February 19, 2008
Restaurants Pay Professor to Oppose Calorie Rules
The incoming president of the Obesity Society has filed a 33-page affidavit questioning the city’s new rules requiring chain restaurants to prominently display calorie information on their menus. Dr. David B. Allison (pictured), a professor of biostatistics and nutrition at the University of Alabama, cites a study indicating that dieters who get distracted by calorie information are more likely to overeat. And even if the daunting calorie details prompt diners to go for lower calorie items, they'll just end up overeating later because their healthier choice won't really satiate them.
But Allison’s affidavit has drawn fire from colleagues because he was paid an undisclosed sum to write it on behalf of the New York State Restaurant Association, which is suing to block the new rules. Dr. Allison has previously consulted for Frito-Lay, Kraft Foods and Coca-Cola, a company he defended against a proposed ban in schools by citing research showing that birds put on weight when food is scarce. Contradicting their president-elect, the Obesity Society released a statement last week supporting calorie labeling on menus, which starts at the end of next month and includes beverages, too.
According to the Times, many of the group’s 1,800 members are livid that Dr. Allison “wants to hold back information from people that helps them make healthy choices.” In defending his affidavit, Dr. Allison said, “I’m happy to be involved in the pursuit for truth. Sometimes, when I’m involved in the pursuit for truth, I’m hired by the Federal Trade Commission. Sometimes I help them. Sometimes I help a group like the restaurant industry.” And sometimes the restaurant industry helps by sending out nice, fat checks!
| 
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
[ report this ]
That’s bull plop.
I have lost 8 kilos by counting calories.
Restaurants are just afraid that when they post the calorie intake for a tuna melt sandwich people will be ordering less expensive dishes.
[ report this ]
In other words, Dr. Allison will whore himself to the highest bidder!
[ report this ]
another person who has sold his soul...
[ report this ]
since when has misdirection ever helped in the pursuit of truth? because that's pretty much what these guys "reports" amount to
[ report this ]
Wow, what a whore. Next let's take warning labels off cigarettes because knowing that smoking is harmful might cause some smokers stress thereby making them smoke more.
[ report this ]
Trigger- congrats! And also- very good point.
[ report this ]
To me the fact that he's getting paid, while notable, is mainly irrelevant to the overall issue.
The Gothamist writeup is incorrect, imo. The study isn't cited, but the Times writeup makes it sound like the 'distraction' isn't the calorie information, but something external. It appears the study says that if you're distracted, the calorie information doesn't help simply because you're not paying attention.
IMO, the satiation argument is a red herring. Calorie labels are on almost all food except restaurant food. If there is a satiation issue, someone who is truly counting calories would notice the trend and would have to adjust their behavior.
[ report this ]
It is extremely common for professors to earn extra money by consulting (although, despite their protestations to the contrary, it is beyond me that the ones doing the consulting actually need the salary padding - adjuncts might earn shit, but the full professors who make desirable consultants almost always earn a pretty penny even before their speaking fees kick in...but that is neither here nor there).
If the research he wrote for the restaurant industry is in keeping with the type of research he normally publishes, he is not doing anything ethically questionable. If this paid research flies in the face of what his professional work normally says, however, then he needs to be censored by his university's ethics committee.
[ report this ]
gym ad placement has a new playground.
people are so weak when it comes to food.
if you work out at least 15-30 minutes a day, you will not have a calorie or weight problem.
[ report this ]
It just goes to show that the restaurant industry a) knows exactly what it is doing, and b) will stop at nothing to addict us to sugar water and grease.
[ report this ]
It just goes to show that the restaurant industry a) knows exactly what it is doing, and b) will stop at nothing to addict us to sugar water and grease.
[ report this ]
calories are not the main evil of bad shape... Just our laziness... Good fitness 3 times a week- and you are diet free.
signature: Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs.
[ report this ]
calories are not the main evil of bad shape... Just our laziness... Good fitness 3 times a week- and you are diet free.
signature: Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs.