Taking Home The Wrong Message

How many times have you been cautioned of eating too many saturated fats? “You’ll increase your risk of heart disease! You’ll be diagnosed with diabetes if you don’t stray away from those dreadful things!” This has been the message from the U.S government since 1970. An article published in Scientific American by Melinda Moyer, noted that recently however, “a spate of new research, including a meta-analysis of nearly two dozen studies, suggests…” researchers were pointing their fingers at the wrong culprit (Moyer 19). In the article, Moyer offers three studies in which she attempts to pin refined carbohydrates as the guilty party threatening the heart. These studies seem to appeal mostly toward the female gender, rather than the population as a whole. For example, directing one’s attention like so can raise questions from readers like, “Why does this apply to me?” This can make the article’s purpose unclear, confusing, and ultimately misleading to readers if they are unable to identify with it.
The first study that Moyer presents is very general. It could easily be understood by both men and woman and equally appeals to both groups. The study, overseen by Ronald M. Krauss, combines nearly 350,000 people’s daily food intake over a period of almost 23 years and compares their risk of developing cardiovascular heart disease. Krauss’s findings were extremely contradictory to the “old logic” because he “found no association between the amount of saturated fat consumed and the risk of heart disease (Moyer 19).” The biggest issue with the old logic being found now is that bad cholesterol is not the “greatest predator” of risk so to speak. The study could have easily included men and women, and the findings could be applied to help both sexes.
The next study that the author offers readers is very similar to the first study. Meir Stampfer, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, co-authored a study that followed three hundred twenty-two moderately obese individuals for two years as they adopted one of three diets; a low-fat calories restricted diet; a Mediterranean restricted-calorie diet high in vegetables and low in red meat; or a low-carbohydrate, restricted-calorie diet. His findings were that the individuals who ate the low-carb diet had the highest ratio of saturated fat ended up losing twice as much weight as their counterparts (Moyer 20). This study, much like the first, has the ability to interest both men and women. The study of three hundred twenty-two people could have included a mix of the sexes, therefore allowing all to incorporate these findings into their lifestyles. Stampfers findings ultimately mean that saturated aren’t so bad for us and it indicates that carbohydrates could be worse for everyone.
And finally, the third study that Moyer offers readers was once again led by Meir Stampfer. In 1997 he co-authored in the Journal of the American Medical Association which evaluated sixty-five thousand women and they were able to find the percentage of women who had the highest glycemic index. Those with the highest index were forty-seven percent more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest glycemic index score. This trend may be explained by the effect that high glycemic-index carbohydrates have on blood glucose, which stimulates fat production as well as inflammation (Moyer 21). Unlike the first and second study that Moyer presents readers with, this study has the ability to appeal to mostly women. Although it could be helpful and resourceful to the male gender, it doesn’t necessarily apply to them.
In conclusion, these studies seem to appeal more toward the female gender, rather than the population as a whole. The first study, a very general study, can be applied to everyone, both man and woman. The second study goes a little more in depth, but sticks with the idea that the findings can be applied to everyone’s life. And finally the third study, conducted with all women and no men, has the ability to capture the interest of mostly women. Although the findings could be found useful and interesting to a man, it would be imprecise how the study could be applied to him.