GOSPEL of Health & Fitness

SanyamKaushik

With so many reports (sometimes contradicting), suggestions, theories, I sometimes wonder, well, health can not be such a difficult topic (for one species) to have so many opinions... Why cant we have a gospel of health and fitness which is more detailed than "Eat Healthy and Exercise"
Would you agree that we should have just one opinion about:
1. Protein, how much is good enough. (ok, this could vary depending upon your muscles mass but could there be a broad baseline)
2. Plateaus... does it exist or not exist. when would it trigger?
3. what exercises : this is good/ this will cause injury.
4. what foods: healthy/unhealthy. What nature gives us are best but too many carbs, too less carbs, too less proteins etc etc.
5. heart rate zones. First someone called it a science i.e. zone training and then people said its a fad.
and the probably endless list goes on and on.

_VoV

I do think position statements (from the WHO, and the like) using the latest science should bring us to a closer point of consensus, but they don't seem to help much, do they?

chubby_checkers

You really can't have a consensus on everything. Different things work for different people. It's going to cause arguments.

SanyamKaushik

You really can't have a consensus on everything. Different things work for different people. It's going to cause arguments.

Somewhat agree and somewhat not (different opinions here)
I mean basically, basically we belong to the same species, our DNA structure is pretty similar... So why not similar solutions...

Please allow me to draw a parallel:
Lets talk about any plant or animal (same species). Say a farmer would give the same dose of fertilizer etc to all the plants. Is it too basic of an example? Hmm, may be.
Well, yeah, lets say there would be some variations, but lets say 5-10%. Could we really say the variations should be >80%?

Just thinking / guessing!!! I dont hold any opinion at the moment but just seeing if:
1. we can agree to agree/disagree to agree/ agree to disagree.
2. Build a consensus, if possible.

_VoV

I follow breaking nutrition and health research reports, but the nature of science is that it evolves. And, not all studies are created equal. 'Replication of existing studies' is part of the scientific method for a reason.

Also, I don't always trust organizations to be free from food industry influences, so I eye position statements with some mistrust. I read Colin Campbell's book 'The China Study' many years ago, and he had a chapter in there on the politics of scientific research. A real eye opener.

Bentley2718

I do think position statements (from the WHO, and the like) using the latest science should bring us to a closer point of consensus, but they don't seem to help much, do they?

Because people don't read them, or they dismiss them instantly because what they read is inconsistent with their personal opinions. We all know that your personal opinion is way more valid than the results of careful research.

Bentley2718

I follow breaking nutrition and health research reports, but the nature of science is that it evolves. And, not all studies are created equal. 'Replication of existing studies' is part of the scientific method for a reason.

Also, I don't always trust organizations to be free from food industry influences, so I eye position statements with some mistrust. I read Colin Campbell's book 'The China Study' many years ago, and he had a chapter in there on the politics of scientific research. A real eye opener.

Both excellent points. Part of the issue is also that even two reasonably good studies can have conflicting results, for reasons we can't yet explain. In part the lack of consensus is the result of a lack of knowledge.

IronSmasher

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0113213972

IronSmasher

I follow breaking nutrition and health research reports, but the nature of science is that it evolves. And, not all studies are created equal. 'Replication of existing studies' is part of the scientific method for a reason.

Also, I don't always trust organizations to be free from food industry influences, so I eye position statements with some mistrust. I read Colin Campbell's book 'The China Study' many years ago, and he had a chapter in there on the politics of scientific research. A real eye opener.

Exactly. Most supplement studies are held by the companies that make them. Then there's Food Inc, and recently I think it was Horizon that made The Men That Made Us Fat