JackChristopher comments on You're Entitled to Arguments, But Not (That Particular) Proof - Less Wrong

57 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 15 February 2010 07:58AM

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Comment author: timtyler 16 February 2010 09:04:15AM 3 points [-]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturated_fat#Saturated_fat_intake_and_disease_-_Claimed_associations

...doesn't look as though scientists were "randomly making things" up to me.

Comment author: JackChristopher 17 February 2010 03:37:26AM *  6 points [-]
Comment author: timtyler 17 February 2010 10:59:58AM *  -1 points [-]

I am not particularly interested in a discussion of the virtues of saturated fat. It certainly seems like a bad example of scientists randomly making things up, though.

FWIW, here is a reasonably well-balanced analyisis of the 2010 study you mentioned:

"Study fails to link saturated fat, heart disease"

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61341020100204

If you look at guidance on saturated fat it often recommends replacing it with better fats - e.g.:

"You should replace foods high in saturated fats with foods high in monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fats."

Epidemiological studies no-doubt include many who substituted saturated fats with twinkies.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 20 February 2010 03:11:09PM 3 points [-]

Where does the "guidance" come from? You can't cite "guidance" as evidence against the proposition that dietary scientists were making stuff up.

Comment author: timtyler 20 February 2010 03:31:59PM *  0 points [-]

I was explaining a problem with studies like the one cited - in exploring the hypotheses that saturated fats are inferior to various other fats. Basically, they don't bear on those hypotheses.

In this particular case, the authors pretty clearly stated that: "More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat."