

Calorie restriction does not seem to lengthen lifespan in primates - ananyob
http://www.nature.com/news/calorie-restriction-falters-in-the-long-run-1.11297

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nacker
Well, I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. From this article linked in the
original:

"Nir Barzilai, a gerontologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New
York, says that the centenarians he studies have led him to believe that
genetics is more important than diet and lifestyle. “They’re a chubby bunch,”
he says." <http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/nrg3290>

Yet that paper concludes:

"Conclusions: In white adults, overweight and obesity (and possibly
underweight) are associated with increased all-cause mortality. All-cause
mortality is generally lowest with a BMI of 20.0 to 24.9." "

[http://www.nature.com/news/calorie-restriction-falters-in-
th...](http://www.nature.com/news/calorie-restriction-falters-in-the-long-
run-1.11297#/b3)

BMI of 20.0 to 24.9 is pretty far from "chubby".

I have become more and more skeptical of "scientific studies" as a guide to
life choices in general. Scientists are frequently partial, mistaken and
downright foolish in hindsight.

Scientism (<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientism>) is the predominant 20th
century religion, and while it is far better than the old religions, it is
also far from perfect.

But let those who wish to follow scientific blessing now cease to restrict
their calories, it's their funeral:

HBO: The Weight of the Nation <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEkCbqN4uo>

~~~
ananyob
To be fair, the paper and the news piece is talking about extreme caloric
restriction (which some folk practice in the hope of living much longer). It's
not talking about watching your weight - which nobody disputes is a good
thing. Nor does it say being obese is healthy - far from it as the quotes you
have show.

