Obesity: An
Overblown Epidemic?
A new look at
body weight p. 76
Prolonging Youth
The quest for a pill
that mimics calorie
restriction p. 62
Bottoms Up
How small to moderate
amounts of alcohol
help your heart p. 22
-0 1 Letter from the Editor
ON THE MENU
4 Birth of the Modern Diet
by Rachel Laudan
Ever wonder why dessert is served after dinner? The
origins of modern Western cooking can be traced to ideas
about diet and nutrition that arose during the 17th century.
12 Rebuilding the Food Pyramid
by Walter C. Willett and Meir J. Stampfer
Dietary guides introduced in 1992 and 2005 have led
people astray. Some fats are healthy for the heart, and
many carbohydrates clearly are not.
22 Drink to Your Health?
by Arthur L.KIatsky
Three decades of research shows that drinking small
to moderate amounts of alcohol has cardiovascular
benefits. A thorny issue for physicians is whether to
recommend drinking to some patients.
DECEMBER 2006
30 Future Feast
by Jim Kling
Even the meat and potatoes are being
reinvented: the meat could come from a test
tube, and the potatoes could ward off cholera.
IN THE BODY
34 The Risks on the Table
by Karen Hopkin
More than half the foods in U.S. supermarkets
contain genetically modified ingredients. Have
they been proved safe for human consumption?
36 Does the World Need GM Foods?
Interviews by Sasha Nemecek
Two leading figures in the debate over genetic
engineering defend their stances.
40 Seeds of Concern
by Kathryn Brown
Are genetically modified crops an environmental
dream come true or a disaster in the making?
Scientists are looking for answers.
46 Edible Vaccines
by William H.R. Langridge
One day children may get immunized by
munching on foods instead of enduring shots.
More important, food vaccines might save
millions who now die for lack of access to
traditional inoculants.
Scientific American Special (ISSN 1048-0943), Volume 16, Number 4, 200B, pub-
lish eel by Scientific Am erica n, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017-1111.
Copy right ©2006 by Scientific American, Inc. All rights re served. No part ofthis
issue may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and record ing for public or private use, or
by any in formation storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permis-
sion ofthe publisher. Canadian BN No. 12738?652RT; OSTNo.01015332537.To
purchase additional quantities: U.S.,$10.95 each; elsewhere, $13.95 each. Send
payment to Scientific American, Oept.OH2006, 415 Madison Avenue, ^^
NewYork,NY1001?-llll.lnquiries:fax212-355-0408ortelephone ^© ^
212-451-8442. Printed in U.S.A. ,«Su. Kl
OVER A LIFETIME
54 Calorie Restriction and Aging
by Richard Weindruch
Eating less—while maintaining adequate
nutrition—is a recipe for longer life in many
animals. Might it help humans as well?
62 The Serious Search for
an Antiaging Pill
by Mark A. Lane, Donald K. Ingram
and George S. Roth
In government laboratories and elsewhere,
scientists are seeking a drug able to prolong
life and youthful vigor. Studies of calorie
restriction are showing the way.
68 Unlocking the Secrets
of Longevity Genes
by David A. Sinclair and Lenny Guarente
A handful of genes that control the body's
defenses during hard times can also
dramatically improve health and prolong
life in diverse organisms. Understanding
how they work may reveal the keys to
extending human life span while banishing
diseases of old age.
76 Obesity: An Overblown Epidemic?
byW.WaytGibbs
Dissenting researchers accuse government
and medical authorities—as well as the
media—of misleading the public about the
health consequences of rising body weights.
84 Dying to Be Thin
by Kristin Leutwyler
Eating disorders cripple—literally—millions
of young women, in large part because
treatments are not always effective
or accessible.
www.sciam.com SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN REPORTS
Volume 16, Number 4, 2006
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
REPORTS
Cover illustration by SCHNARE & STIEF
StockFood Creative/Getty Images
(photograph}; JEN CHRISTIANSEN
(photocomposition)
2 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN REPORTS
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
REPORTS
SPECIAL EDITION ON DIET AND HEALTH
www.sciam.com
Display until March 14, 2007
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