Kevin Hall, the senior NIH researcher recently published a paper in AJCN that has received a lot of media attention. He claims this study refutes the insulin hypothesis so completely that it is now ‘dead.’ That’s interesting, I thought, as I sat down to read the article.
It was therefore a little surprising to read this paper and realize that Hall’s conclusions were entirely his own opinion. He suffers so badly from confirmation bias that he may as well have written “My mind is already made up regarding the insulin hypothesis. Please do not confuse me with facts”.
Confirmation bias is a well-known psychological phenomenon whereby facts that agree with your pre-formed opinion are accepted as true and those that are not are ignored. All facts become filtered through this bias to confirm your previously held opinion. It’s also known as a closed mind.
So, let’s take a closer look at this paper and its claims. Continue Reading →
