J. Patterson, ,Straight Talk on AIDS: What we know and what we don't Shape (June 1987) From Shape...
1
help consumers better utilize mussels and molluscs. Joyce A. Nettleton, D.Sc., R.D., Nu- trition Consultant, 56 Tower Rd., Lexington, MA 02173. Straight Talk on AIDS: What we know and what we don't, Patterson, J., Shape, June 1987, pp. 18,20, 24- 2.5, 140. From Shape Magazine, 21100 Erwin St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; and AIDS: What we know now, Zimmerman, D., and K. Gold- stein, McCall's, April 1987, pp. 143- 47. From McCall's, 3807 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010. As the public education campaign about AIDS continues, we see more and more articles about AIDS in the popular press. These are just two re- cent examples of the coverage. The McCall's article is a fairly straightfor- ward discussion of the facts including how AIDS is transmitted, the risks to women and children, the Surgeon General's guidelines for safer sex, and the future. The article also lists re- sources including hotline numbers, in- formation sources, and support groups. One basic message that the article conveys to consumers is that most women who are not in high-risk groups or locations, and who are not involved with partners in those groups, have a very low risk of con- tacting AIDS. In contrast, the article in Shape magazine presents a gloomier picture for sexually active adults, both male and female. The author also makes quite clear her personal views about the hazards of casual sex. The safe sex guidelines that she presents are much more stringent than those advocated by the Surgeon General and some other groups. The author also dis- cusses the particular dangers of preg- nancy to women in high-risk groups, and supports the Centers for Disease Control's recommendation that such women have AIDS antibody tests be- fore becoming pregnant. S.A.B. The lO.day Cleansing Diet, Kenton, L., New Woman, June 1987, pp. 133- 3.5. From New Woman, News Publish- ing Inc., 21.5 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. This article, a condensed version of THE POPULAR PRESS the author's book titled The lO-day Pure Body Plan, describes a "spring- cleaning regimen" which is based mostly on raw, fresh foods and which is similar to the rejuvenating diets found in American and European spas. The author claims that the diet in- creases vitality, improves physical ap- pearance and psychological well- being, and helps prevent premature aging. In addition, the diet's high pec- tin content supposedly detoxifies the body of poisonous wastes, and the high potassium content eliminates the strain and nervousness often associ- ated with dieting. The plan itself is divided into four phases including an initial prediet day during which dieters are supposed to eliminate caffeine and carbohydrates. Days two and three are fruit fasts, designed to spur rapid elimination; and both fruits and vegetables (raw, of course) are allowed on days four through eight. The final two days are reorientation and allow for the gradual reintroduction of cooked foods. According to the author the only negative effects of the plan are possi- ble "cleansing reactions" which ap- pear as headaches, muscle or joint pain, tiredness, or unsettled emotions. The author advises readers not to worry as it is all part of the elimination process, and the side-effects are due to the rapid release of stored toxins: The author encourages plenty of rest and fresh air to combat the cleansing reaction. Unfortunately, the information in the article is not factual and has no basis in sound nutritional principles. The article is filled with false claims, inaccuracies, and meaningless phrases which may sound plausible to some readers. No mention is made of the potentially harmful effects of this diet including diarrhea, low blood sugar, weakness, and inadequate key nu- trients. The plan is deficient in almost all essential nutrients, including pro- tein, calcium', and iron. I hope that readers of New Woman will recognize this diet as another version of the Bev- erly Hills Diet and avoid it for the sake of their health and well being. Eileen L. Daniel, D.Ed., R.D., Assist- ant Professor, Dept. of Health Sci- ence, State University of New York, College at Brockport, Brockport, NY 14420. 260 JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION Turn Fat to Muscle with the Thermic Diet, Vash, P., Shape, June 1987, pp. 100-3. From Shape Magazine, 21100 Erwin St. , Woodland Hills, CA 91367. The Thermic Diet is what's hot in weight loss. This purportedly success- ful approach to weight loss and main- tenance focuses on increasing meta- bolic rate to enhance the body's abil- ity to burn calories. Regular aerobic exercise is a key element in this pro- gram to "turn fat to muscle." Metab- olism is further boosted by selecting a diet rich in "high calorie burning foods." With the assistance of a dietitian, Dr. Vash has developed a sound nutri- tional program that includes a variety of foods and balanced meals. How- ever, the 1000-calorie a day diet may be too restrictive for many people to follow and could result in nutritional inadequacies over the long term. Strong points of the diet are its high- carbohydrate content (5.5%) and em- phasis on low-fat foods. However, the extremely low fat level of the diet (15%) eliminates all added fats and sweets, and-most likely-dieters' adherence. Heat is what distinguishes the Thermic Diet from other diets. The high-protein diet (30%) capitalizes on the fact that the caloric cost of digest- ing and assimilating protein is greater than that of carbohydrate and fat. Thus a larger percentage of calories on the Thermic Diet are not available to the body. This "wasting" of calories is referred to as dietary-induced thermogenesis. The author also pro- motes the high carbohydrate content of the diet as another means of gen- erating heat production and, thus, cal- orie wasting. Carbohydrates can stim- ulate brown adipose tissue to burn fat as fuel. However, this phenomena has been demonstrated in animals under conditions of overfeeding, not dieting. The role of brown adipose tissue in adult humans is still poorly under- stood. Thus, although these metabolic effects may have been demonstrated under laboratory conditions, their ef- fectiveness as a means of weight loss for humans is still unproven. Annette Keochekian, M.S., R.D., Die- titian, Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, 730 Welch Rd., Suite B, Stanford, CA 94305. VOLUME 19 NUMBER 5 1987
Transcript of J. Patterson, ,Straight Talk on AIDS: What we know and what we don't Shape (June 1987) From Shape...
help consumers better utilize mussels and molluscs.
Joyce A. Nettleton, D.Sc., R.D., Nutrition Consultant, 56 Tower Rd., Lexington, MA 02173.
Straight Talk on AIDS: What we know and what we don't, Patterson, J., Shape, June 1987, pp. 18,20, 24-2.5, 140. From Shape Magazine, 21100 Erwin St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; and AIDS: What we know now, Zimmerman, D., and K. Goldstein, McCall's, April 1987, pp. 143-47. From McCall's, 3807 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010.
As the public education campaign about AIDS continues, we see more and more articles about AIDS in the popular press. These are just two recent examples of the coverage. The McCall's article is a fairly straightforward discussion of the facts including how AIDS is transmitted, the risks to women and children, the Surgeon General's guidelines for safer sex, and the future. The article also lists resources including hotline numbers, information sources, and support groups. One basic message that the article conveys to consumers is that most women who are not in high-risk groups or locations, and who are not involved with partners in those groups, have a very low risk of contacting AIDS.
In contrast, the article in Shape magazine presents a gloomier picture for sexually active adults, both male and female. The author also makes quite clear her personal views about the hazards of casual sex. The safe sex guidelines that she presents are much more stringent than those advocated by the Surgeon General and some other groups. The author also discusses the particular dangers of pregnancy to women in high-risk groups, and supports the Centers for Disease Control's recommendation that such women have AIDS antibody tests before becoming pregnant.
S.A.B.
The lO.day Cleansing Diet, Kenton, L., New Woman, June 1987, pp. 133-3.5. From New Woman, News Publishing Inc., 21.5 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016.
This article, a condensed version of
THE POPULAR PRESS
the author's book titled The lO-day Pure Body Plan, describes a "springcleaning regimen" which is based mostly on raw, fresh foods and which is similar to the rejuvenating diets found in American and European spas. The author claims that the diet increases vitality, improves physical appearance and psychological wellbeing, and helps prevent premature aging. In addition, the diet's high pectin content supposedly detoxifies the body of poisonous wastes, and the high potassium content eliminates the strain and nervousness often associated with dieting.
The plan itself is divided into four phases including an initial prediet day during which dieters are supposed to eliminate caffeine and carbohydrates. Days two and three are fruit fasts, designed to spur rapid elimination; and both fruits and vegetables (raw, of course) are allowed on days four through eight. The final two days are reorientation and allow for the gradual reintroduction of cooked foods.
According to the author the only negative effects of the plan are possible "cleansing reactions" which appear as headaches, muscle or joint pain, tiredness, or unsettled emotions. The author advises readers not to worry as it is all part of the elimination process, and the side-effects are due to the rapid release of stored toxins: The author encourages plenty of rest and fresh air to combat the cleansing reaction.
Unfortunately, the information in the article is not factual and has no basis in sound nutritional principles. The article is filled with false claims, inaccuracies, and meaningless phrases which may sound plausible to some readers. No mention is made of the potentially harmful effects of this diet including diarrhea, low blood sugar, weakness, and inadequate key nutrients. The plan is deficient in almost all essential nutrients, including protein, calcium', and iron. I hope that readers of New Woman will recognize this diet as another version of the Beverly Hills Diet and avoid it for the sake of their health and well being.
Eileen L. Daniel, D.Ed., R.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Health Science, State University of New York, College at Brockport, Brockport, NY 14420.
260 JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION
Turn Fat to Muscle with the Thermic Diet, Vash, P., Shape, June 1987, pp. 100-3. From Shape Magazine, 21100 Erwin St. , Woodland Hills, CA 91367.
The Thermic Diet is what's hot in weight loss. This purportedly successful approach to weight loss and maintenance focuses on increasing metabolic rate to enhance the body's ability to burn calories. Regular aerobic exercise is a key element in this program to "turn fat to muscle." Metabolism is further boosted by selecting a diet rich in "high calorie burning foods."
With the assistance of a dietitian, Dr. Vash has developed a sound nutritional program that includes a variety of foods and balanced meals. However, the 1000-calorie a day diet may be too restrictive for many people to follow and could result in nutritional inadequacies over the long term. Strong points of the diet are its highcarbohydrate content (5.5%) and emphasis on low-fat foods. However, the extremely low fat level of the diet (15%) eliminates all added fats and sweets, and-most likely-dieters' adherence.
Heat is what distinguishes the Thermic Diet from other diets. The high-protein diet (30%) capitalizes on the fact that the caloric cost of digesting and assimilating protein is greater than that of carbohydrate and fat. Thus a larger percentage of calories on the Thermic Diet are not available to the body. This "wasting" of calories is referred to as dietary-induced thermogenesis. The author also promotes the high carbohydrate content of the diet as another means of generating heat production and, thus, calorie wasting. Carbohydrates can stimulate brown adipose tissue to burn fat as fuel. However, this phenomena has been demonstrated in animals under conditions of overfeeding, not dieting. The role of brown adipose tissue in adult humans is still poorly understood. Thus, although these metabolic effects may have been demonstrated under laboratory conditions, their effectiveness as a means of weight loss for humans is still unproven.
Annette Keochekian, M.S., R.D., Dietitian, Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, 730 Welch Rd., Suite B, Stanford, CA 94305.
VOLUME 19 NUMBER 5 1987
