Report from the February 2012 Advanced Study Weekend

Over 250 people attended this biannual McDougall event in Santa Rosa, California, and more than 600 watched it “almost live” over the Internet. (This is a new attendance record for both venues). This sold out event was definitely a landmark in the war to tell the truth about good nutrition and conservative medical care to the public. Every single speaker received rave reviews—and deservedly so!

H. Gilbert Welch, MD was the highlight for me (Dr. McDougall). I have been trying to explain the harms from early detection campaigns (like PSA for prostate and mammograms for breast cancers) to my patients for more than thirty years. The result: Many people thought I must be wrong or at least exaggerating the lack of benefits and the harms done. Dr. Welch explained how 5 to 50 times more people are over-diagnosed with cancer for every person helped. (Overdiagnosis refers to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer that would never have caused symptoms. If not for meddling doctors, the vast majority of patients would have never known they were sick. Once they are told they have cancer then their lives are forever changed for the worse.) In his second lecture he explained how the relative benefits (the ones’ advertised to the patient) from a therapy sound far greater than the real (the absolute) benefits.

Michael Greger, MD provided the latest updates in Clinical Nutrition for 2011. He reads all the scientific journals on nutrition and summarizes the results for us in this highly entertaining 60 minutes. Lindsay Nixon is one of the few chefs who provide recipes that Mary does not have to edit for their harmful ingredients (like the ubiquitous oils). On stage, her food preparations proved healthy cooking is fun and easy, and result in very tasty dishes. Kathy Freston gave Dr. McDougall and the audience an update on the Hollywood sets’ progress towards vegan eating. Her new book The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss will be released soon. (Maybe she will bring me along when she visits the Oprah show on her upcoming book tour?) Joel Fuhrman, MD enticed the audience with his prescription on how to live to 95 or 105 years old by becoming a “nutritarian,” eating large amounts of nutrient dense green and yellow vegetables. John Mackey and Matt Lederman, MD explained how Whole Foods Market was already seeing savings in their employees’ healthcare costs by programs, including medically supervised immersion programs, as part of their Healthy Eating Revolution. Michael Klaper, MD gave a highly entertaining talk on his four decades of experience as a nutritionally aware physician. The biggest surprise came from Melanie Joy, PhD in her lecture, Carnism: The Psychology of Eating Meat. Past presentations about the horrors of animal farming have been too brutal for me to watch. Dr. Joy made the entire audience respond intellectually to her views and want to hear more. Dr. McDougall also had his first chance to explain to a live audience, “Why Did Steve Jobs Die?”

The debate between Drs. Fuhrman and McDougall, moderated by John Mackey, was spirited and clarified some of the differences in opinions held by these two experts. Which is better: A starch or green and yellow vegetable-based diet? You will have to decide for yourself after viewing the lectures and their interchanges.

Pictures from the February 2012 ASW

Trailer from the February 2012 ASW

Scheduled Guest Speakers for the September 7 to 9, 2012 Advanced Study Weekend:

Keith Block, MD, founder of the Block Center of Integrative Cancer Treatment.

W. Clifford Roberts, MD, current editor of the American Journal of Cardiology and executive director of the Baylor Cardiovascular Institute in Dallas.

George Lundgerg, MD, former editor of JAMA and current editor of MedPage Today.

Joseph Koen, author of Whitewash, an indictment on cow’s milk.

Gabe (last name may be revealed later), creator of the 71 part YouTube series on the Paleodiet.

Michael Klaper, MD, will lecture on the gastrointestinal tract. Jeff Novick, RD, Doug Lisle, PhD, and John McDougall, MD will give their best lectures ever.

More speakers to be added.

2012 John McDougall All Rights Reserved
Dr. McDougall's Health and Medical Center
P.O. Box 14039, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
https://www.drmcdougall.com