There’s a new survey out by an extreme anti-meat organization whose conclusions will undoubtedly make low-fat guru Dr. Dean Ornish grin from ear to ear. Too bad for them, though, it’s all just one big pretense to prop up their radical vegan agenda and nothing more.
The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine released a February 2006 survey of cardiologists to see how many of them recommend their patients go on a very low-fat vegetarian diet, where less than 15 percent of calories come from fat, to treat coronary heart disease.
Led by Dr. Keith Rafal, clinical Assistant Professor at Brown Medical School, the e-mail muliple-choice survey was sent to physicians who listed cardiology as either their primary or secondary specialty and would answer honestly about what information they share with their patients.
Of the 1,335 physicians who were sent out, a mere 44 of them were completed and returned. Would you like for me to do the math for you on this survey response rate? It’s 3.3 PERCENT! Yikes, even scarier is when you consider there are nearly 25,000 cardiologists in the United States today, PCRM only surveyed 0.18 of ONE PERCENT of them!!! Can you say microscopic sample?!?!
Nevertheless, here are the exciting (and irrelevant!) results from Dr. Rafal and his team from the 44 willing participants in the survey:
- 82 percent were at least “somewhat familiar” with research supporting low-fat diets for cardiac patients.
- But, 63 percent “never or rarely” recommend a low-fat diet for their cardiac patients.
- Of those who do not recommend low-fat, 52 percent said they didn’t think the cardiac patient would do it.
Rafal cited the concerns over failure to comply with the recommendations and with patient dietary preference was a “significant factor” in the survey results.
“It is important to note that research strongly supports the acceptability of very low-fat vegetarian diets,” the PCRM report noted.
Uh, no it doesn’t. Actually the long-term research is finding that a low-fat dietary approach is not at all effective for weight loss or for disease control. In fact, low-fat diets have been shown to make people get fatter while evidence shows that a diet rich in fat and low in carbohydrates is the BEST for heart health.
PCRM doesn’t want to hear any of this TRUTH because it is not in line with what their parent-support organization — PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals!) — is spouting off to the American people. Let’s not forget that PETA pulls stunts like this and then wants us to take them seriously.
And PCRM is no better. They’re the ones behind the most idiotic lawsuit in the history of mankind filed by opportunist Jody Gorran. He is nothing but a puppet for what PCRM wants him to say and probably doesn’t even realize it. But he doesn’t care because he’s given a platform to promote himself while tearing down the great work of the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins.
This low-fat survey conducted by PCRM on 44 cardiologists and the conclusion drawn from it are simply a non sequitor. Unfortunately, though, the media will likely pick up on this survey and tout it as evidence that low-fat diets aren’t being recommended enough by cardiologists. Therefore, we need to sue those doctors for malpractice and witholding information from patients that could be vital to their health.
You think I’m joking, but I’m not. The groundwork is being laid down with this teeny tiny survey to try to turn public opinion in favor of a very low-fat, vegan diet. In others, BYE BYE to ANY dietary approach that includes meat, namely livin’ la vida low-carb.
While it is possible to eat a low-carb diet and be a vegetarian or vegan, most of us low-carbers just love sitting down to enjoy a big, juicy steak grilled to perfection with lots of delicious juices flowing all through that tender meat. Oooo, I can just smell the rich aroma of that chargrilled masterpiece just waiting to be cut into and chewed methodically to savor each and every bite. Mmmmm, ahhhhh…
Oh, sorry about that, I was dreaming of eating a big T-bone steak. Okay, I’m back!
The point is, PCRM is trying to create support for a low-fat diet where none exists (outside of lunatics like this!). They assert that “future research” and “further education of hospital administrators” is needed to further prove low-fat as the best recommendation for heart patients, but just the opposite has been found to be true.
Fat restriction is actually the WORST thing you can do for your body according to the latest research while carbohydrate restriction is the champion nutritional approach for improved overall health, including all the factors associated with metabolic syndrome. When it comes to nutritional methods, there is no comparison between low-fat and low-carb — low-carb and all that meat we love to eat is much healthier, tastier, and more effective than a low-fat diet. Get over it already, PCRM!
Interestingly, a counter-PCRM group called The Center For Consumer Freedom said that 96 percent of the members of PCRM are NOT doctors and this group is simply using this survey as a platform for filing more lawsuits. Only in America!
Send an e-mail to Dr. Keith Rafal at Keith_Rafal@brown.edu and let him know how disappointed you are that he has associated himself with such a fanatical and fringe group.
