{"id":3278,"date":"2010-03-14T23:15:47","date_gmt":"2010-03-14T21:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.ultimatefatburner.com\/?p=3278"},"modified":"2015-02-15T09:24:57","modified_gmt":"2015-02-15T14:24:57","slug":"small-angry-people-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/small-angry-people-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Angry People II"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have to admit, I was tempted to call this post \u201cB***h Right 4 Your Type,\u201d in honor of the review (\u201dEat Right 4 Your Type<\/a>\u201c) \u2013 and subsequent comment by \u201cElizabeth Victoria\u201d – that inspired it. But since I already have\u00a0a post titled\u00a0\u201cSmall, Angry People<\/a>,\u201d I figured I\u2019d\u00a0turn this one into a\u00a0sequel. It\u2019s not as clevah, perhaps, but the shoe (definitely) fits.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the deal?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the background:\u00a0 Like most sensible people,\u00a0Paul found D\u2019Adamo\u2019s blood type\/diet\u00a0\u201ctheory\u201d to be based on pseudoscientific BS…. so he said so in his review.\u00a0And, like most sensible people who write sensible things, he drew the ire of several \u201ctrue believers\u201d confused about \u201ccause and effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

No surprises there. On the forums I mod, I\u2019ve been dealing with people attracted to\u00a0this goofy\u00a0program\u00a0for years. My responses on the topic have ranged from flippant\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019m O+ and have no problems with either wheat or dairy foods. Never have, and I\u2019ve been around long enough to say it\u2019s not likely that I ever will.<\/p>\n

And please don\u2019t say that if I removed these foods from my diet, I might do even better. If I were doing any better, I\u2019d have to get myself a set of breast implants, a patriotic leotard, and start fighting crime as a super hero.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

to serious\u2026<\/p>\n

As noted above, I reviewed this as part of a booklet on popular diets for FLR. D\u2019Adamo simply has a ton of the science wrong. As I wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cD\u2019Adamo contends that blood type O represents the oldest blood type and people with this type are best suited to a diet that parallels what ancient hunter-gatherers ate. He also proposes that the evolution of other blood types occurred relatively recently, in response to the changes in diet and environment brought about by agriculture and other changes in lifestyle. People with blood type A are supposed to do best on vegetarian diets, as did the ancestral farmers who were allegedly the first to express this allele between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. On the other hand, people with blood type B do better on mixed diets, like their nomadic, often warlike Asian ancestors did. D\u2019Adamo writes that type AB arose barely 1000 years ago, and represents, in his words, \u2018the perfect metaphor for modern life: complex and unsettled.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists studying the molecular evolution of the ABO blood group antigens tell a very different story, however. ABO blood types also occur in primates, and D\u2019Adamo does not explain how the A and B antigens \u2013 which are supposed to have developed in response to civilization-driven dietary alterations \u2013 could have arisen independently in these species in the absence of such lifestyle changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

More importantly, D\u2019Adamo ignores current scientific evidence that: a) the \u2018A\u2019 antigen \u2013 not \u2018O\u2019 evolved first<\/a>; b) the selection pressures favoring variation are thought to be protection from disease and\/or infection (2) \u2013 not diet; and c) all of the ABO blood group divisions evolved millions \u2013 not thousands \u2013 of years ago. (3,4) Even worse for D\u2019Adamo\u2019s case, there are a large number of ABO variants that have been identified* \u2013 40 for the O antigen alone<\/a>, (3) which makes a dietary system based on only 4 divisions childishly simplistic.<\/span><\/p>\n

D\u2019Adamo also loses it on his explanation between diet and blood type. D\u2019Adamo claims that proteins in foods known as \u2018lectins\u2019 cause \u2018agglutination\u2019 reactions in blood cells, with largely detrimental consequences to your digestion and health. He\u2019s correct that lectins are ubiquitous, and that they can agglutinate blood cells (at least under laboratory conditions using cell cultures) \u2013 but he misses the fact that most food lectins are not ABO blood group-specific. The majority of lectins derived from food will react with cells from all blood group antigens, or with none. (5)\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If that isn\u2019t convincing, consider the fact that I\u2019m O+ myself, and \u2013 according to my most recent pics \u2013 appear to be doing ok, despite my daily consumption of eggs and whey. Admittedly, wheat isn\u2019t a major presence in my diet, but it isn\u2019t because I have any problems with it \u2013 quite the contrary (I\u2019ve eaten wheat for years and still consume some every now and then)\u2026it\u2019s just that I prefer my carb calories to come from more nutrient-dense sources (veggies\/fruit, legumes, dairy)\u2026I don\u2019t eat a lot of grains these days at all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, naturally, Paul has my complete sympathy. It\u2019s not easy to explain the difference between pseudoscience and real science to people who don\u2019t understand\u00a0– and often don’t WANT to understand –\u00a0the distinction.<\/p>\n

So where does \u201cElizabeth Victoria\u201d fit into all this?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s simple: Paul, naturally enough, responded to\u00a0most of the\u00a0negative\/confused commenters in the thread. And \u201cElizabeth Victoria\u201d found Paul\u2019s responses objectionable\u2026 to put it mildly<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On March 8, 2010, a gynocologist (M.D.) advised me to begin following this diet. Skeptical, even though a bonafied physician recommended it, I searched for reviews from others in the medical field and from those who tried eating for their blood type. I was shocked\u2026flabbergasted\u2026 at the raw, insulting responses you provided to those who took the time to express their beliefs. I would postulate that all of those taking the time to write were well-intentioned; and had your responses been educational more than rude, they might have thought twice before continuing with the diet. I wonder what deep woundedness you come from to be so bitterly defensive.<\/p>\n

I do not know whether I will try this approach, partly because I, like most people in the standard deviation of 1, take responses such as yours as unadultrated narcissism and it discredits you; even though you may be correct in your beliefs. I truly wish you the best, and hope you will consider working on your social skills.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ROFLMAO!!! And she thinks PAUL <\/strong>needs to work on his social skills!?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve known and worked with\u00a0the man\u00a0for over 2 years, and lemme tell you:\u00a0Paul is\u00a0the most even-tempered, good-natured and\u00a0fair-minded\u00a0dude on the face of the planet. I combed through\u00a0his review and\u00a0responses twice, and\u00a0saw absolutely\u00a0NOTHING to warrant charges of\u00a0\u201draw,\u201d \u201cinsulting;\u201d\u00a0“bitterly defensive” or\u00a0\u201cunadultrated [sic<\/em>] narcissism.\u201d<\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t have to take my word for it\u2026 Here\u2019s a representative sample:<\/p>\n

Aaron, I can see you spent a LOT of time reading the review. If you did, you\u2019ll see that it\u2019s not just us who disagrees with D\u2019Adamo theories, but plenty of \u201cdoctors\u201d as well.<\/p>\n

\u2026Regarding your \u201cdoctor\u201d comment. Wow. I already addressed this in the article, but you were obviously too busy preparing to share your opinion, rather than actually reviewing our article to see what the basis for our conclusions were.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sigh. We give up. Really, who can argue with statements like \u201cwho\u2019s to say your facts are any more reputable than Dr.D\u2019Adamo\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

The point, Lee \u2013 had you actually READ the review you would have undoubtedly noticed this \u2013 is that D\u2019Adamo doesn\u2019t have any evidence upon which to base his theory.<\/p>\n

\u2026Additionally \u2013 again had you READ the review you would have noticed this \u2013 there are numerous reasons why the diet will work, but absolutely none of them have anything to do with your blood type.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I can see why you don\u2019t understand why we devote some time \u201cbad mouthing this book.\u201d After all, you haven\u2019t taken the time to find out who we are, or what we do. Let me explain\u2026 our job is to take the claims made by the author of any diet we review, and determine whether or not there is any sound science backing them up.<\/p>\n

\u2026Secondly, despite your assertion, you apparently haven\u2019t even bothered to read the review. If you had, you would have seen that we pointed that there are plenty of solid reasons why this diet may work for you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

M, thanks for sending this along. But this is not \u201cproof\u201d nor does it validate D\u2019Adamo\u2019s theory. In fact, even the author of this paper agrees. For instance, see page 14, \u201cCan food sensitivities be predicted by blood type? Yes and No.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To summarize your argument you are saying that even if D\u2019Adamo\u2019s theories are a bust, it\u2019s of little consequence since the end result \u2013 people begin making intelligent eating choices and lifestyle changes and are losing weight \u2013 is a good one. Personally, we can see why anyone would think that, but there are issues with this line of thinking.<\/p>\n

\u2026Secondly, you make the statement \u201c79% of the people who bought the book would recommend it.\u201d That is incorrect. 79% of the people who bought the book AND who left feedback on Amazon would recommend it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shorter Paul: \u201cYou didn\u2019t read\/understand my review.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

OMG –\u00a0\u00a0Ah have the vapors!!! Pass the smelling salts!!!\u00a0\u00a0How much lower could\u00a0he possibly go!?? \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n

I hope you can tell I\u2019m being sarcastic, here. To be honest, the only thing I found \u201dshocking\u201d or \u201cflabbergasting\u201d about Paul\u2019s responses, is that someone found them \u201cshocking\u201d or \u201cflabbergasting\u201d in the first place.\u00a0Sure,\u00a0some annoyance comes across, but this is\u00a0pretty mild, under the circumstances.\u00a0\u00a0Paul\u00a0works\u00a0his a** off to give people useful information,\u00a0so I can hardly blame the guy for\u00a0being irritated by\u00a0accusations of \u00a0“slander<\/a>”\u00a0and “negative judgements<\/a>“.\u00a0\u00a0But\u00a0he never lost\u00a0his temper, told anyone off\u00a0or called\u00a0them \u00a0names… which is what most rational people would consider “raw” and “insulting.”\u00a0In truth, the\u00a0most “raw” and “insulting” comments in the\u00a0thread belong to\u00a0Liz herself.<\/p>\n

I don’t think I’ve ever seen\u00a0a more\u00a0classic case of projection than this. Irony, thy name is “Elizabeth Victoria.”<\/p>\n

Whatever other virtues\u00a0Liz possesses,\u00a0 self-awareness obviously\u00a0isn\u2019t one of them. But then again, she also claims to speak for \u201cthe standard deviation of 1,\u201d so this is probably par for the course. Small, angry people like her\u00a0seldom manage to achieve coherence. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have to admit, I was tempted to call this post \u201cB***h Right 4 Your Type,\u201d in honor of the review (\u201dEat Right 4 Your Type\u201c) \u2013 and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9,14,15,28,29],"tags":[233,556],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3278"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3278"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8938,"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3278\/revisions\/8938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefatburner.com\/ufb-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}