Dr. Greger’s Vehement Atkins Critique Fails the Test of Science

The desirous and vitriol-filled critique of the Atkins nutriment By Dr. Michael Greger contains messiness of critical review, but almost no science. despite his litevery of experts impressions, Dr. Greger endures no scientific basis for his criticism, and his objects against the dieting argon well-nightimes quite specious. Dr. Gregor offers itsy-bitsy more than a litany of authorities whose major fascia condemnations of the Atkins food also analyze the fundamental tests of science, and in many cases, enlarge the ignorance of those offering critique.Officials such as the electric chair of the Ameri butt end College of Nutrition, as well as the unnamed chief health military officer of Maryland are quoted with disclose-of-context condemnations of the diet that offer no insight as to how their deaths are made. Chairs of various medical departments are similarly quoted, condemning the Atkins fast as nonsense whose author is committing malpractice. In a absolute att empt at fairness, Dr. Greger offers some of Atkins own public statements in contain of his diet, and subjects them to ridicule.Also read thisCritique of material Is Not SalvationHe counters Atkins handout of nutritionists by reciting another litany of professionals who have criticized the diet. Mr. Gregers argument seems to boil down to heres a list of spite people who agree with me. Sadly, Dr. Gregers criticism could have been d superstar in some(prenominal) far more effective focusings with the simple application of basic scientific method. He would have been wiser to conduct a reading and offer a conclusion based on evidence, kind of than relying on unsubstantiated statements by other authorities. Dr. Greger offers both hypotheses, both of which could be tested employ the scientific method.The lesser of the two hypotheses is that the Atkins Diet is ineffective in its stated terminal of sustained weight loss. The best mood to do this would be with a dominanceled deal of two groups, each of whom would use the Atkins Diet for a fixed period of time. wherefore one group, the experimental one, would continue with the diet, patch the control group would abandon it. act monitoring of the weight situation would accordingly indicate whether this diet was effective in the long term, whether a person continues it or not. There are several pitfalls that one could run up against in such an experiment.First, the subject group must be one that is not using any other method of weight control (i. e. exercise, pills, etc. ). Since such a study would, by definition, be longitudinal, the experimenter would have to rely on self-report on this and other aspects of authoritative variables. It is well known that self-report can generate questionable gos when utilized as the fillet of sole measure of variables, peculiar(a)ly in an emotionally charged subject such as weight-loss. The primary dangers could be misreporting diet activities out of embarrassment .Randomization across groups should limit the decadence of information as a result of such considerations. In addition to the matter-of-fact limits with long-term studies, such as subjects displace out, and limited sample Dr. Greger in particular would be wise to be witting of the perhaps of observer bias, or determination bias. His own strong opinions of the efficacy and risks to the subjects of this diet would be apparent to taint his conclusions and possibly the methodology itself. The second and more sweeping of Dr. Gregers hypotheses is the notion that the Atkins Diet is unfounded to the health of the practitioners.Direct experimentation or even observation of existing selective information would be extremely problematic. Obviously, subjecting Human subjects to a hypothetically harmful diet would be considered to be unethical, and basing conclusions on antidotal or even case study info contains its own sets of hazards. In Dr. Gregers case, he would be almost certain to cherry-pick cases that hold back his hypothesis. This may prove to be particularly difficult given that most people, upon ontogenesis negative health consequences from a diet, would likely stop using the diet. The best way for Dr.Greger to test this second hypothesis would be to simply take existing data on nutritional necessities for long-term health, and square up if the Atkins Diet calls for nutrition that reflects these requirements. In that way, Dr. Gereger would be able to point to some data, rather than relying on the opinions of experts in the field. While consensus of opinion in the scientific community can be a compelling argument for a particular hypothesis, by itself, it fails to gestate nearly as much as would the sensible application of the scientific method.