionist Dr. Luise Light, one of the primary creators of the original Food Guide Pyramid, has spoken freely about the corruption that dramatically altered the Food Pyramid created by folks who knew something about nutrition. She reports that the USDA nutrition panel, on which she served, recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3-4 servings of whole grains, and sparing amounts of "baked goods made with white flour — including crackers, sweets and other low-nutrient foods laden with sugars and fats." After review by the Secretary of Agriculture, these recommendations were edited by the Secretary's office and replaced by 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, 6-11 servings of whole grains, and advice to avoid 'too many' highly processed junk foods rather than the original recommendation to 'include them sparingly.' While both phrases are somewhat vague, saying 'too many' is meaningless. The food industry insisted on these changes to preserve their most profitable sales products. Is all this really so bad? At the time of the USDA's release of its Dietary Guidelines for America in 1980, the obesity rate was 15%. Ten years later, it had risen to 23%. After another ten years, in 2000, it had increased to 31%. After another ten years, it rose again to 36%. Almost ten years later, in 2018, the obesity rate reached epidemic levels, with 43% obese and 10% severely obese. That's nearly triple the 1980 level. This epidemic results from ignoring the objective evidence that a high carbohydrate diet rather than a diet high in saturated fats is the most significant factor in causing obesity and heart disease. Some might suggest that this increase in obesity rates is due to a lack of exercise rather than changes in diet but data from 1997 thru 2021 indicate an increase in adult exercise from 72% to 76%. Fitness memberships have doubled from 2000 to 2020. So it appears that the difference is due to changes in diet. In the final analysis, the United States government may be responsible for the millions of early deaths of people who trusted that their government knew what it was doing and told them the truth about what food was healthy and what food was not. So what's the answer? How should we be eating? Unlike what those pushing an agenda would have you believe there is no 'ideal' diet. It is delusional to think that a 300-pound Olympic powerlifter and a 110-pound yoga practitioner should make the same dietary choices. One size rarely fits all. We are all different, with different lifestyles, different genetic make-up, different exercise habits, and different sleep patterns. As you know, I'm an economist, not a nutritionist, but I know how to research. That's what everyone needs to do for themselves. If you are a powerlifter, look on weight-lifting websites and see what diet the lifters most like you use. If your thing is yoga, ditto; see what folks like you eat to be successful. After that, experiment; find out what works or doesn't for you. One general rule that almost all nutritionists seem to agree on is avoiding processed foods, particularly simple carbohydrates, and sugars. They say it more directly than 'include them sparingly'; they say it should not be a part of a healthy 'daily' diet. The nutritionists say, "Sure, have cake and ice cream on your birthday, but not every day." Nutritionists also agree that the higher the quality of food you consume, the better. In closing, I'd like to stress that government is under constant, relentless pressure to take actions that will benefit people who want to use the government to achieve their goals. Some like to blame 'greedy capitalists.' That's not the way to think of it; it's like this: imagine someone is burglarizing your home, and you call the police, and the police offer to help—wait for it—the burglar. They give him a hand loading his car with your stuff. Of course, you're mad at the burglar, but I'll bet you'd be even madder with the police. It's the same situation; the world has bad actors, and that's how it is. The reason we have government is to stop them, not help them. Sometimes corruptors are after money, but that's not all that corrupts capitalism. Seeking status, notoriety, position, or self-satisfaction are also corrupting factors. Large organizations, like governments, are prone to a one-size-fits-all way of thinking. One-size-fits-all is not always wrong, but finding situations that have worked well is difficult. Any large organization is not monolithic. All of them have a diversity of opinions within them, and the voice you hear today is certainly not the only one held in that organization and is frequently an incorrect representation of the whole. Skepticism is essential when the government speaks because governments have more control over your life than other organizations. Cronyism, corruption, and ignorance contaminate not only free-market capitalism but every aspect of government, including things as personal as diet. Keep your head on a swivel and your eyes wide open.
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