CBS News Schwacks the Blood Type Diet via Mayo

Davis W. Freeman states in "Blood Type Diet Debunker: Does it Really Work?" up at CBS News [2010-10-06]:

"can eating according to your blood type help you lose weight?  Fans of the so-called 'blood type diet' say it can [...] but mainstream health experts disagree. The diet was first popularized more than a decade ago by naturopathic physician Peter D'Adamo in his book 'Eat Right 4 Your Type' [...] according to D'Adamo, people evolved to eat according to their blood type [...] 'there's no sound scientific evidence that the so-called blood type diet is any more effective or any more beneficial for weight loss than is any other diet,' Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., says on the Mayo Clinic website [...] in other words, if you're trying to shed a few pounds, adopting the blood type diet might be a bloody waste of time."

Note: there's a lot that can be placed, regarding naturopathy, under the column "no sound scientific evidence", including the 'essentially naturopathic'.

Gushing Over the Blood Type Diet at The Telegraph, and then Actual Science:

here, I cite from a recent Telegraph article promoting naturopath D'Adamo's Blood Type Diet [BTD; see 001., below]; then I cite heavy-weight criticism of the whole apparent woo [see 002., below]:

001. Walden, C. (? ?) states in "The Blood-Type Diet: Weight Loss Need Not Be in Vein" (2010-06-16):

"ever since Cheryl Cole put her steadily dwindling figure down to the blood-type diet 'Eat Right For Your Type', British women have been pulling up their sleeves and baring their veins to nutritionists all over the country. First advocated by Peter D'Adamo, a naturopathic physician who believed he had found a link between a person's blood type and the foods their bodies would best be able to digest and absorb, the blood-type diet claims to be as much about health, energy and longevity as it is about weight loss [...] Carole Symons, a medical herbalist and nutrition adviser [...states] 'the future is clearly in the more accurate science of nutrigenomics' [...] this new science involves studying the effects of food on our genes in order to understand the relationship between nutrition and health [...] having ascertained that I'm blood type A Rhesus negative, she makes a few preliminary diagnoses [...] generally speaking, type As should stick to vegetarian-based diets; Bs to a varied diet of meat, grains, dairy and vegetables; ABs should be mainly vegetarian, with occasional meat, fish and dairy; and Os should stick to meat-based diets."

Note: how the article promises 'more accurate science.'  The author apparently doesn't have any medical or scientific credentials.  Her bio. at the Telegraph states "Celia Walden is a novelist and commentator who writes caustically about many troubling aspects of modern life, from male grooming to talkative taxi drivers."  I guess the hair and the punning balance out the whole thing.  Deep.

002. criticisms of the BTD, which are not hard to find even for a novelist, include:

002.a. the Mayo Clinic states "there's no scientific evidence to support the so-called 'blood type diet.'" 

002.b. Wikipedia states:

"the consensus among dietitians, physicians, and scientists is that the theory is unsupported by scientific evidence [...and] another criticism is that there are no clinical trials of the Blood Type Diet. In his first book Eat Right 4 Your Type, D'Adamo mentions being in the eighth year of a 10 year cancer trial, but the results of this trial have never been published."

Note: sounds like a long wait for a train that ain't coming.

003. it's interesting when journalists don't adhere to journalistic standards, and instead become acolytes. 

ND D'Adamo's New Supplement Store - For Premises That Are Not Scientifically Supported:

here, I quote from a recent press release from D'Adamo incorporated, who has opened a retail store based upon his 'theories' [see 001., below]; and, I quote from reputable sources regarding the nonscientific status of those 'diet blood-type / diet genotype' premises and therapeutics [see 002., below]:

001. a press release by D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition states in "D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition Store To Open in Wilton":

"the D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition Store guides the shopper in understanding why blood type matters for health and weight loss [...] Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a second-generation naturopathic physician and international author, whose books have been translated into over 65 languages has written the New York Times best seller, 'Eat Right for Your Type' and the Blood Type Diet [ERFYBT / BTD] series of books. He is also the author of 'The GenoType Diet' [TGTD], the first book that examines the possibilities of epigenetics and the use of diet and nutrition to profoundly alter gene function."

002. what reputable sources say about the ERFYBT / BTD and TGTD:

002.a. the Mayo Clinic states in "Is There Any Merit to the Blood Type Diet?" by Zeratsky, K. (RD ?, LD ?):

"there's no scientific evidence to support the so-called 'blood type diet,' in which different diets are recommended based on a person's blood type. At this time, eating or avoiding certain foods according to your blood type isn't thought to have any favorable influence on weight or overall health. In fact, a 'blood type diet' may not meet your nutritional needs."

002.b. Time Magazine states in "The Genotype Diet":

"naturopathic physician and researcher D'Amamo [sp., D'Adamo] has identified six 'genotypes': the Hunter, the Gatherer, the Teacher, the Explorer, the Warrior, and the Nomad. [Quoting D'Adamo:] 'yes, your genotype is the product of the genes you inherited from your family, but it's also the result of your prenatal experience.' In analyses that sound a bit like horoscopes ('explorers who maintain a detoxifying diet that also nourishes the blood and bone marrow will have few health problems and usually will have very little trouble attaining a healthy weight'), the author gives food dos and don'ts for each genotype. If there's anything scientifically sound about any of this, we haven't seen the signs."

003. caveat emptor!