Interesting article on diets and nutrition "science" over the years...

[dagibbs]

Very interesting article on diets and food "science" over the years from The BMJ (originally British Medical Journal, a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal, and one of the oldest around, so should be a good source).

http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g7654

Comments

[mycrazyhair.livejournal.com]

An interesting read, but note that this particular article was not peer reviewed.

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

I was going to say the same (both parts). Still, it is excellent that they clearly declare the article to be "Commissioned; not externally peer reviewed."

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

I agree, I may have been unclear in that. But, still a generally well-respected source.

[elizilla]

I was reading something about how every year for Christmas BMJ does an issue of spoof articles, and why they should stop doing this because other journal articles end up referencing them and not realizing they are spoofs. I don't know if this one is a spoof. It seems to take itself pretty seriously. But I notice that right next to it on the the list of "Most Popular" is an article about the age of magazines in the waiting room.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

A very extensively foot-noted spoof, then. Hm...

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

From the Smithsonian.com on BMJ spoof articles:

"Forget April Fool's—the British Medical Journal likes to get silly around Christmas time. Every year, the journal publishes a series of papers that aren't exactly spoofs—the science in them is real—but they're on topics that an esteemed journal like the BMJ wouldn't normally touch. "

Looking at the list of other titles, this one doesn't seem to match that case. Both in that it is a topic The BMJ would be likely to cover, and that it doesn't look nearly as silly.

Also, looking at the header of this article in the archive it says:

"Feature
Are some diets “mass murder”?"

While some obvious Christmas articles say:

"Feature
Christmas 2014

The Christmas tree sign: a diagnostic tool for ECG connoisseurs"

This suggests this article is not one of the "spoof" articles.