Michael Rose On Calorie Restriction
(From Reuters AlertNet). Biologist Michael Rose, known for his work on aging in flies, is a calorie restriction (CR) skeptic, it would seem. He and John Phelan have developed a mathematical model that predicts a "lifetime of low-calorie dieting would only extend human life span by about 7 percent, unlike smaller animals, whose life spans are affected more by the effects of starvation. ... Longevity is not a trait that exists in isolation; it evolves as part of a complex life history, with a wide range of underpinning physiological mechanisms involving, among other things, chronic disease processes." I'm sure this will kick off another active discussion on just how to measure the effects of calorie restriction on human longevity without waiting and counting years, but it's safe to say that the numerous health benefits of CR are well proven.
Link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28161982.htm