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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 07/01/2013 : 13:02:30
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I just watched this TED talk from Dr. Peter Attia:
http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes.html
He challenges mainstream assumptions about diabetes and obesity. It seemed like something of special interest for this forum because at the heart of his talk is how scientific knowledge is never final, and that to do science right we must be willing to throw out long-held old ideas if new evidence presents itself, and seriously consider and investigate new ideas that contradict our assumptions.
I also liked this talk because he wove in the human element. He even gets so emotional sharing a relevant personal story that his voice cracks and his eyes tear up. And I don't like this emotional consideration for its own sake. I like it because it addresses how our attitudes, judgement, and expressions of those feelings impacts our actions and other people. Too many people avoid doctors, and often because they feel doctors are judging them harshly or are cold and arrogant. It's easy to see how a vicious cycle could start, where people have bad experiences with doctors they feel are judging them, so then they avoid medical treatment until things get really bad, and then they are judged even more harshly, and so on. Just watching this guy break down on stage helps me feel better about going to see doctors. Next time I go I can keep the image of him in my mind and remember that if the doc is treating me coldly, that his or her fault, not mine. But it's difficult, because we're dealing with issues that are deeply personal - chronic pain, diet, quality of life and loss of life.
Anyway, I thought this guy really put together two halves of a complete whole: good, rigorous science that includes reasonable doubt combined with empathy and compassion.
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"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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Edited by - marfknox on 07/01/2013 13:03:55
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2013 : 06:03:22 [Permalink]
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Fascinating. I hope he keeps his word and we don't just have more pseudoscience on the subject.
I see Gary Taubes is involved in the Nutrition Science Initiative - http://nusi.org/about-us/board-of-directors/#.UdLOlzvVCSo
Harriet Hall has a write-up on some of his ideas, although I don't know that this is the totality of his work. - http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/why-we-get-fat/
Even if obesity is our "fault" it makes no sense to be arrogant about it. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2013 : 12:00:06 [Permalink]
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I'm in his shoes with insulin resistance and borderline type 2 diabetes. My current plan and doctor's orders is continued biking and walking exercise, weight reduction, cut out sugars, starch, and non-whole grains, and quit alcohol (more difficult than ever after all these years)...at least until a better way is discovered.
"I'll go wherever the science takes me." Excellent. I have woo friends that like new ideas especially when they differ from established ideas, but they don't seem to care if new ideas are correct or not. Questioning if something really works or not gets a reaction like I just poured a packet of artificial sweetener in their herbal tea.
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| Edited by - ThorGoLucky on 07/02/2013 12:01:34 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2013 : 08:36:08 [Permalink]
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Dr. Attia's initial problem seems to have been that what he was taught about diabetes in med school was dogmatic and not nuanced. I mean, I've known for over 12 years now about the complex feedback loops between insulin resistance, inflammation and obesity. "Getting fat causes diabetes" has been known to be an overly-simple generalization for a long, long time.
In some people, getting fat can cause diabetes. In others, it could be the other way around. In still others, some different factor may be the root cause of both (over-production of corticosteroids, for example). Genetics play a role, also, being primarily responsible for some 50% of cases of metabolic syndrome. This stuff has been known for decades.
Why didn't Dr. Attia know it? He obviously didn't specialize in endocrinology, but did he sleep through the bare-minimum required classes in that subject? It seems that the biggest issue overall is that he's projecting his own arrogance-born-of-ignorance onto the whole medical field, thus setting himself up as some sort of maverick who is obviously just beginning to learn what experts have understood for quite some time. His main point appears to be to parade his own affliction with Dunning-Kruger around the TED stage.
(By the way, if anyone is having trouble watching the talk on the TED site, it is also on YouTube.) |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2013 : 15:16:49 [Permalink]
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| The ending was a bit strange. That was the first time I've see TED video that didn't end in applause. I could guess but I wonder why? |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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TED Talk on Diabetes and Obesity
