In 2016, a group of researchers led by Dr. Sof Andrikopoulos in Australia published a single study exploring the effects of a high-fat diet on glucose regulation and weight gain in mice.
This study set off a media storm that zeroed in on the Paleo Diet®, it claimed various health concerns and weight gain for those on the diet. Using no uncertain terms, headlines were published reading things like “Paleo Diet = weight gain.” Sadly, the author of the study didn't make any attempt to dissuade these claims despite the fact that the term “paleo” was never once used in the study.
We always want to trust the science, but this study was a classic example of science gone wrong. It was a poorly designed study, it drew incorrect causal relationships, made claims far beyond the scope of the study, and let the media produce sensationalized headlines that were never backed by the research. This is the type of science we need to call out.
So, with that idea in mind, all three members of our Editorial Board: Dr Loren Cordain, Dr Mark J. Smith, and Trevor Connor have written responses addressing the litany of issues with the study:
