Taubes actually agrees with mainstream nutrition on this, but misleads his reader into thinking the opposite.
I think that a) Taubes probably wants a more aggressive anti-sugar stance than, say, the government has taken. And b) his readers aren’t actually being misled—they know what the mainstream dieting advice has been.
To be fair to Taubes, I think its largely a ploy to sell books (everyone wants the secret information, not the standard), and if people find it useful to absorb that message, more power to them.
Sugar is one chapter in his first book and less in his second. The books’ pitch has nothing at all to do with sugar: it’s about the low-fat prescription.
All my life, the sugar message has been much more central then the “fat” message (this may be unique to me, as my parents considered pop to basically be bottled poison).
I definitely got a pretty strong anti-sugar message but (importantly I think) it wasn’t a “sugar makes you fat” message.
And b) his readers aren’t actually being misled—they know what the mainstream dieting advice has been.
I think this is where you disagree with the main post (and with me). I know several people who have read Taubes that have no idea what the main stream nutrition advice is (they are steeped in paleo blogs that paint a very dismissive straw man of mainstream nutrition). Case in point: I recently won a $500 bet about whether or not refined sugar was at the base of the food pyramid.
Sugar is one chapter in his first book and less in his second. The books’ pitch has nothing at all to do with sugar: it’s about the low-fat prescription.
Sure, but its the focus of this particular less wrong thread. Throughout the book, Taubes style is to present his information as outside of the mainstream when much of the time, its right in line with the mainstream.
I definitely got a pretty strong anti-sugar message but (importantly I think) it wasn’t a “sugar makes you fat” message.
Can’t speak for Jack, but I remember Eighties and Nineties pop-nutrition advice associating sugar consumption (inaccurately) with hyperactivity and (more accurately, but with caveats) with tooth decay. As regards specific sugar-rich foods, I don’t recall soft drinks ever being blamed for obesity during my childhood, but candy, cake, and cookies all were at times—though this might have as much to do with fat as sugar.
Case in point: I recently won a $500 bet about whether or not refined sugar was at the base of the food pyramid.
So that’s an interesting data point. If this is a common view among paleo/low-carb people than I would certainly agree that Taubes is to blame.
Sure, but its the focus of this particular less wrong thread. Throughout the book, Taubes style is to present his information as outside of the mainstream when much of the time, its right in line with the mainstream.
I didn’t get this impression about his position on sugar from his books. Never thought he departed drastically from the mainstream in terms of advice about sugar consumption. I certainly get this impression from his view on carbohydrates more generally and anti-fat and anti-saturated fat messages( which is what the books are actually about!). If Chris or someone posts something indicating that he is misrepresenting mainstream nutrition science there I’ll change my min.
Then what was bad about it?
It’s hard to reconstruct these things, but Nornagest’s comment is basically what I remember. I definitely remember thinking Popsicles were healthier than ice cream because they didn’t contain fat.
I think that a) Taubes probably wants a more aggressive anti-sugar stance than, say, the government has taken. And b) his readers aren’t actually being misled—they know what the mainstream dieting advice has been.
Sugar is one chapter in his first book and less in his second. The books’ pitch has nothing at all to do with sugar: it’s about the low-fat prescription.
I definitely got a pretty strong anti-sugar message but (importantly I think) it wasn’t a “sugar makes you fat” message.
I think this is where you disagree with the main post (and with me). I know several people who have read Taubes that have no idea what the main stream nutrition advice is (they are steeped in paleo blogs that paint a very dismissive straw man of mainstream nutrition). Case in point: I recently won a $500 bet about whether or not refined sugar was at the base of the food pyramid.
Sure, but its the focus of this particular less wrong thread. Throughout the book, Taubes style is to present his information as outside of the mainstream when much of the time, its right in line with the mainstream.
Then what was bad about it?
Can’t speak for Jack, but I remember Eighties and Nineties pop-nutrition advice associating sugar consumption (inaccurately) with hyperactivity and (more accurately, but with caveats) with tooth decay. As regards specific sugar-rich foods, I don’t recall soft drinks ever being blamed for obesity during my childhood, but candy, cake, and cookies all were at times—though this might have as much to do with fat as sugar.
So that’s an interesting data point. If this is a common view among paleo/low-carb people than I would certainly agree that Taubes is to blame.
I didn’t get this impression about his position on sugar from his books. Never thought he departed drastically from the mainstream in terms of advice about sugar consumption. I certainly get this impression from his view on carbohydrates more generally and anti-fat and anti-saturated fat messages( which is what the books are actually about!). If Chris or someone posts something indicating that he is misrepresenting mainstream nutrition science there I’ll change my min.
It’s hard to reconstruct these things, but Nornagest’s comment is basically what I remember. I definitely remember thinking Popsicles were healthier than ice cream because they didn’t contain fat.