Calorie Restrictors Can Eat It

Why do legitimate media sources feel the need to cover commercial fad diets? Atkins', Long Beach, the Zone: reviews of these diets belongs in the book review section, with the other books trying to sell you things, not in the science, or health, or news sections. If there is scientific research involved, cover that, not the people trying to pimp that research for personal gain.

One of the latest niche diets to receive a lot of press is known as "calorie restriction," where people strictly monitor their caloric intake using computer programs and carefully weighed portions to maintain an abnormally low intake of calories. If you have ever been to Denny's, you know that this is a diet that's going nowhere until the Grand Slam loses popularity. Atkins', with its green light on saturated fats, at least had a chance, or at least until "Dr." Robert Atkins had a heart attack and died later of kidney failure at a sizable 255 lbs.

Calorie Restriction (CR) is unusual as a diet in that the overall goal is not actually better health, lower weight, or better appearance, but rather longevity. CR advocates cite research in which some mice (not people) and a couple of monkeys (also not people), lived longer than "norms" on a restricted-calorie diet. So what? I bet those mice and monkeys were hungry all the fucking time and got pissed to see the other animals getting normal amounts of food. That rage alone may have been enough to keep the animals alive- just to show the normal animals up.

Remember, you don't win friends with salad.