We all know that the nutrition industry has more than its share of fakes, charlatans, and snake oil salesmen. But it was thought that scientific studies published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had the advantage of being peer-reviewed and critiqued by objective experts.
That may be so. But the scandal involving one of the most popular – and most published – nutrition researchers in the world should make us question everything we've been told about how to eat healthy.
JAMA announced that it is retracting (removing from publication) six studies on nutrition by Cornell University food scientist Brian Wansink. That brings the total number of studies by Wansink that have been pulled to 13. And there are 15 other studies by the good doctor that are under review.
Cornell announced that Wansink is resigning his post at the end of the term. But the damage he has done to the credibility of the nutrition industry – and the social sciences in general – is only beginning to be understood.
It isn't so much that Wansink's conclusions are wildly off base. It's that he fudged the stats to achieve the result he wanted.
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There is a place in Hell for PhD's who cheat. Retirement shouldn't be an option. He should be fired.
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