The second link you posted is a blog post talking about a study that I myself am familiar with. The NIH-Women’s Health study contained one major flaw, in that there was no low-fat diet group. A low fat diet is one that is no more than 10% calories from fat. Having two groups, both near 30% calories from fat is not going to show a significant difference because there isn’t one to begin with. If you read the full text you will see that the supposed “low-fat” group, which was just slightly lower in dietary fat than the control group, did just slightly better. The only logical conclusion is that a much greater reduction in dietary fat would give much greater results.

I did not come here to debate, I was just trying to be helpful and I rather enjoyed the author’s post. It’s true that I am vegan, but could certainly stand to lose a few pounds ;o)
I don’t really care about what other people eat or what their body size is. I do have a fondness for health-science and try to keep up with the latest news, so when i saw someone asking for studies I thought would point the way.

Integgy, thanks for that definition. I am a fan of acceptance.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/1/55

‘Cause these “paradoxes” are now so numerous they can’t rightly be called paradoxes anymore. If I were a media junkie I’d say the jury is back out, but I’m not a media junkie and I’ll be maintaining that the jury is in fact in…and the result ain’t that fat is killing people in droves, or that there’s an “epidemic” (my God, definitions people!) or that “healthy eating” is anything more than preventing deficiencies and certainly not disease http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/10/junkfood-science-exclusive-big-one.html

If we’re talking about peer-reviewed, randomized, clinically controlled studies and not press releases, of course. Looks like FA wins on that score

Oh, and I think that sorta answers Mike too.

Unless Mike would care to take on the issue of ENTIRE WINGS being built onto hospitals to deal with the deadly aftereffects of weight loss surgery. Or the Ancel Keys starvation studies.

I’m fat, AND I work in the medical field. I also am quite aware that being fat has NOTHING to do with sickness. EVERYBODY gets sick.

I am in GOOD health, despite being OMG OBESE.

Are you aware of the studies of the mortality rate of underweight individuals compared with overweight individuals? Guess who has the lower mortality rate?

Are you aware of the studies that show excess fat actually HELPS patients survive disease?

Did you know that individuals who constantly diet are actually in worse shape than fat individuals who embrace Heath at Every Size?

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop.

Great blog, Lindsey! I hope you are doing well in school.

Mick: I only approved your comment to say this: The things you listed are results of unhealthy eating, not of fat in and of itself. Everything you’re referring to is based on the assumption that all fat people live unhealthy lifestyles, something which, while is true for some, is certainly not true for all. I’d also recommend taking a look at this post on Shapely Prose, which says it better than I certainly ever could:
http://kateharding.net/but-dont-you-realize-fat-is-unhealthy/

Annie: Thanks for acknowledging that there are cases of fat being bad for you, in the more extreme ranges. I guess the reason why I say that fat itself is not what makes one unhealthy is because in both those cases, it is the weight of the fat, not the actual cells themselves. I’m not trying to pick at you, because I do realize that, even though I didn’t mention it in this entry, since it was supposed to be more about empowerment, those complications did float through my head while I was typing it.

One other one I speculate is trying to deliver a baby when up in the higher ranges of weight, where your belly might also weigh a lot and be able to weigh down on the baby after the water is burst. However, that would only be a problem if you were laying on your back, and that’s a VERY bad position for ANYONE to give birth in. It should be actively avoided by anyone attempting to give birth. But I could see that causing a similar problem as with the lungs, if it were attempted.

However, you’re quite right – I’ll stick with FA too And the science is just coming up all over the place against the nonsense in the media, so it’s just a matter of getting it out to the ignoramuses in the public and in the government and in the healthcare business.

Good post, I especially like the references to gaining attribute points.

What is “FA” ?