The Weston A. Price Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), co-founded in 1999 by Sally Fallon (Morell) and nutritionist
Mary G. Enig
(PhD), is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism."
The foundation has been criticised by medical and health experts for "purveying misleading information" and "failing to update their recommendations in light of contradictory evidence".
from Cleveland, Ohio
, whose 1939 book, Nutritional and Physical Degeneration, describes the fieldwork he did in the 1920s and 1930s among various world cultures, with the original goal of recording and studying the dental health
and development of pre-industrial populations including tribal Africans and Pacific islanders, Inuit, North and South American natives, and Australian aborigines. The book contains numerous photographs of the people he studied, and includes comparison photographs of the teeth and facial structure of people who lived on their traditional diet and people who had adopted or grown up on industrialized food. In certain instances it was possible for Price to examine and photograph traditional and industrialized eaters from the same family.
More than 50 years after Weston Price's death, food activists Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig founded the Weston A. Price in their words to: “disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price....Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.”
.
The main sources of support for the Weston A. Price Foundation are the dues and contributions of its members. The Foundation does not receive funding from the government or the food processing and agribusiness
industries. It does accept sponsorships, exhibitors and advertising from small companies by invitation, whose products are in line with WAPF principles. Current sponsors can be seen at the main page of the Foundation's website. The sponsors include grass-fed meat and wild fish producers, as well as health product companies.
The WAPF states it is dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet... [and] supporting particular movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, biodynamic
and organic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported agriculture
, honest and informative labelling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk
and a ban on the use of soy in infant formula
s. The organization actively lobbies in Washington DC on issues such as government USDA dietary guidelines
definition and composition of school lunch programs."
ingredients, and are prepared using traditional and artisan methods.
in English from Stanford University
and an M.A.
in English from UCLA. She co-authored two cookbooks with WAPF co-founder Mary G. Enig
:
fats
, dairy fats
, olive oil, and cod liver oil
, among others), organic
fruits and vegetables, raw dairy products, soured or lacto-fermented
dairy and vegetables (such as sauerkraut
), whole grains (soaked or soured to neutralize their phytic acid
), and bone stocks
. The WAPF is known for its positive stance towards the consumption of saturated fat
s and cholesterol
from traditional foods, its support of local food
and farms, and its opposition to veganism and some aspects of vegetarianism.
, in the United States
. One of its main goals is to remove health regulations that require the pasteurization of milk products so that raw milk can be legally purchased in all states. Supporters of this campaign believe the pasteurization process removes or destroys beneficial parts of raw milk, leading to a less healthy product that is associated with numerous diseases such as Crohn's disease
and cancer
, and that homogenized milk is a potential cause of heart disease
.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration disagree with this assessment, noting that the pasteurization process "does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk" and that consumption of raw milk poses a "severe health risk". They also point out that prior to the widespread use of pasteurization, many diseases were commonly transmitted by raw milk, while they made up less than 1% of food and water contamination disease outbreaks by 2005. The director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration division of plant- and dairy-food safety, John Sheehan, called the organization's claims on the health benefits and safety of raw milk "false, devoid of scientific support, and misleading to consumers."
has written a critique in which he reviews the history of the Weston Price Foundation and provides evidence that Weston Price had recommended a vegetarian and dairy diet to his own family members as the healthiest diet.
The anti-vegetarian and anti-soy views of the foundation have also been criticized in several publications.
Joel Fuhrman MD wrote a series of articles entitled "The truth about the Weston Price Foundation" in which he argues the Foundation is a purveyor of "nutritional myths", largely because they have failed to update their recommendations in light of contradictory evidence.
The Quackwatch
website published an essay by Stephen Barrett MD that says the Weston A. Price Foundation promotes "questionable dietary strategies" and on grounds that the core assumptions of Weston Price's original work are incorrect and contrary to contemporary medical understanding. The Foundation has written a rebuttal to Barret's essay.
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
Mary G. Enig
Mary G. Enig
Mary Gertrude Enig, PhD is a nutritionist and early trans fat researcher known for her unconventional positions on the role fats play in diet and health...
(PhD), is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism."
The foundation has been criticised by medical and health experts for "purveying misleading information" and "failing to update their recommendations in light of contradictory evidence".
Weston Price
Price was a dentistDentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
from Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, whose 1939 book, Nutritional and Physical Degeneration, describes the fieldwork he did in the 1920s and 1930s among various world cultures, with the original goal of recording and studying the dental health
Oral hygiene
Teeth cleaning is part of oral hygiene and involves the removal of dental plaque from teeth with the intention of preventing cavities , gingivitis, and periodontal disease. People routinely clean their own teeth by brushing and interdental cleaning, and dental hygienists can remove hardened...
and development of pre-industrial populations including tribal Africans and Pacific islanders, Inuit, North and South American natives, and Australian aborigines. The book contains numerous photographs of the people he studied, and includes comparison photographs of the teeth and facial structure of people who lived on their traditional diet and people who had adopted or grown up on industrialized food. In certain instances it was possible for Price to examine and photograph traditional and industrialized eaters from the same family.
More than 50 years after Weston Price's death, food activists Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig founded the Weston A. Price in their words to: “disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price....Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.”
The Weston A. Price Foundation
The WAPF has seven board members and numerous honorary board members, most of whom have medical or nutritional qualifications. In 2010, its membership numbered 13,000 and was growing at an annual rate of 10%, according to The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
The main sources of support for the Weston A. Price Foundation are the dues and contributions of its members. The Foundation does not receive funding from the government or the food processing and agribusiness
Agribusiness
In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term for the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales....
industries. It does accept sponsorships, exhibitors and advertising from small companies by invitation, whose products are in line with WAPF principles. Current sponsors can be seen at the main page of the Foundation's website. The sponsors include grass-fed meat and wild fish producers, as well as health product companies.
The WAPF states it is dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet... [and] supporting particular movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, biodynamic
Biodynamic agriculture
Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that emphasizes the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals as a self-sustaining system. Biodynamic farming has much in common with other organic approaches, such as emphasizing the use of manures and composts...
and organic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported agriculture
Community-supported agriculture
Community-supported agriculture, a form of an alternative food network, is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food...
, honest and informative labelling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk
Raw milk
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.-History:Humans consumed raw milk exclusively prior to the industrial revolution and the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. During the industrial revolution large populations congregated into urban areas detached from the...
and a ban on the use of soy in infant formula
Infant formula
Infant formula is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid . The U.S...
s. The organization actively lobbies in Washington DC on issues such as government USDA dietary guidelines
Food guide pyramid
A food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture...
definition and composition of school lunch programs."
Publications
The WAPF publishes a quarterly journal called Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts in addition to an annual shopping guide which lists products made from organic, non-GMOGenetically modified organism
A genetically modified organism or genetically engineered organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one...
ingredients, and are prepared using traditional and artisan methods.
Sally Fallon Morell
Sally Fallon Morell is the co-founder and president of The Weston A. Price Foundation. According to the WAPF, she received a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in English from UCLA. She co-authored two cookbooks with WAPF co-founder Mary G. Enig
Mary G. Enig
Mary Gertrude Enig, PhD is a nutritionist and early trans fat researcher known for her unconventional positions on the role fats play in diet and health...
:
- Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
- Eat Fat, Lose Fat: Lose Weight and Feel Great with Three Delicious, Science-based CoconutCoconutThe coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
Diets
Dietary recommendations
The Foundation's recommendations include the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods including: traditional fats (animalLard
Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening, or as a spread similar to butter. Its use in contemporary cuisine has diminished because of health concerns posed by its saturated-fat content and its often negative...
fats
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
, dairy fats
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
, olive oil, and cod liver oil
Cod liver oil
Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement derived from liver of cod fish. It has high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and very high levels of vitamin A and vitamin D. It is widely taken to ease the symptoms of arthritis and for other health benefits...
, among others), organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
fruits and vegetables, raw dairy products, soured or lacto-fermented
Lactic acid fermentation
Lactic acid fermentation is a biological process by which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose, are converted into cellular energy and the metabolic byproduct lactate. It is an anaerobic fermentation reaction that occurs in some bacteria and animal cells, such as muscle cells, in the...
dairy and vegetables (such as sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
), whole grains (soaked or soured to neutralize their phytic acid
Phytic acid
Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially bran and seeds. Phytate is not digestible to humans or nonruminant animals, however, so it is not a source of either inositol or phosphate if eaten directly...
), and bone stocks
Stock (food)
Stock is a flavoured water preparation. It forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces.- Preparation :Stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water, including some or all of the following...
. The WAPF is known for its positive stance towards the consumption of saturated fat
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
s and cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
from traditional foods, its support of local food
Local food
Local food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular...
and farms, and its opposition to veganism and some aspects of vegetarianism.
Activism
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a lobbying group that seeks to ban infant soy formula, and advocates a nutrient-dense diet of whole foods, including animal fats. Board of Directors member Kaayla Daniel has released a book titled: 'The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food'.Campaign for Real Milk
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a major advocate for the consumption of unpasteurized milk, or raw milkRaw milk
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.-History:Humans consumed raw milk exclusively prior to the industrial revolution and the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. During the industrial revolution large populations congregated into urban areas detached from the...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. One of its main goals is to remove health regulations that require the pasteurization of milk products so that raw milk can be legally purchased in all states. Supporters of this campaign believe the pasteurization process removes or destroys beneficial parts of raw milk, leading to a less healthy product that is associated with numerous diseases such as Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and that homogenized milk is a potential cause of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration disagree with this assessment, noting that the pasteurization process "does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk" and that consumption of raw milk poses a "severe health risk". They also point out that prior to the widespread use of pasteurization, many diseases were commonly transmitted by raw milk, while they made up less than 1% of food and water contamination disease outbreaks by 2005. The director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration division of plant- and dairy-food safety, John Sheehan, called the organization's claims on the health benefits and safety of raw milk "false, devoid of scientific support, and misleading to consumers."
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Established with the help of the Weston A. Price Foundation in July 2007, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund aims to help protect the rights of farmers to provide meat, eggs, raw dairy products, vegetables and other foods directly to consumers. This includes protecting consumers' "freedom of choice to consume raw milk," according to Pete Kennedy, president of the Fund. In the first year of its operation, the Fund raised over $350,000 and receives around three requests for assistance per week from farmers across the United States who are facing legal or bureaucratic challenges, or both in relation to sales of raw milk.Criticisms and responses
John Robbins MDJohn Robbins (scientist)
Dr. John Robbins, M.D. is a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health, best known for his development of the vaccine against bacterial meningitis with his colleague Dr. Rachel Schneerson, M.D....
has written a critique in which he reviews the history of the Weston Price Foundation and provides evidence that Weston Price had recommended a vegetarian and dairy diet to his own family members as the healthiest diet.
The anti-vegetarian and anti-soy views of the foundation have also been criticized in several publications.
Joel Fuhrman MD wrote a series of articles entitled "The truth about the Weston Price Foundation" in which he argues the Foundation is a purveyor of "nutritional myths", largely because they have failed to update their recommendations in light of contradictory evidence.
The Quackwatch
Quackwatch
Quackwatch is an American non-profit organization founded by Stephen Barrett with the stated aim being to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and with a primary focus on providing "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere."...
website published an essay by Stephen Barrett MD that says the Weston A. Price Foundation promotes "questionable dietary strategies" and on grounds that the core assumptions of Weston Price's original work are incorrect and contrary to contemporary medical understanding. The Foundation has written a rebuttal to Barret's essay.
See also
- Health freedom movement
- Raw foodismRaw foodismRaw foodism is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet....
- Slow FoodSlow FoodSlow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It was the first established part of...
- Terra MadreTerra MadreTerra Madre is a network of food communities, each committed to producing quality food in a responsible, sustainable way. Terra Madre also refers to a major bi-annual conference held in Torino, Italy intended to foster discussion and introduce innovative concepts in the field of food, gastronomy,...
- The International Network of Cholesterol SkepticsThe International Network of Cholesterol SkepticsThe International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics is a group of scientists, physicians, and other academicians from around the world who dispute the widely accepted lipid hypothesis of atherosclerosis...
- Michael PollanMichael PollanMichael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A 2006 New York Times book review describes him as a "liberal foodie intellectual."...
- United States raw milk debateUnited States raw milk debateThe United States raw milk debate concerns issues of food safety and claimed health benefits of raw milk, and whether authorities responsible for regulating food safety should prohibit sale of raw milk for consumption....