David Kritchevsky Dies

A December 5, 2006 item on the website of The Scientist noted the passing of ACSH Advisor Dr. David Kritchevsky:

Kritchevsky's 1996 paper showing that saturated fat may be as equally harmful as trans fat influenced dietary guidelines Connie Weaver, a member of the US Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans committee, told The Scientist. Although trans fat was the "hot thing" that made headlines, the committee emphasized in their report that saturated fat should not increase to compensate for the recommended reduction of trans fats, Weaver said.

In an interview in 2005 with the New York Times, Kritchevsky called trans fat fears "the panic du jour" and "an easy whipping boy." He was "media-genic" and "did not hesitate to speak out to distinguish nutrition facts from nutrition hype," Elizabeth Whelan, president of American Council on Science and Health, told The Scientist in an email. Kritchevsky also emphasized that "meat is not poison" as his work showed that conjugated linoleic acid in beef had anti-cancer effects, according to Richard Rivlin, the director of the Anne Fischer Nutrition Center.

Kritchevky published more than 600 articles that spanned over 60 years, a career length that is "almost unheard of," said Eugene Garfield, founding editor of The Scientist. As of last year, he was one of only three US researchers to be a recipient of the same grant since John F. Kennedy was president.