Does using olive oil for frying create trans fats? - The Globe and Mail

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/ask-a-health-expert/does-using-olive-oil-for-frying-create-trans-fats/article15808171/

Re: Trans Fat

In short, we have little idea on which fats, if any, are healthy. 

On Dec 18, 2013, at 4:25 PM, larry.r.trout wrote:

'In 1957, a fledgling nutrition scientist at the University of Illinois persuaded a hospital to give him samples of arteries from patients who had died of heart attacks….

 

It would be more than three decades before those findings were widely accepted — and five decades before the Food and Drug Administration decided that trans fats should be eliminated from the food supply, as it proposed in a rule issued last month.

 

 

 

In the past two years, he has published four papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, two of them devoted to another major culprit he has singled out as responsible for atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries: an excess of polyunsaturated vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower — exactly the types of fats Americans have been urged to consume for the past several decades.

 

The problem, he says, is not LDL, the "bad cholesterol" widely considered to be the major cause of heart disease. What matters is whether the cholesterol and fat residing in those LDL particles have been oxidized. (Technically, LDL is not cholesterol, but particles containing cholesterol, along with fatty acids and protein.)

 

"Cholesterol has nothing to do with heart disease, except if it's oxidized," Dr. Kummerow said. Oxidation is a chemical process that happens widely in the body, contributing to aging and the development of degenerative and chronic diseases. Dr. Kummerow contends that the high temperatures used in commercial frying cause inherently unstable polyunsaturated oils to oxidize, and that these oxidized fatty acids become a destructive part of LDL particles. Even when not oxidized by frying, soybean and corn oils can oxidize inside the body.

 

If true, the hypothesis might explain why studies have found that half of all heart disease patients have normal or low levels of LDL.

 

"You can have fine levels of LDL and still be in trouble if a lot of that LDL is oxidized," Dr. Kummerow said.

 

This leads him to a controversial conclusion: that the saturated fat in butter, cheese and meats does not contribute to the clogging of arteries — and in fact is beneficial in moderate amounts in the context of a healthy diet (lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other fresh, unprocessed foods).

 

 

 

Dr. Robert H. Eckel, an endocrinologist and former president of the American Heart Association, agreed that oxidized LDL was far worse than nonoxidized LDL in terms of creating plaque.

 

But he disputed Dr. Kummerow's contention that saturated fats are benign and that polyunsaturated vegetable oils promote heart disease. "There are studies that clearly show a substitution of saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats leads to a reduction in cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Eckel, a professor at the University of Colorado…

 

 

 

His early research on trans fats was "resoundingly criticized and dismissed," said Dr. Walter Willett, the chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, who credited Dr. Kummerow with prompting his desire to include trans fats in the Nurses' Health Study. A 1993 finding from that study, which showed a direct link between the consumption of foods containing trans fats and heart disease in women, was a turning point in scientific and medical thinking about trans fats.

 

"He had great difficulty getting funding because the heart disease prevention world strongly resisted the idea that trans fats were the problem," Dr. Willett continued. "In their view, saturated fats were the big culprit in heart disease. Anything else was a distraction from that."'

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/health/a-lifelong-fight-against-trans-fat.html?_r=0

 

apple-day-keeps-doctor-away-and-statins-do-too

http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/apple-day-keeps-doctor-away-and-statins-do-too

 

Fwd: FDA

http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2013/12/12/fda_fear_of_the_printed_word_threatens_our_health_100791.html

 

iPad Chair For Babies Too Much?

http://www.weather.com/video/ipad-chair-for-babies-too-much-42268

HIV returns in "cured" Boston patients

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hiv-returns-in-cured-boston-patients/

The price of healthy eating: $1.50 extra a day

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/12/06/price-of-healthy-food/

President Signs HOPE Act, Clearing the Way for HIV Positive Organ Donation Read more: President Obama Signs HOPE Act into Law, Lifting HIV Organ Ban

http://swampland.time.com/2013/11/22/president-signs-hope-act-clearing-the-way-for-hiv-positive-organ-donation/

You Won't Believe What Bit Her!

http://www.weather.com/video/news-41/top-stories---extended-782/you-wont-believe-what-bit-her-41242

An ounce of nuts a day keeps illness away, Harvard study says

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/53617685/

Stunning details of brain connections revealed

Observed in this manner, the brain's overall complexity is almost
beyond belief, said Smith. "One synapse, by itself, is more like a
microprocessor -- with both memory-storage and information-processing
elements -- than a mere on/off switch. In fact, one synapse may
contain on the order of 1,000 molecular-scale switches. A single human
brain has more switches than all the computers and routers and
Internet connections on Earth," he said.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101117121803.htm

Fwd: Heat attack

'The long-standing strategy of reducing heart-attack risk by lowering cholesterol to specific targets is being jettisoned under new clinical guidelines unveiled Tuesday that mark the biggest shift in cardiovascular-disease prevention in nearly three decades.

 

Gone is the familiar and easy-to-understand guidance to keep LDL, or bad cholesterol, below 100 or below 70 for people at high risk—a mainstay of current prevention policy. Instead, doctors are being told to assess a patient's risk more broadly and prescribe cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to those falling within one of four risk categories.

 

The aim is to more effectively direct statin treatment to patients with the most to gain, and move away from relatively arbitrary treatment targets that are less reliable in predicting risk than is widely believed.'

 

Fwd: FDA

From: <larry.r.trout

'The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday ruled for the first time that trans-fats aren't generally considered safe in food, a sharp policy shift that could lead to banning trans-fats in baked goods and other foods.

 

Trans-fats, or partially hydrogenized fats or oils, are considered a potential prime factor in leading to heart attacks and strokes, and the FDA specifically said it was taking this step to protect the public health.

 

"While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans-fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public-health concern," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. "The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans-fat. Further reduction in the amount of trans-fat in the American diet could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year—a critical step in the protection of Americans' health."'

 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303309504579183652200663132

 

Bacon will be banned next by the FDA. Think of the 20,000 less heart attacks and 7,000 less deaths if the FDA banned Bacon.

 

Fwd: Oil

http://blogs.menshealth.com/bellyoff-nutritionist/a-fat-more-dangerous-than-trans-fat/2011/11/11/

 

Should Healthy Meals Include Canola Oil?

http://www.macro-mediterranean.com/canola_oil.html

Dark Chocolate Health Benefits | Weight Loss Experts | Lose Weight Permanently | Mohr Results

http://www.mohrresults.com/mohr-results-weight-loss-2/dark-chocolate-health-benefits/

7 Foods That Won’t Be the Same If Trans Fats Are Banned | TIME.com

http://healthland.time.com/2013/11/07/7-foods-that-wont-be-the-same-if-trans-fats-are-banned/

Oils and Fats primer - AcuAfshin.com

http://www.acuafshin.com/oils-and-fats-primer/

Unhealthy trans-fats in Canola Oil

http://www.acuafshin.com/transfats-and-canola/

How unsafe is canola oil (rapeseed oil) as far as the issue of trans fats are concerned? What alternatives are there?

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=39

The Real Story on Canola Oil (Can-ugly Oil)

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/component/content/article/64-feature-writer-article/2570&Itemid=8

A Fat MORE Dangerous than Trans Fat? | The Belly Off! Nutritionist | MensHealth.com

http://blogs.menshealth.com/bellyoff-nutritionist/a-fat-more-dangerous-than-trans-fat/2011/11/11/

The Next Killer Virus?

http://www.weather.com/video/the-next-killer-virus-39810

Its Venom Can SAVE You

http://www.weather.com/video/its-venom-can-save-you-40584

Maryland 20-Year-Old Dies Never Having Aged

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/maryland-20-year-dies-aged/story?id=20712718

 

 

Fwd: Oreo

'Connecticut College students and a professor of neuroscience have found "America's favorite cookie" is just as addictive as cocaine – at least for lab rats. And just like most humans, rats go for the middle first.

 

In a study designed to shed light on the potential addictiveness of high-fat/ high-sugar foods, Professor Joseph Schroeder and his students found rats formed an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects of eating Oreos and a specific environment as they did between cocaine or morphine and a specific environment. They also found that eating cookies activated more neurons in the brain's "pleasure center" than exposure to drugs of abuse.  '

 

http://www.conncoll.edu/news/news-archive/2013/student-faculty-research-shows-oreos-are-just-as-addictive-as-drugs-in-lab-rats-.htm#.Ul6gNFKQHYZ

 

 

'A recent study was picked up a lot by the media, claiming that "Oreos are as addictive as drugs". Just to get that out of the way as soon as possible, this headline, as flashy and attractive it is, is flawed. I'll explain why in this post…

 

The question which naturally arises after that is: If you stop eating Oreos, do you experience Oreo withdrawal? This is basically the difference between things you really like and things you're addicted to – the difference between physiological addiction (addiction to a drug) and psychological addiction.'

 

http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/oreo-addictive-drugs-16102013/

 

Fwd: Alzheimers

'Alzheimer's breakthrough hailed as 'turning point'

 

The discovery of the first chemical to prevent the death of brain tissue in a neurodegenerative disease has been hailed as the "turning point" in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

 

More work is needed to develop a drug that could be taken by patients.

 

But scientists say a resulting medicine could treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and other diseases.

 

In tests on mice, the Medical Research Council showed all brain cell death from prion disease could be prevented.

 

Prof Roger Morris, from King's College London, said: "This finding, I suspect, will be judged by history as a turning point in the search for medicines to control and prevent Alzheimer's disease."

 

He told the BBC a cure for Alzheimer's was not imminent but: "I'm very excited, it's the first proof in any living animal that you can delay neurodegeneration.

 

"The world won't change tomorrow, but this is a landmark study."'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24462699

 

--
Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Peanut butter consumption linked to decreased breast cancer risk

http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/peanut-butter-consumption-linked-to-decreased-breast-cancer-risk/

UCSF study shows gaming makes you cognitively younger (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/ucsf-video-game-study/

Re: Lifestyle Changes May Lengthen Telomeres, A Measure of Cell Aging | ucsf.edu

'In 2008 the same group reported the 3 month results of their study showing an increase in telomerase activity in the treatment group. (Telomerase is the enzyme that repairs telomeres and is associated with telomere lengthening.) Surprisingly, however, the 5 year results found no significant differences in telomerase activity between the two groups. Prostate-specific antigen values, a measure of prostate cancer activity, also did not differ significantly between the two groups…

 

A Word of Caution

 

There is a large gap between the conclusions of the paper, which sensibly state that the study was very small and needs to be replicated in larger populations, and Ornish's statements, which promise that aging can be reversed at the cellular level, seemingly for all people at all ages. Here are a number of reasons why you should be very cautious before drinking this Kool-Aid, despite its resemblance to the elixir of youth.

 

This was not a randomized trial. Patients in the treatment group agreed to intense and highly demanding lifestyle changes. They were compared with a group who had similar risk factors but who clearly did not share their high level of motivation. There is no way to know what other important differences might exist between the two groups.

 

This was a very small trial. The original 2008 trial enrolled 30 patients– there were no controls– and 24 patients had sufficient blood samples to assess telomerase activity. In the new report only 10 patients had adequate blood samples available for analysis. This severely limits the generalizability of the findings.

 

What caused the changes (if there were changes)? The Ornish program is famous for containing multiple interventions, including drastic reductions in dietary fat and sugar, significant increases in exercise , as well as yoga classes and group therapy. There is no way to know the relative importance, or lack of importance, of any of the individual components of his program.

 

It is entirely possible that other, completely different interventions would have a similar effect. Last spring a paper reported that telomere length increased in people who lost weight after 5 years on the Mediterranean diet, which is not a low fat diet and which is generally thought to be much more palatable than the extreme low-fat Ornish diet.

 

Finally, we should be extremely cautious about the use of surrogate endpoints. There is no doubt that telomere research represents one of the most significant research advances of the last generation. But it is far too early to know if measuring telomere length is a good way to assess the value of an intervention.'

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2013/09/16/no-dean-ornish-and-elizabeth-blackburn-have-not-discovered-the-fountain-of-youth/

 

Lifestyle Changes May Lengthen Telomeres, A Measure of Cell Aging | ucsf.edu

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/09/108886/lifestyle-changes-may-lengthen-telomeres-measure-cell-aging

... It is a pretty small study.

It is interesting that Dr. Dean Ornish youtube videos have been saying
the same thing.

Is sugar a toxin? Experts debate the role of fructose in our obesity epidemic

"Telling people the problem is all fructose is completely wrong," says Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. "In the amounts being consumed, sugar can lead to serious damage and premature death. I think it's fair to say that's toxic," he says. "But it doesn't mean everything else is good."

Read Lustig's book carefully, and it's clear that his position isn't as radical as his sound bite implies: He believes that moderate consumption of fructose is safe. The "likely" safe threshold, he says, is 50 grams per day — which translates to 100 grams, or a quarter-cup, of sugar that's half fructose. Average daily American consumption of added sweeteners, according to the USDA, is 95 grams — just under Lustig's threshold.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-02/national/41684465_1_fructose-robert-lustig-insulin-resistance

The American Heart Association recommends not exceeding 150 calories of added sugar per day for men, and 100 calories of added sugar for women.  That's 37.5 grams for men and 25 grams for women.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

Has it come to this?

Does this sound like it was written by the government?

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56768647-78/insurance-health-utah-plan.html.csp

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/15/coffee-consumption-death-risk/2655855/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/15/coffee-consumption-death-risk/2655855/

 

… It is not clear to me that they are showing causality.

People with early dementia don't know some famous people

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/12/dementia-famous-faces/2643539/

Carol Dweck, Stanford University Professor, On Why Telling Your Children They're Smart Is Actually Bad For Them (VIDEO)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/02/carol-dweck-mindset_n_3696599.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Fructose, Fruit, and Frittering

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/fructose-fruit_b_3694684.html

Therapeutic cloning - How it is done; possible benefits

Is an embryo a human person? Pro-life supporters generally believe that a human person comes into existence at conception. Some believe that somatic cell nuclear transfer is sufficiently similar to normal conception with an egg and spermatozoa that a human person also comes into existence during therapeutic cloning. The process of extracting stem cells involves killing the embryo. To many pro-lifers, this is murder. They feel that murdering one person, the embryo, to cure another person of paralysis, or diabetes, or heart disease, etc. can never be justified. More details. Therapeutic cloning research may well be limited to those countries, like China, the UK, and perhaps Canada, where pro-life supporters are relatively few in number.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_ther.htm

Lithium

 longevity in Japan increased with the amount of trace lithium in the water in humans, and the same trace amounts of lithium in a controlled experiment (equivalent to about 2mg of lithium daily) increased the lifespan of theC elegans worms (2)(due to the increased suicide rates in Japan, suicide was controlled for in the numbers, and lithium still seemed to increase longevity in the observational studies. 

Diet Detective: 10 Tips to Reduce Sugar in Your Diet - WBAY

http://www.wbay.com/story/22866463/2013/07/17/diet-detective-how-to-cut-sugar-from-your-diet

Fat-boosting gene mystery 'solved'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23312712

Evolutionary Psychiatry: Lithium and Longevity

 longevity in Japan increased with the amount of trace lithium in the water in humans, and the same trace amounts of lithium in a controlled experiment (equivalent to about 2mg of lithium daily) increased the lifespan of theC elegans worms (2)(due to the increased suicide rates in Japan, suicide was controlled for in the numbers, and lithium still seemed to increase longevity in the observational studies

http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/2011/02/lithium-and-longevity.html

Perils of a Sugar-Coated Scapegoat

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1553284

A Case for Regulating Sugar Like Alcohol - Atlantic Mobile

http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/a-case-for-regulating-sugar-like-alcohol/277361/

Researchers Develop MRI Scan To Detect Cancer Using Sugar

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262999.php

Fructose, and the Follies of History

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130701151512-23027997-fructose-and-the-follies-of-history?trk=mp-edit-rr-posts

'Mind control' tech lets you control robots just by thinking about it | SciTech | GMA News Online

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/312577/scitech/technology/mind-control-tech-lets-you-control-robots-just-by-thinking-about-it

Don’t Take Your Vitamins - NYTimes.com

As a result, consumers don't know that taking megavitamins could increase their risk of cancer and heart disease and shorten their lives; they don't know that they have been suffering too much of a good thing for too long.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/dont-take-your-vitamins.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

... seems to me that a diet rich in plants would be a healthy one. 

texas-woman-105-reveals-sizzling-longevity-secret/

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/05/08/texas-woman-105-reveals-sizzling-longevity-secret/

RE: Bird Flu

Wow, this thing is 20% fatal …

 

From: Trout, Larry

 

‘H7N9 Bird Flu Cases In China Rise To 104; Deaths At 21’

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2013/04/22/h7n9-bird-flu-cases-in-china-rise-to-104-deaths-at-21/

 

Fwd: Bird Flu

'Another person died from a new strain of bird flu in China on Thursday, state media said, bringing to 10 the number of deaths from the H7N9 virus, as a U.N. body said it was concerned the virus could spread across borders in poultry.

 

The latest victim was in the commercial hub of Shanghai, the official Xinhua news agency reported, where several of the 38 cases to date have been found. All of the cases so far have been found in eastern China.'

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/11/health-birthflu-china-idUSL3N0CYBMG20130411

 

 

'A Chinese military official has blamed the US government for the new strain of bird flu affecting China, calling it a secret biological attack.

 

People's Liberation Army Senior Colonel Dai Xu said America released the H7N0 bird flu virus into China, in an act of biological warfare, in a blog on Saturday.

 

Writing on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site similar to Twitter, Dai alleged the new bird flu strain had been designed as a weapon, similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), that affected the country in 2003 and which he claims was also developed as a US bio-weapon.'

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2307170/China-bird-flu-outbreak-Officer-accuses-United-States-secret-biological-attack.html#ixzz2QAE5K69z

 

Red meat chemical 'damages heart', say US scientists

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22042995

 

Re: New York

And to think that I eat out all the time ...

John Coffey

 <larry.r.trout wrote:

'Chef found out she has hepatitis, may have exposed 3,000 NYC diners

 

You can get anything in New York restaurants: Peruvian, Nepalese … hepatitis. High-end Greenwich Village eatery Alta is frantically calling recent diners to warn them about exposure to hepatitis A through their pastry chef. She apparently picked up the infection by eating something contaminated with human feces on a recent trip to Mexico. (Honestly, these daredevil gourmets are the worst.) The restaurant is now dialing its way through the reservation book to warn everyone who ate dessert since the chef's return that they missed their meal's final course: a vaccination shot'

 

http://now.msn.com/hepatitis-scare-at-new-york-restaurant-alta

 

'New York Department Of Health Expands Meningitis Vaccine Recommendations

 

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is expanding a recommendation issued earlier this month by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) regarding meningococcal vaccinations…

 

Meningococcal disease is a severe bacterial infection of the bloodstream. Common symptoms include high fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and a rash. Symptoms may occur two to 10 days after exposure, but usually within five days.'

Is This Cancer Drug Really a Vaccine?

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/08/is-this-cancer-drug-really-a-vaccine.aspx

Meth's devastating effects: Before and after

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10014847.html

Which State is the Saddest?

http://www.weather.com/health/happiest-saddest-state-20130301

Your genes are not your fate - Dean Ornish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pfoa7j5vls

Dean Ornish, M.D. - Transform 2010 - Mayo Clinic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTFtIZEN5vw

flu vaccine was effective in only 56 percent of people who got the shot

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-usa-flu-vaccine-idUSBRE91K16D20130221

Traditional Southern diet, stroke may be linked, researcher says

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-southern-diet-stroke-20130207,0,901477.story

 

Fatty Liver - Gastroenterology - The Everett Clinic

http://www.everettclinic.com/Specialties/Gastroenterology/Fatty_Liver.ashx

is-diphenhydramine-addictive?

http://cold.emedtv.com/diphenhydramine/is-diphenhydramine-addictive.html

 

Scientists discover DNA with a quadruple helix in cancer cells

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/scientists-discover-dna-with-a-quadruple-helix-in-cancer

Flu outbreak: 33 died in Minn. last week

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/01/17/health/more-deaths-in-minnesota-flu-outbreak

Slow Caffeine withdrawal

According to what I saw on the internet, here are the caffeine amounts for certain teas …

 

English Breakfast: 50mg

Black Tea:  40mg

Green Tea:  20 Mg

 

I suspect that these numbers could be inaccurate, because I sometimes have seen numbers that were higher.

 

Regardless, I think that it is still valid to use these numbers as a guide.  It is easy to see how I could use this to slowly decrease my caffeine intake …

 

Day 1:  I ingested 120 mg caffeine.

Day 2:  I ingested 100 mg caffeine.

Day 3: I ingested 90 mg caffeine.

 

My plan is to continue going down in increments of 10 where possible.  When I get down to 40 I might stay there a few days before going down to 20.

 

The Government (and Dr. Robert Lustig) in Your Kitchen

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/130537.html

Flu reaches epidemic proportions in US | Fox News

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/11/flu-reaches-epidemic-proportions-in-us/

Needless to say, I think that flu shots save lives.

Therapeutic cloning - How it is done; possible benefits

Therapeutic cloning: (a.k.a. Somatic cell nuclear transfer or research cloning): This starts with the same procedure as is used in adult DNA cloning. The resultant embryo would be allowed to grow for perhaps 14 days. It's stem cells would then be extracted and encouraged to grow into a piece of human tissue or a complete human organ for transplant. The end result would not be a human being; it would be a replacement organ, or piece of nerve tissue, or quantity of skin. The first successful therapeutic cloning was accomplished in 2001-NOV by Advanced Cell Technology, a biotech company in Worcester, MA.

http://www.cloneorgans.com/therapeutic-cloning/14/

Is an embryo a human person? Pro-life supporters generally believe that a human person comes into existence at conception. Some believe that somatic cell nuclear transfer is sufficiently similar to normal conception with an egg and spermatozoa that a human person also comes into existence during therapeutic cloning. The process of extracting stem cells involves killing the embryo. To many pro-lifers, this is murder. They feel that murdering one person, the embryo, to cure another person of paralysis, or diabetes, or heart disease, etc. can never be justified. More details. Therapeutic cloning research may well be limited to those countries, like China, the UK, and perhaps Canada, where pro-life supporters are relatively few in number.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_ther.htm

The Skinny on Obesity (Ep. 1): An Epidemic for Every Body

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/h0zD1gj0pXk

An excerpt from Dr. Robert Lustig’s “Fat Chance” | MSNBC

Here's the kicker. Being thin is not a safeguard against metabolic
disease or early death. a full 40% of normal-weight individuals harbor
insulin resistance—a sign of chronic metabolic disease—which will
likely shorten their life expectancy. of those, 20% demonstrate liver
fat on MRI of the abdomen (see Chapter 8).7 Liver fat, irrespective of
the rest of body fat, has been shown to be a major risk factor for the
development of diabetes. You think you're safe? You are SO screwed.
And you don't even know it.

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/08/an-excerpt-from-dr-robert-lustigs-fat-chance/

Natural News

How much Vitamin C do we need?

Overview on the Importance of Exercise

Why you can’t bank on living longer if you’re overweight

People who were overweight or mildly obese -- weighing between 146 and 203 pounds for a 5'4" person -- had a 5 to 6 percent lower risk of dying compared to those who were at a healthy weight, between 108 and 145 pounds. Those who were extremely obese had nearly a 30 percent greater risk of dying...

"What we found suggests that over a broad range of body mass index levels, there's not much variation in mortality,"

... added that the new study had flaws in its methodology.

For example, older folks in the lower end of the healthy weight spectrum may have been more likely to have been former smokers with health problems that kept them slim.

Those researchers found a clear relationship between increasing body mass index and death rates with a 13 percent greater death risk in moderately overweight individuals, which rose to a nearly 90 percent greater risk in those who were obese.

http://www.boston.com/dailydose/2013/01/03/why-you-can-bank-living-longer-you-overweight/Gf87IohhozdweWo1vk53cJ/story.html

If I can add my 2 cents here, I am not sure that there is a clear cause and effect (causality).  It is rare that I hear anyone say why being overweight would increase your chance of death.  Instead there seems to be a casual association with other health problems.

It is possible that things that cause people to be overweight might also cause them to have a higher risk of death.   This could include lack of exercise, metabolic syndrome, consumption of saturated fat and sugar, or just not eating enough fruits and vegetables.  For example, one study showed that doing exercise can offset the danger of being obese.   For years I have seen people claim that heavy people who exercise have lower mortality than thin people who don't.

One problem with this theory is that heavy people aren't very motivated to exercise.

John Coffey