Everyone I meet is talking about the NY Times Magazine article about fat from this weekend. It’s a shocker that medical “experts” may have been so wrong about the roles and effects of fat and carbohydrates in our diet… But then, doctors have been wrong (generally with indignant authority) throughout the history of medicine. The four humors, levels of bile as the be-all and end-all, bleeding with leeches, formula instead of breast milk for babies, circumcision, masturbation of women to treat hysteria…

I haven’t heard too many profound discoveries about diet, though, that contradict common sense and a naturalistic perspective. It makes sense that the healthiest foods are the least processed, the vegetables grown organically and locally. And it makes sense that anything can make you a fat slob if you eat a lot of it and don’t exercise. If you exercise a lot, it makes sense that you can eat with more reckless abandon. It makes sense the dairy causes congestion, that whole grains have more to offer the body than processed grains, and those are far better than refined simple sugars. It’s not rocket science that too much of anything isn’t good for you. No discovery thing is going to make a McDonald’s hamburger healthy.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with us researching this and being interested in it. I have a problem with being crazed by it. With dieting being a multi-billion dollar industry. With being hit over the head with “fat free” labels while products marketed as healthy are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup.

All that frenetic energy in our culture around diet could be much better focused at, say, playing sports… which would solve the fat problem.

Anyway, while I’m ranting, I may as well mention that Eli Lilly’s recent campaign in Florida is atrocious. They’re mailing free samples of Prozac to people, unrequested. The recent phenomenon of prescription drug advertising has pissed me off for a while, and this is absolutely despicable. For more background, and to send your thoughts on the matter to the CEO of Eli Lilly, check out ActForChange’s action item.

Today, more fun working with the search engine at work. Sand volleyball at the gym after, practicing for the tournaments this weekend. The hot tub was good post-play therapy. Later, a tasty veggie burger and beer (also tasty: Brooklyn Pilsner) at Cafeteria with Jeanhee. Now some laundry to fold before I collapse.

Oh, one more note. Tonight I hit 70% on my iPod Workout Program. By my rough math, that means I’ve averaged one workout every two days since I started this quest.