Food myths and fad diets

Every New Year millions of Americans resolve to lose weight, eat better and hit the gym.  Sadly, many of us aren’t successful.  But in our quest to be slimmer and fitter, we often seize on headlines that tout the perfect food, a surefire elixir, or that demonize a delicious vice.  This hour, we’re going to debunk some common myths about food and eating.  Professor JOE SCHWARCZ, a chemist and Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society will dispel some misconceptions around organic food, natural sweeteners, vitamins, coffee and more.  Also, fad diets promising miraculous results are nothing new. We’ll talk with medical historian LOUISE FOXCROFT about the fascinating and frightening history of dieting from chest beatings and tape worms to arsenic-laced diet drugs and vinegar cleanses.  She’s the author of a new book “Calories and Corsets: a history of dieting over 2000 years.”

Photo by Flickr user davidd