I think its been well established that diet plays a major role in determining the state of human health...but what about the state of mind and mood? This lecturer makes the case that differences in ethnic psychology are largely derived from dietary customs. Please watch the whole presentation before commenting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWEldmx71Y0&feature=channel_page True? False? Why?
He gives no evidence for anything he is saying. He says that most of the world are vegetarian which isn't true, most of the world in fact has meat in their diet along with vegetable, fruit and grain its just that they don't eat meat in large portions compared to the average Western meal. He also makes an ambiguous statement that plant based cultures show less aggression and show more compassion but he doesn't give one culture, nation or tribe as an example he goes as far as to say that you don't see rape in these cultures. I find it ironic he would claim this since Hitler was a vegetarian and the Dalai Lama eats meat every other dayPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image! He also seems to think that its widely believed that our bodies would fall apart if there was no meat in the diet. I don't know where he comes to that conclusion but I think many people are aware that there are other forms of protein besides meat.
Could it be that you simply didnt watch the presentation??? He makes frequent reference to the China Study, as well as the findings of the Hippocrates Health Institute: http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html Respected nutrition and health researcher, Dr. T. Colin Campbell reveals the truth behind special interest groups, government entities and scientists that have taken Americans down a deadly path Even today, as the low-carb craze sweeps the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type II diabetes, typically an “adult” disease, at an alarming rate. If we’re eating healthier, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago? Drawing on the project findings in rural China, but going far beyond those findings, The China Study details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists. The New York Times has recognized the study (China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project) as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.” “After a long career in research and policy-making, I have decided to step ‘out of the system.’ I have decided to disclose why Americans are so confused,” said Dr. Campbell. “As a taxpayer who foots the bill for research and health policy in America, you deserve to know that many of the common notions you have been told about food, health and disease are wrong.” “I propose to do nothing less than redefine what we think of as good nutrition. You need to know the truth about food, and why eating the right way can save your life.” Early in his career as a researcher with MIT and Virginia Tech, Dr. Campbell worked to promote better health by eating more meat, milk and eggs -- “high-quality animal protein … It was an obvious sequel to my own life on the farm and I was happy to believe that the American diet was the best in the world.” He later was a researcher on a project in the Philippines working with malnourished children. The project became an investigation for Dr. Campbell, as to why so many Filipino children were being diagnosed with liver cancer, predominately an adult disease. The primary goal of the project was to ensure that the children were getting as much protein as possible. “In this project, however, I uncovered a dark secret. Children who ate the highest protein diets were the ones most likely to get liver cancer...” He began to review other reports from around the world that reflected the findings of his research in the Philippines. Although it was “heretical to say that protein wasn’t healthy,” he started an in-depth study into the role of nutrition, especially protein, in the cause of cancer. The research project culminated in a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, a survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan. More commonly known as the China Study, “this project eventually produced more than 8000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.”
How else could I have made those comments if I didn't listen to the presentation? Anyway obesity in the U.S is not because of meat consumption. Preserved fatty foods, sugars especially high-fructose drinks, fried foods, large portion sizes and junk junk junk are to blame. And by the way the Chinese eat meat in their diet. He makes many statements but he doesn't back up his claim linking aggression and meat eating, its obviously not true.
I didn't watch the presentation, but I know from personal experience that food has enormous impact on the state of my mind. I couldn't say with certainty why this is so, but I know from experience it is.
It would make sense that the more balanced, fresher and higher in nutrients food would make one's mind and body function better but that is a far cry from saying that it makes one less aggressive and more compassionate.
I've noticed that by eating mainly a vegetable diet I seem to feel better over time but when eating allot of meat I feel rather different in ways that I cannot describe but different than just eating veggies. I do not understand why there's a difference but I know that it does happen.
By hopping through the video on a pogo stick...missing all the pertinent parts! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Oh so I am supposed to pay attention to some things and not others? Sorry I don't have blind spots. He shows no evidence tying eating meat and aggression and lack of compassion. He makes spurious claims concerning vegetarianism and compassion and aggression. If he knows of these vegetarian cultures that don't engage in rape or violence he should say so but he didn't. He is also wrong that the world's population is mostly vegetarian because its not. Most of the world has meat in its diet. He wants to say he believes being a vegan is the only diet for mankind and he is clearly wrong about that. Now if you want to eat a vegan diet fine, go ahead but I am not going to ignore the fallacies he makes in the video.
I agree that he's flat out wrong on the 60% of the world statistic. Both India and China are only 30% vegetarian at best...and these are the world's closest examples. However, these two nations also have very low crime rates, so this is where he probably makes a connection.
Well you say this compared to what? Here is India's murder rate ranked next to other nations: Showing latest available data. Rank Countries Amount # 1 India: 37,170 # 2 Russia: 28,904 # 3 Colombia: 26,539 # 4 South Africa: 21,553 # 5 United States: 16,204 http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur-crime-murders China being a more closed country its difficult to know what their exact murder rate would be but since they use the death penalty I'm sure they are able to get rid of those bad apples. I did manage to find this: 2. Crime Statistics. Until 1986, crime statistics had not been disclosed to the public. In 1987, the Ministry of Public Security presented the first group of crime statistics data in the China Law Yearbook of 1987. The data included statistics from 1981 to 1986 and was compiled by the China Law Society, which has thereafter published updates of criminal justice data every year. The data presented by the Ministry included the number of crimes recorded by the police, the rates of recorded crime and the number of arrests made by the police. The following data are from the Chinese Law yearbook (1991, 1992). The offenses are based on administrative definitions used by the public security branches. * Murder. There were 23,199 murders recorded by the police in 1991 (The number of murders recorded by police in previous years are as follows: 21,214 (1990); 19,590 (1989); 15,959 (1988); 13,154 (1987); 11,510 (1986); 10,440 (1985); 9,021 (1984); 10,353 (1983); 9,324 (1982); and 9,576 (1981)). Attempts are included. * Rape. There were 50,331 cases of rape recorded by the police in 1991 (The number of rape cases reported by police in previous years are as follows: 47,782 (1990); 40,909 (1989); 34,120 (1988); 37,225 (1987); 39,121 (1986); 37,712 (1985); 44,630 (1984); 57,914 (1983); 35,361 (1982); and 30,808 (1981)). Attempts are included. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfbcjchi.txt
Wrong chart...the only meaningful stats are on a *per capita* basis, where India is ranked at #26. Not terribly convincing, but pretty good for the level of poverty and overcrowding.
But you nor the man in the video shows any data correlating crime with diet. In fact I would like to know how you explain hitler being a vegetarian and the Dalai lama eating meat every other day considering how different modes of being in their world (Hitler being hateful and the Dalai lama being 'compassionate')
Individual cases mean nothing. Only the averaging of large numbers has any statistical implications, and this requires a controlled environment...like a prison! http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/10/15/crime_and_nutrition.htm "You are mad." Criminologist Stephen J. Schoenthaler heard that said to him when he wanted to investigate whether the behaviour of prisoners would change if their menu would be adapted. Schoenthaler was fascinated by three statistical curves: The number of cases of gratuitous violence, the sales of the fast food industry and sugar consumption. Despite criticism from Colleagues - he went ahead. He found a loyal director of a large jail in Virginia. Within some weeks they put together an elaborate survey. At first the prisoners would eat white bread, hamburgers, sausages, fried potatoes, iceberg lettuce, cookies, milk shakes, sweet snacks and soft drinks. After that the prisoners would be given a diet with whole-meal bread, potatoes, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, without fried snacks and sugar. After that there would be a period of six months of traditional prison-meals. The results were astonishing. In the potatoes-vegetables-meat phase their anti-social behaviour dropped, and after re-introduction of hot dogs and cookies returned fully. The news was spread and Schoenthaler became a well-known guest at prisons. In ten years he put 8076 delinquents onto food experiments. The stopping of sugar as well as the jacking up of vitamins and minerals led to a decrease of the number of contraventions, physical and verbal violence, escape and suicide attempts and towards a better mood. Old offenders did 86% less tricks, drug addicts 72%. Some prisons decided to go on, the way Schoenthaler had started them out. But afterwards most of them returned to Coca-Cola and McDonalds food again.
How do you explain their low crime rate considering they have a diet where meat and fish predominate? "CRIME: Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroes all have relatively low violent crime rates; " http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1100.html#crime "The Eskimos in Greenland, who figure prominently in this story, were a setup for researchers. No one had to put the Eskimos on a special diet to test this or that theory, because they were already on a special--not to say bizarre--diet of their own. It included almost a pound a day of whale and seal meat, including blubber and intestines, plus side orders of fish and game. The meat and fish were eaten baked or raw, and mostly without potatoes or other vegetables. No ordinary bill of fare."
Can you please bother to respond to my last post? We all know that a healthy balanced diet trumps one that isn't and we all can agree that if you eat junk you will feel and look like shit and its not good for body and mind since both need proper nutrition, but you are suggesting broad sweeping claims concerning violence and diet. I would like to know what you think about cultures that due to location eat fewer vegetables, consume large amounts of meat and dairy products but continue to be relatively peaceful and have low crime rates?
The video wishes to make a correlations between meat eating societies and non-meat eating societies. He says they have less violent crime and are more compassionate and he also comes out of the blue and says there are less rapes in this society. I bring this up and you go about showing how a good diet beats a bad diet, well we have known that for a long time but a 'good' healthy balanced diet doesn ot have to be a meat free diet. You asked me to watch the video. I hope you did the same. He isn't speaking simply of a healthy balanced diet he is advocating an exclusively vegan diet. I would like to know how he explained how the Inuits were to fit into his eating plan considering where they live and what is available to them.
