The Cure for Everything!

[La]

This new book by Tim Caulfield looks really interesting. The link below is to an exerpt from the introduction.

http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDispl ... ml?sym=EXC

[MikeM]

Thanks, that looks like it's right up my alley. It's on my library hold list now.

[La]

I just bought the book, so will give a review once I've read it. So far, I like what I've read in the introduction, specifically these parts:

Every day we are showered with advice about our health. We are told we are fat. We are told what to eat. We are told what not to eat. We are told to cleanse. We are told to take supplements. We are told we need to exercise. We are told to stretch. We are told to take pharmaceuticals. We are told to avoid pharmaceuticals. We are told to get our meridians centred.

We are told to get healthy, damn it!

Of course, it’s true that there has never been more evidence—of vastly differing degrees of quality—to support this advice. We live in the health-science era. It’s everywhere. Pick up a newspaper: there is a good chance you will find several stories on biomedical research. Often the stories are frivolous reports describing a new diet or exercise routine. But some others may be about the latest big science discoveries—a scientific breakthrough, for instance, promising life-enhancing remedies in just a few years. There are also stories that come from the scientific fringe. My local newspaper seems to have at least one article a week on the benefits of some form of alternative remedy, practices deriving from the realms of homeopathy, chiropractic, and naturopathy. Regardless of the source, all of these stories have a common theme: our health.

[…]

My aim is to clarify the picture and explain the forces that have made it obscure. I will try to strip away the hype and the agendas to reveal the sound evidence where it exists, and its absence when the research hasn’t been done. I will also provide practical advice (and warnings) for those wishing to navigate the churning sea of facts, findings, and fears associated with emerging health technologies and health-promoting strategies.

[Darth Tater]

I thought this thread would be about bacon.

[La]

Thanks for that, Darth. Mmmmm, bacon!

Now, back to the book...

Chapter 1 is on fitness. Here are some quotes/summarized points:
"What, precicely, is fitness? Is it the ability to run a fast marathon even if you look like a stickly, starved, waif? Is it the ability to lift 500 pounds despite a BMI that categorizes you as obese? [...] Or is it the capacity to have fun chasing your kids around a park? All of these things measure physical ability. But are they attributes of fitness?'
I'll tell you what fitness is: sex. Sex and good abs. Or, more accurately, the cultivation of good abs in order to get lots of good sex."

- You can't lose weight through exercise alone. At best, you'll be able to maintain and not succumb to the poundage creep that we all experience as we age.
- Muscle does not burn significantly more calories than fat.
- You cannot reduce fat in any specific area of your body, and there is no such thing as "toning."
- Stretching is generally useless.
- low-intensity (i.e., high-rep) weight training is generally useless, lifting challenging weight (8-12 reps) is more effective.
- resistance training is actually better than endurance training, even for endurance athletes. "Note to endurance athletes: the key is to devote a day to lifting. You must truly replace the endurance work with weights. You shouldn't do a mix."
- compound exercises (chin ups, rowing, etc.) are better than exercises that isolate one muscle (e.g., biceps curls), also exercises that put you through a range of motion.

That's all I've read so far, but it's been very eye-opening!

[mas_runner]

- You can't lose weight through exercise alone. At best, you'll be able to maintain and not succumb to the poundage creep that we all experience as we age.

How does he explain this? Surely if you are exercise and consume 2400 calories a day you will be more likely to lose weight than if you were sedentary and consumed 2400 calories a day. Depending on the daily calorific needs of this individual, say you need 2000 to maintain, but consume 2400 and burn 800 extra from exercise, you would lose weight compared to not exercising and taking in an extra 400 a day?

[La]

- You can't lose weight through exercise alone. At best, you'll be able to maintain and not succumb to the poundage creep that we all experience as we age.

How does he explain this? Surely if you are exercise and consume 2400 calories a day you will be more likely to lose weight than if you were sedentary and consumed 2400 calories a day. Depending on the daily calorific needs of this individual, say you need 2000 to maintain, but consume 2400 and burn 800 extra from exercise, you would lose weight compared to not exercising and taking in an extra 400 a day?

Read the book.

Yes, the formula you describe is thoretically correct, however in actuality, people often over-compensate for exercise by eating more (exercise can make you hungry). And it doesn't burn as many calories as we think it does.

Read the book.

[fe.RMT]

Toronto library has 30 copies and no holds, so I should get one quickly. No e-copies unfortunately.

[mas_runner]

Yes, the formula you describe is thoretically correct, however in actuality, people often over-compensate for exercise by eating more (exercise can make you hungry). And it doesn't burn as many calories as we think it does.

Read the book.

Thanks, ah yes the overcompensating, been guilty of that in the past. I will check this book out, sounds interesting.

[jgore]

Read the book.

Are you actually recommending the book or simply trying to stop us from expressing opinions without having read it, 'cuz you know that ain't gonna happen. Lack of facts has never silenced us in the past.

[La]

Read the book.

Are you actually recommending the book or simply trying to stop us from expressing opinions without having read it, 'cuz you know that ain't gonna happen. Lack of facts has never silenced us in the past.

Both.

Oh, I know people are still going to express their opinions regardless. I just think if people want to know/understand why he is making the claims he's making (i.e., what evidence he has to back it up) that they should read the book, since he'll do a much better job of explaining it than I will!

I'm just summarizing his points as a way of giving people of sample of what they'll find in the book if they are interested in learning more.

[MINITEE]

Thanks for that, Darth. Mmmmm, bacon!

Now, back to the book...

Chapter 1 is on fitness. Here are some quotes/summarized points:
"What, precicely, is fitness? Is it the ability to run a fast marathon even if you look like a stickly, starved, waif? Is it the ability to lift 500 pounds despite a BMI that categorizes you as obese? [...] Or is it the capacity to have fun chasing your kids around a park? All of these things measure physical ability. But are they attributes of fitness?'
I'll tell you what fitness is: sex. Sex and good abs. Or, more accurately, the cultivation of good abs in order to get lots of good sex."

- You can't lose weight through exercise alone. At best, you'll be able to maintain and not succumb to the poundage creep that we all experience as we age.
- Muscle does not burn significantly more calories than fat.
- You cannot reduce fat in any specific area of your body, and there is no such thing as "toning."
- Stretching is generally useless.
- low-intensity (i.e., high-rep) weight training is generally useless, lifting challenging weight (8-12 reps) is more effective.
- resistance training is actually better than endurance training, even for endurance athletes. "Note to endurance athletes: the key is to devote a day to lifting. You must truly replace the endurance work with weights. You shouldn't do a mix."
- compound exercises (chin ups, rowing, etc.) are better than exercises that isolate one muscle (e.g., biceps curls), also exercises that put you through a range of motion.

That's all I've read so far, but it's been very eye-opening!

I agree whole-heartedly with all of the bolded (well, except for the stretching part... lol... )

[Spirit Unleashed]

At best, you'll be able to maintain and not succumb to the poundage creep that we all experience as we age.

And the amount of exercise plus trying not to over eat is in reality a stark realization. The way is pretty narrow.

[ultraslacker]

Looks interesting... will have to get my hands on it.

Right now I'm reading "The 4 Hour Body" (same guy who wrote 4 Hour Work Week). It's really interesting, but I think rather far-fetched in a number of areas. He relies a LOT on supplements and extreme regiments too. But with that said, he has a lot of fascinating stuff to say.

He spends a fair amount of time talking about how calories in vs calories out does NOT work in real life because the types of calories do make a difference. But then he also advocates a no-fruit diet, so... :P

[jgore]

On hold at the library. 30 copies in the Toronto system and none of them were at the Beaches branch.

[ultraslacker]

Only 7 in VPL but I'm 2nd in line. :)

[oobinsnaffa]

I'm going to have to see if I can get a copy of this from the library here. It sounds very interesting.

[Doonst]

I honestly believe that I lost weight by exercise alone. I can't imagine that my caloric intake went down at all when I became a runner, and I lost over 30 pounds.

[Jwolf]

You guys skipped over the most interesting(?) comment: fitness is.... Sex? Huh? That one I don't really get. There are a lot of very unfit people I know who seem to do fine in that department!!

[msdesigner]

OPL has ordered 12 copies. 8 on are on hold.

[La]

How about this nugget:

"Obesity causes inactivity; inactivity doesn't cause obesity."

[mas_runner]

Only 7 in VPL but I'm 2nd in line.

7 visible panty lines, damn, this may be worth a read...

[deerdree]

it's funny, when i first read this thread, i assumed the book was written by a doctor, not a lawyer.

now that i've looked more closely, i realize that it's someone in my field (i call him timothy, which is probably why i didn't automatically make the connection). i'll definitely have to buy this book!

[La]

Dee, I thought of you a lot while reading it.

[QuickChick]

But then he also advocates a no-fruit diet, so...

No fruit???! That sounds horrible. A no-"anything" diet sounds horrible actually, but fruit is probably the last thing I would ever cut!!