Weston A. Price Foundation
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The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), co-founded in 1999 by Sally Fallon (Morell) and
nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disciplines. In many ...
Mary G. Enig, is a U.S.  501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism". The foundation has been criticized for spreading medical misinformation and dangerous health advice. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
(FDA) has warned about its advocacy of drinking
raw milk Raw milk or unpasteurized milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process of heating liquid foods to kill pathogens for safe consumption and extending the shelf life. Proponents of raw milk have asserted numerous supposed benefits to consu ...
and various nutritionists, including
Joel Fuhrman Joel Fuhrman (born December 2, 1953) is an American celebrity doctor who advocates what he calls a "micronutrient-rich diet". His practice is based on his nutrition-based approach to obesity and chronic disease, also referred to as a nutritarian ...
, were concerned about its advocacy of the health benefits of animal-based fats.


Weston A. Price

Price was a dentist from
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio, whose 1939 book, ''Nutrition 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 Dental Public Health (DPH) is a para-clinical specialty of dentistry that deals with the prevention of oral disease and promotion of oral health. Dental public health is involved in the assessment of key dental health needs and coming up with eff ...
and development of pre-industrial populations.


Organization

The president of the foundation is Sally Fallon Morell. According to the WAPF, she received a B.A. in English from Stanford University and an
M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in English from
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
. The foundation 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 Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. Its main sources of support are the dues and contributions of its members. It 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 its principles. The sponsors include grass-fed meat and wild fish producers, as well as health product companies. A 2004 report published by the foundation stated that it is dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism", and "supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies." Specific goals include establishment of universal access to certified
raw milk Raw milk or unpasteurized milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process of heating liquid foods to kill pathogens for safe consumption and extending the shelf life. Proponents of raw milk have asserted numerous supposed benefits to consu ...
and a ban on the use of
soy The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
in
infant formula Infant formula, baby formula, or simply formula (American English); or baby milk, infant milk or first milk (British English), is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepar ...
s. The organization actively lobbies in Washington, D.C., on issues such as government dietary guidelines and school lunch programs.


Dietary recommendations

The foundation's recommendations include the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods including: traditional fats (olive oil, avocado oil,
cod liver oil Cod liver oil is a dietary supplement derived from liver of cod fish (Gadidae). As with most fish oils, it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and also vitamin A and vitamin D. Histori ...
, and animal fats such as lard and
tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, includ ...
, etc.), organic fruits and vegetables, raw dairy products, soured or lacto-fermented dairy and vegetables (such as
sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferm ...
), whole grains (soaked or soured to neutralize their phytic acid,
lectins Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups that are part of other molecules, so cause agglutination of particular cells or precipitation of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides. Lectins have a role in rec ...
, and other anti-nutrients), and bone stocks. WAPF publications regularly speak out against marijuana/cannabis and other drugs as harmful and addictive.


Lipid hypothesis

The Weston A. Price Foundation is known for its controversial position against the lipid hypothesis, maintaining a positive stance towards the consumption of saturated fats and
cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...
from traditional foods.


Criticism

The anti-vegetarian and anti-
soy The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
views of the foundation have been criticized as "myths" in several publications, for example,
Quackwatch Quackwatch is a United States-based website, self-described as a "network of people" founded by Stephen Barrett, which aims to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and to focus on "quackery-related information th ...
describes the foundation as promoting "questionable dietary strategies" and Price's core assumptions as contrary to contemporary medical understanding, and ''
Science-Based Medicine ''Science-Based Medicine'' is a website and blog with articles covering issues in science and medicine, especially medical scams and practices. Founded in 2008, it is owned and operated by the New England Skeptical Society and run by Steven N ...
'' evaluated the medical and nutritional claims of the Weston A. Price Foundation and concludes the website is "one of the worst on the internet" due to misleading and false information. Similarly, John Robbins reviewed the history of the Weston A. Price Foundation and provided evidence that Weston A. Price recommended a vegetarian and dairy diet to his own family members.
Joel Fuhrman Joel Fuhrman (born December 2, 1953) is an American celebrity doctor who advocates what he calls a "micronutrient-rich diet". His practice is based on his nutrition-based approach to obesity and chronic disease, also referred to as a nutritarian ...
has written 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 and criticizes advocacy of the health benefits of animal-based fats.


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''. The foundation is an advocate for the consumption of
unpasteurized Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. Th ...
milk, or
raw milk Raw milk or unpasteurized milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process of heating liquid foods to kill pathogens for safe consumption and extending the shelf life. Proponents of raw milk have asserted numerous supposed benefits to consu ...
, in what is known as the United States raw milk debate. One of its goals is to remove health regulations requiring pasteurization of milk products, so that raw milk can be legally purchased in all states. Supporters of this campaign believe pasteurization removes or destroys beneficial parts of raw milk, leading to a less healthy product that is associated with numerous diseases, however, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
and
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
disagree with this, 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 point out that prior to the widespread use of pasteurization many diseases were commonly transmitted by raw milk, while by 2005 they made up less than 1% of food and water contamination disease outbreaks. 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". The organization also supports
local food Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system. Local food (or "locavore") movements aim to con ...
and farms. Established with the help of the foundation in July 2007, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund aims to 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, it raised over $350,000 and receives around three requests for assistance per week from farmers in the United States facing legal or bureaucratic challenges in relation to sales of raw milk. Weston A. Price Foundation, by way of founder Sally Fallon and regular contributor Andrew Kaufman, has published articles in its house journal ''Wise Traditions'' that call into question established science about COVID-19, specifically that it is a virus at all, that vaccines are beneficial if not outright deadly, and theories about origins in 5G network radiation.


See also

* Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation * Thomas Cowan (Member of the Board of Directors of the foundation) * Food sovereignty * Holistic dentistry


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weston A. Price Foundation Organizations established in 1999 Advocacy groups in the United States Agricultural economics Food politics Medical and health foundations in the United States Health campaigns Organic food 1999 establishments in the United States