Fat, Foreboding, and Flatulence
Authors: Howard M. Spiro
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Editorials16 February 1999Fat, Foreboding, and FlatulenceHoward M. Spiro, MDHoward M. Spiro, MDYale University; New Haven, CT 06520 (Spiro)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-130-4-199902160-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In this issue, Sandler and colleagues (1) tell us that snacks of potato chips and their congeners made with olestra or vegetable oils caused inconsequential symptoms to study participants who ate them during a 6-week period. The participants were mostly “high consumers” who were selected because they had volunteered for other studies; in this one, they ate a median daily amount of more than 1 ounce of chips. Although men ate more chips at a time than women, women ate chips more often and thus consumed a greater total median amount.Medical commentaries too often get bogged down with cabalistic ...References1. Sandler RS, Zorich NL, Filloon TG, Wiseman HB, Lietz DJ, Brock MH, et al . Gastrointestinal symptoms in 3181 volunteers ingesting snack foods containing olestra or triglycerides. A 6-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1999;130:253-61. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Harrington A, ed. The Placebo Effect: An Interdisciplinary Exploration. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ Pr; 1997:2. Google Scholar3. Spiro H. The Power of Hope: A Doctor's Perspective. New Haven, CT: Yale Univ Pr; 1998. Google Scholar4. Harrington A, ed. The Placebo Effect: An Interdisciplinary Exploration. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ Pr; 1997:1-11. Google Scholar5. Jung C. Answer to Job. London: Routledge & Paul; 1954. Google Scholar6. Cousins N. Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration. New York: Bantam; 1981. Google Scholar7. Harrington A, ed. The Placebo Effect: An Interdisciplinary Exploration. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ Pr; 1997:7. Google Scholar8. Spiegel D. Psychological distress and disease course for women with breast cancer: one answer, many questions [Editorial]. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1996;88:629-31. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Howard M. Spiro, MDAffiliations: Yale University; New Haven, CT 06520 (Spiro)Corresponding Author: Howard M. Spiro, MD, Program for Humanities in Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, Box 208019, New Haven, CT 06520. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoGastrointestinal Symptoms in 3181 Volunteers Ingesting Snack Foods Containing Olestra or Triglycerides for 6 Weeks Robert S. Sandler , Nora L. Zorich , Thomas G. Filloon , Heather B. Wiseman , Dennis J. Lietz , Michael H. Brock , Mary G. Royer , and Robert K. Miday Metrics Cited byPerceptions of flatulence from bean consumption among adults in 3 feeding studiesAuthors’ Financial Relationships With the Food and Beverage Industry and Their Published Positions on the Fat Substitute Olestra 16 February 1999Volume 130, Issue 4_Part_1Page: 320-322KeywordsEatingEmotionsFatsMotivationOilsOverweightPatient advocacyPerceptionReflexesWeight gain ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 16 February 1999 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...