It's a classic case of media reporting "science" that, at best, suggests maybe some followup quality research. After which we may know something useful.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/scien ... 7527262034
So, some comment...Scientists try to mimic American diet 6000 calories of burger and pizza every day
SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
SIX unlikely heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice to see if eating like an American has an adverse effect on the human body.
Researchers from Temple University in Philadelphia conducted the unique experiment in the hope to discover a correlation between overeating and type 2 diabetes.
Co-author Salim Merali said for the purpose of the study, six healthy males were “forced” to consume 6000 calories every day for a whole week — a diet consisting of about 50 per cent carbohydrates, 35 per cent fats, and 15 per cent protein.
“It was a regular, American diet, composed of pizzas, hamburgers and that sort of thing,” he told New Scientist.
“They took to the diet, and liked it.”
The only catch was subjects were required to forgo any physical exercise for the entire duration of the experiment and were also forced to remain bed-bound so they could be carefully monitored.
“In that time, the men gained an average of 3.5kg and showed signs of insulin resistance as well as oxidative stress,” wrote the researchers.
This meant their sugar-absorbing insulin stopped working, which caused glucose to build up in their bloodstream instead of getting absorbed by their cells — a factor that can lead to diabetes.
Co-author Guenther Boden said while he expected to see some changes in the patients, he was shocked at just how fast they occurred.
“I was more surprised at the rapidity of the onset than the magnitude,” he told Yahoo.
“The change happened after a day or two — and became significant after three days.”
Mr Boden said as researchers now had proof overeating can be instrumental in the development of type 2 diabetes, the challenge was to move the research forward.
“The very first thing we’re going to do is to see how reversible this is,” he said.
“Now that we know you can cause insulin resistance very quickly if you overeat, but what if you return to your normal eating habits with a lower caloric intake — how long will it take to go away? And does it go away at all?
“We’re going to find the answer, but my guess is it’s reversible just as fast as it comes.”
Well, that "only" catch is pretty damned significant, given the ease with which things like exercise affect metabolic processes.The only catch was subjects were required to forgo any physical exercise for the entire duration of the experiment and were also forced to remain bed-bound so they could be carefully monitored.
Not to mention that it is a sample of only six. That screams p-hacking opportunity and I wonder if this was the single item measured. Or just the only one that supported one of many already held belief.
And finally no mention of a few others eating a reasonable diet also having to stay in bed as a control group
Is it a result of bad food? Or of extreme inactivity? Or both? Or of chance.
Now I am no champion of McDonalds. But PULEEZ, can the media show at least a little selectivity? My guess is that this bit of tripe will be given too much coverage for a short time on newscasts and that everyone with a diet of any sort other than high calorie greasy fast food will use this "science" to prop up their own diet, whether it has has any merit or not.
