Economic Incentives

An issue that's bothersome for me is the tunnel-vision involved with research money.  For example, a study I linked to recently showing the benefits of protein was funded by beef producers.  On the other hand, you see lots of high-carbohydrate diet studies funded by agriculture producers.  Everyone is trying to prove their own case, and I guess you can't blame them for looking out for their own self-interest.

There are big dollars at stake here as food producers try to sway the masses towards their products.  When the Atkins diet took off, the demand for meat skyrocketed and so did profits for beef producers.  With every new diet craze, there are fresh winners and losers.

But the true losers in all this are the millions trying to lose weight.  They are subject to endless propaganda that consistently hides the truth: diets don't work, exercise does.  No matter what diet a person goes on, the weight will come back.  Over the long-term, they may lose a few pounds if that.  But then it's back to the drawing board and the new round of hype.

Research studies that promote exercise are at a disadvantage because there is less profit potential involved.  After all, if someone starts a walking program, who profits from that?  Probably no one.  Perhaps shoe makers or treadmill makers or commercial gyms if you want to stretch it.  But I have yet to see a research study funded by any of these interests.

Conversely, if millions of people start swapping bread for meat, there are substantial profits at stake.  And that is why these industries will keep pumping out new studies.  You'll see the headline, "low-fat diet leads to weight loss"; but then you'll did deeper and see that it's only a few pounds over a short time period (and the weight most likely returned after the study ended).

I wish it were common knowledge that in order to lose weight, you need to do a substantial volume of exercise (an hour a day) and you don't need to restrict calories.  The Surgeon General says as much, but no one listens to them.  Someone needs to do a better job of sending the right message and drowning out the half-truths promoted by the food manufacturers.