Dear Editor of the Toronto Star:

I very much enjoyed today's story about which foods will reduce
cholesterol (Test your nutrition IQ, November 14).  The only problem is
that there is virtually no evidence that changing dietary habits will
lower cholesterol levels for most people (see The Soft Science of
Dietary Fat by Gary Taubes, Science Magazine, vol. 291, Number 5513,
Issue of 30 Mar 2001, pp. 2536-2545.)  Additionally, there is very
little evidence that if cholesterol were to be reduced by dietary change
(or drug therapy for that matter) that it would significantly improve
your health (see Tyranny of Health: Doctors and the Regulation of
Lifestyle by Michael Fitzpatrick, 2000).  What is accurate however, is
that much money is being made marketing foods and drugs that pruport to
improve your health.

Dennis Raphael
Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management
York University
416-736-2100, ext. 22134