I'm not dismissing the blood type diet as woo-woo until I look more into the research behind it. Unrelated traits can easily be inherited together if they're located close to each other on a chromosome, so it's certainly not out of the question that genes that affect one's ability to digest particular food products might be located close to genes for blood type. I just don't know if it's true or not.
There's a composite problem at play: Sometimes your "woo-woo" and "pseudoscience" has a core of truth that hasn't crystallized yet. For huge alterations in the existing understood science to be accepted, a lot of evidence has to build up and the conclusions and consequences be glaringly obvious. When an idea that needs just a little more time and research to solidify itself goes out too early, it can get "disproved" for its minor points, and everyone throws it away as a dead fad. Then whatever value in it is lost.
*nods* I'm aware that unrelated traits can occur together if they're either located nearby within a chromosome or just happen to occur in the same population (with the classic example probably being the differing likelihoods of sickle cell anemia by race.) This diet has no basis in fact, and there's no evidence to back it up. (I have looked into the alleged research behind it, albeit not recently
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Not sure if I've already passed this link over to you before: http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ They have school programs that teach nutrition, small garden plots that kids grow food that they later take home, and other useful stuff. Check them out. They're local chapter holds events from time to time (fundraisers, socials, etc).
It also doesn't help that obesity and diabetes gets pushed to the side in favor of anorexia and bulimia, simply due to the first two often having to do with fat kids and the second with pretty, unfortunate girls (sadface!). UNR has three health programs set up for this semester; one on sex and related issues (STDs, rape, pregnancy information), one on eating disorders (in which overeating is ignored), and one on managing stress during finals. With those three presented as the important issues, most kids ignore the people walking around campus weighing more than twice a reasonable amount.
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There's a composite problem at play: Sometimes your "woo-woo" and "pseudoscience" has a core of truth that hasn't crystallized yet. For huge alterations in the existing understood science to be accepted, a lot of evidence has to build up and the conclusions and consequences be glaringly obvious. When an idea that needs just a little more time and research to solidify itself goes out too early, it can get "disproved" for its minor points, and everyone throws it away as a dead fad. Then whatever value in it is lost.
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