On Feb 20, 2008, at 3:23 pm, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Think about this for a minute.  If everyone in the world consumes a  
> nonpaleo diet (except for the tiny majority of true hunter gatherers  
> living on the fringe), then you can pick out the healthiest  
> populations and use them to support eating anything nonpaleo you  
> wish.  Simple logic.

I've had the same argument used in other contexts.  I knew someone who  
ate wholemeal bread because it's "low GI".  Low GI compared to what -  
glucose syrup?  My carefully drawn GI chart including white bread,  
wholemeal bread and bananas was completely useless to overcome the  
prejudice though.  I didn't get near explaining glycemic load.

Many people struggle with the idea that they have only ever seen a  
subset of the possible situations the world could be in.  The best way  
I heard this phrased (or a take on the same idea) was a tennis coach  
that wrote something like "People come to me and ask me to help  
improve their game, so I correct their stance and grip.  They complain  
it feels unnatural, at which point I tell them: of course it feels  
unnatural, you've been doing it wrong all your life."

Ashley