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Put
food advice into perspective
Oct. 09, 03
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Food
news makes headlines every week.
Often it’s the latest finding from
the latest study of this or that. Or
it’s a new tidbit of information
that contradicts everything that came
before it.
As often as not, attached to the news is
a piece of advice about what we should,
or should not, be eating – even if
the advice is only implied.
It can be confusing when the news
isn’t put into perspective. The
results of a single study, for instance,
are sometimes taken as proof that a food
has an effect, when much more evidence is
needed before a conclusion can be drawn.
This blizzard of food news and advice
– often reported in dizzying detail
– has another consequence. It can
give people the notion that they can
create a designer diet that will immunize
them against all risk of disease.
That’s not true.
For example, last month I talked about
the rigorous diet and exercise program
fitness guru Jack La Lanne follows. Some
readers asked me if that’s how they
need to live to be healthy.
The answer: It depends.
Jack certainly follows recommendations
for a healthy diet.
He avoids saturated fat, added sugar and
high-sodium foods. He eats whole grains
and lots of fruits and vegetables. He
skips commercial sweets.
And he eats this way consistently.
He also exercises vigorously every day.
So what would be the result if you did
the same?
It’s impossible to say.
That’s because diet and health
advice given to the public –
including what you read in this column
– applies to the population as a
whole, not to individuals.
It’s based on a group’s average
probability for getting a disease, not an
individual’s risk.
So what works for one person won’t
necessarily do the same for another.
For example, science has shown that
eating foods high in saturated fat and
trans fats is associated with higher
rates of coronary artery disease.
In groups of people.
But any specific individual may or may
not develop coronary artery disease if
they eat foods high in these types of
fats. My grandfather ate a terrible diet,
and he lived to be 95. You probably knew
someone, too, who was an exception to the
"rule."
Or someone who ate a dietitian’s
dream diet, only to choke to death on a
peach pit.
Even when you’ve got good genes and
a healthy lifestyle, it’s not
possible to live risk-free.
Misunderstandings about that fact can
lead people to think they can eat their
way to a disease-free life. Or to pop
vitamin supplements or buy specialty
foods they think will make them immune to
disease.
These misunderstandings also make people
vulnerable to industry advertising and
poorly supported health claims on food
labels.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any
health guarantees.
Let this fact inform your response to
food news and approach to lifestyle.
I’m not saying to eat ice cream with
impunity.
What I am saying is that dietary advice
for the general public is meant to be a
guideline – not an individualized
prescription – for good health.
It should give you a general sense of
what’s best for you and your family.
And just like the fine print on the TV
ads say: "Individual results may
vary."
So, do the best you can to follow advice
that we know is best for the population
as a whole. Eat your veggies. Cut down on
processed foods.
But realize that your individual needs
may be somewhat different and that you
can’t eat your way to a risk-free
life in any case.
For individualized advice, see a
registered dietitian or your health care
provider. They can tailor a diet to your
unique medical and family history and
factor in other considerations, too.
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