What’s Happening: False Advertising

From the very beginning of the Paleo movement, Paleo dieters have learned a lot from the Weston A. Price foundation, and looked to Dr. Price’s studies of healthy traditional cultures with respect and admiration. But the Weston A. Price foundation apparently doesn’t feel the same way – a divisive article in their Summer 2013 newsletter compared a ridiculous and inaccurate stereotype of Paleo to the WAPF diet, criticizing Paleo as unhealthy and extreme.

Understandably, the Paleo community is confused and upset, more by the misrepresentation than anything else. Honest criticism of Paleo is fair play; pretending we don’t enjoy animal fat is just ridiculous.

Responses from the community include:

• Sarah Ballantyne (at The Paleo Mom)
• Diane Sanfilippo and Liz Wolfe (at the Balanced Bites podcast)

It’s very disappointing to see this kind of dishonest and lazy reporting from a group that ultimately shares so many goals of the Paleo movement.

In less depressing news, take a look at the other happenings around the Paleo world this week:

• The UN’s latest report on hunger stressed insects as a sustainable and nutritious protein choice to feed the planet’s growing population. 80% of the world eats bugs and there’s no doubt that they’re Paleo, but most Americans still reject them automatically. This week’s analysis here at Scientific American might make you rethink that knee-jerk negative reaction and consider adding an insect dish or two to your table.

• Women who are struggling with amenorrhea (loss of their menstrual cycle) from a history of crash dieting or over-exercising might find Paleo for Women’s latest post on overcoming hypothalamic amenorrhea a useful guide.

• At the Perfect Health Diet, Paul Jaminet takes on an article that appeared last week in the Atlantic, criticizing supplements as unnecessary at best and harmful at worst.

• Another new study criticized barefoot running; Mark Sisson responds here.

• Is Paleo only for 20-something men who want to look good doing CrossFit with their shirts off? A new post from Paleo NonPaleo analyzes the results of a survey you might remember taking earlier this spring, and puts that particular stereotype to rest.

• It’s cookbook season again with Everyday Paleo Around the World: Italian Cuisine, a new collection of Paleo-friendly Italian recipes from Sarah Fragoso.

• Eathropology’s third post in the As the Calories Churn series (Parts one and two) argues that the USDA Dietary Guidelines, not the food industry, are really responsible for the rise in obesity that started in the 1980s.

What’s your “favorite” part of the USDA’s guidelines? The glorification of whole grains? The completely disordered calorie-counting mindset? The idea that animal fats are somehow dangerous while PUFA-rich seed oils are a health food? Let us know on Facebook or Google+!