Re: QuakWatch Price article

[Guest guest]

As is typical of Quackwatch they make many accusations and never back them

up. Who says that Prices trip was superficial and his conclusions were

symplistic. How do they conclude that it was " overindulgence " and not

exposure that caused the natives problems. As usual the Quackbusters

argument is that their target is wrong because they say so. It is hard to

refute something that isn't there such as a real argument. Once the

quackbusters have their say there is not much left except an " is too...is

not " fight. It amazes me that anyone pays attention to them at all.

Irene

At 12:17 PM 4/24/03, you wrote:

>This QuakWatch article came up in a discussion about Price

>

>Does anyone know if there is a rebuttal online somewhere? QuakWatch is

>usually pretty well respected and for someone who has not read Price this

>seems pretty damning.

>

>---

>

><http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/holisticdent.html>http://www\

..quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/holisticdent.html

>

>(first 3 paragraphs about Price)

>

>Price made a whirlwind tour of primitive areas, examined the natives

>superficially, and jumped to simplistic conclusions. While extolling their

>health, he ignored their short life expectancy and high rates of infant

>mortality, endemic diseases, and malnutrition. While praising their diets

>for not producing cavities, he ignored the fact that malnourished people

>don't usually get many cavities.

>

>Price knew that when primitive people were exposed to " modern "

>civilization they developed dental trouble and higher rates of various

>diseases, but he failed to realize why. Most were used to " feast or

>famine " eating. When large amounts of sweets were suddenly made available,

>they overindulged. Ignorant of the value of balancing their diets, they

>also ingested too much fatty and salty food. Their problems were not

>caused by eating " civilized " food but by abusing it. In addition to

>dietary excesses, the increased disease rates were due to: (a) exposure to

>unfamiliar germs, to which they were not resistant; ( the drastic change

>in their way of life as they gave up strenuous physical activities such as

>hunting; and © alcohol abuse.

>

>Price also performed poorly designed studies that led him to conclude that

>teeth treated with root canal therapy leaked bacteria or bacterial toxins

>into the body, causing arthritis and many other diseases. This " focal

>infection " theory led to needless extraction of millions of endodontically

>treated teeth until well-designed studies, conducted during the 1930s,

>demonstrated that the theory was not valid.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am not aware of a rebuttal to this story.

While I am always game to take up for a good thing (ala weston price)

I have taken the policy of completely ignoring anything he publishes.

His credibility is so poor and ethics so compromised that it really

isn't worth addressing in any way and just brings more attention to

his wierd and twisted body of work.

Also I would very much disagree that he's well respected. Most well

informed people know him for what he is and actually find much of his

activity laughable.

I'd recommend just ignoring it.

DMM

>

> This QuakWatch article came up in a discussion about Price

>

> Does anyone know if there is a rebuttal online somewhere? QuakWatch

is

> usually pretty well respected and for someone who has not read

Price this

> seems pretty damning.

>

> ---

>

> http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/holisticdent.html

>

> (first 3 paragraphs about Price)

>

> Price made a whirlwind tour of primitive areas, examined the natives

> superficially, and jumped to simplistic conclusions. While

extolling their

> health, he ignored their short life expectancy and high rates of

infant

> mortality, endemic diseases, and malnutrition. While praising their

diets

> for not producing cavities, he ignored the fact that malnourished

people

> don't usually get many cavities.

>

> Price knew that when primitive people were exposed to " modern "

> civilization they developed dental trouble and higher rates of

various

> diseases, but he failed to realize why. Most were used to " feast or

> famine " eating. When large amounts of sweets were suddenly made

available,

> they overindulged. Ignorant of the value of balancing their diets,

they

> also ingested too much fatty and salty food. Their problems were not

> caused by eating " civilized " food but by abusing it. In addition to

> dietary excesses, the increased disease rates were due to: (a)

exposure to

> unfamiliar germs, to which they were not resistant; ( the drastic

change

> in their way of life as they gave up strenuous physical activities

such as

> hunting; and © alcohol abuse.

>

> Price also performed poorly designed studies that led him to

conclude that

> teeth treated with root canal therapy leaked bacteria or bacterial

toxins

> into the body, causing arthritis and many other diseases.

This " focal

> infection " theory led to needless extraction of millions of

endodontically

> treated teeth until well-designed studies, conducted during the

1930s,

> demonstrated that the theory was not valid.

[Guest guest]

Roman,

> For example, it it true that malnourished people don't usually

>get many cavities?

Poverty stricken, malnourished Appalachian Mountain people do. Right here

in so

called civilization.

>

>I bet that the following reasons for the increased disease rates QW

>listed are true: " (a) exposure to unfamiliar germs, to which they

>were not resistant

New germs and no resistance can happen anytime, anywhere to anyone with

today's

worldwide travel. SARS for example.

; ( the drastic change in their way of life as

>they gave up strenuous physical activities such as hunting;

Everybody has somewhere in their ancestry. Are today's sedentary occupations

free of health risks yet? Its unnatural for everyone.

and ©

>alcohol abuse " .

This is Native American stereotyping more than likely. Best I've seen it

explained was in Lights Out! Sleep, Sugar and Survival. Some people who drink

alcohol get sleepy as it produces serotonin. Others because of their different

metabolism produce dopamine which stimulates then wants more. Its the simple

carbohydrates that never were a part of the diet. Science tries to relate

it to

genes. I see it as a metabolic difference. To the contrary I know of no

culture

or country free of alcohol abuse unless it is banned by religion. Author tries

to justify his verbal abuse in the article with examples of other's self

abuse.

Nothing to respect there.

Wanita

[Guest guest]

Hi Roman,

> And it would certainly be a good idea to discuss them here. I, for

> one, don't know answers to all the questions QW raised about WP's

> work. For example, it it true that malnourished people don't usually

> get many cavities?

>

I haven't finished reading Price's book yet, but I know in one place

he comments on the remarkable physical strength of some of the

people. I don't think malnourished people would have that kind of

strength.

If you haven't read his book, I highly recommend it. I agree with

others that it's a bit tedious. It's both a little tedious and

fascinating. My impression was that he was painstakingly meticulous

in his research -- at times taking notes on every single tooth in a

group that he was studying.

[Guest guest]

The one thing I wanted to say was that Price had pictures of the healthy and

unhealthy people and the healthy people looked good! They looked better than I

do, and I'm healthy! <G> All of the pictures of healthy people had attractive,

beautiful faces. This evidence alone dispute some of the arguments by QW.

Michele

Re: QuakWatch Price article

Hi Roman,

> And it would certainly be a good idea to discuss them here. I, for

> one, don't know answers to all the questions QW raised about WP's

> work. For example, it it true that malnourished people don't usually

> get many cavities?

>

I haven't finished reading Price's book yet, but I know in one place

he comments on the remarkable physical strength of some of the

people. I don't think malnourished people would have that kind of

strength.

If you haven't read his book, I highly recommend it. I agree with

others that it's a bit tedious. It's both a little tedious and

fascinating. My impression was that he was painstakingly meticulous

in his research -- at times taking notes on every single tooth in a

group that he was studying.

[Guest guest]

I never read quackwatch..

my time is too valuable.

jen

QuakWatch Price article

>

> This QuakWatch article came up in a discussion about Price

>

> Does anyone know if there is a rebuttal online somewhere? QuakWatch is

> usually pretty well respected and for someone who has not read Price this

> seems pretty damning.

>

> ---

>

> http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/holisticdent.html

>

> (first 3 paragraphs about Price)

>

> Price made a whirlwind tour of primitive areas, examined the natives

> superficially, and jumped to simplistic conclusions. While extolling their

> health, he ignored their short life expectancy and high rates of infant

> mortality, endemic diseases, and malnutrition. While praising their diets

> for not producing cavities, he ignored the fact that malnourished people

> don't usually get many cavities.

>

> Price knew that when primitive people were exposed to " modern "

> civilization they developed dental trouble and higher rates of various

> diseases, but he failed to realize why. Most were used to " feast or

> famine " eating. When large amounts of sweets were suddenly made available,

> they overindulged. Ignorant of the value of balancing their diets, they

> also ingested too much fatty and salty food. Their problems were not

> caused by eating " civilized " food but by abusing it. In addition to

> dietary excesses, the increased disease rates were due to: (a) exposure to

> unfamiliar germs, to which they were not resistant; ( the drastic change

> in their way of life as they gave up strenuous physical activities such as

> hunting; and © alcohol abuse.

>

> Price also performed poorly designed studies that led him to conclude that

> teeth treated with root canal therapy leaked bacteria or bacterial toxins

> into the body, causing arthritis and many other diseases. This " focal

> infection " theory led to needless extraction of millions of endodontically

> treated teeth until well-designed studies, conducted during the 1930s,

> demonstrated that the theory was not valid.

>

>

>

>

>