- Home
- Politics
- Entertainment
- Sports
- Health
- Religion
- Society
- Tech
- Money
- People
- Science
- Galleries
Animal Rights
Terrorizing Monkeys with Mr. Potato Head is Research?
By Alisa Mullins
Just when you thought experiments on animals couldn't get any more cruel or absurd, the good folks at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) managed to come up with an experiment on baby monkeys that's so cruel and ridiculous it might even give Harry "Monster Mother" Harlow pause.
ONPRC experimenter Kevin Grove is spending $750,000 in taxpayer money per year to make monkeys fat and play mind games with their babies. First he feeds pregnant monkeys unhealthy high-fat diets.
After the babies are born (many preterm babies were cut out of their mothers' wombs and immediately killed so that their brains could be dissected), he attempts to scare the bejeezus out of them by putting things in their cages that he knows they are afraid of, including Mr. Potato Head dolls.
Yes, you read that right. If that doesn't do the trick, he engages the baby monkeys in staring contests. Yes, you read that right too.
The breathtaking conclusion of this baby-bullying in the name of science? Monkeys who are born to mothers who ate high-fat diets are more easily stressed and frightened than babies born to mothers who ate healthy diets. G
ee, couldn't he have hung out at the local McDonald's and learned the same thing? Of course, if more people were vegan, any potential maternal-diet-related harms to babies would be minimized and people who torment animals for a living by purportedly investigating these problems—like ONPRC's Kevin Grove—might well be out of a job.
As part of our own little experiment, we attempted to scare the bejeezus out of attendees of the conference where the results of this study were presented by holding a protest.
Our findings? People who torment animals for a living are terrified at the idea that the public will find out about it. Take that, Mr. Potato Head.
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
Comments
Reposting PETA's Science Fiction
I'm Jim Newman from Oregon Health & Science University
Perhaps a full review of the science that PeTA seeks to ridicule will be helpful to readers so they can make their minds up for themselves.
Here's the full story as covered by a unbiased reporter:
You Are what your Mother Eats - Live Science
http://www.livescience.com/health/maternal-diet-affects-offspring-personality-101116.html
A few key findings of the science:
Diet during pregnancy plays a very important role in child health AND behavior.
Negative health issues are not related to a mother's weight but what she feeds her child during pregnancy. This information can have tremendous impacts. A temporary change in diet (if a mother is not willing to permanently change her diet) can have positive health impacts on a child.
Now, see these CNN (CDC) stats:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/09/fact.check .obesity/index.html
Obesity costs the nation $147 Billion annually (that's just the financial toll - it doesn't factor in the human toll) I think most will agree that a $750,000 investment to counteract this epidemic is more than justified.
Another huge issue in this country are stress and depression disorders - here are the stats on that from Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6183DO20100209
It's the leading cause of disability in this country.
In short - according to on PeTA's opinion piece above - they are opposed to research to combat two of the nation's most significant health problems: obesity and depression.
Thinking about the millions of people who benefit from this research is literally staggering. It also begs the question why PeTA is so quick to ridicule something that helps so many.
Finally - some related news that was also released today about the significant impacts of Dr. Grove's research.
High Fat Diet In Moms Affects Offspring's Circadian, Metabolic Rhythms
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1958141/high_fat_diet_in_moms_affects_ offsprings_circadian_metabolic_rhythms/
PETA'S Science Fiction
I'm Jim Newman from Oregon Health & Science University and the primate center where this work is conducted.
Perhaps a full review of the science that PeTA ridicules above will be helpful to readers so they can make their minds up for themselves.
Here's the full story as covered by a unbiased reporter:
You Are what your Mother Eats - Live Science
http://www.livescience.com/health/maternal-diet-affects-offspring-personality-101116.html
A few key findings of the science:
Diet during pregnancy plays a very important role in child health AND behavior.
Negative health issues are not related to a mother’s weight but what she feeds her child during pregnancy. This information can have tremendous impacts. A temporary change in diet (if a mother is not willing to permanently change her diet) can have remarkable positive health impacts on a child.
See these CNN (CDC) stats here:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/09/fact.check .obesity/index.html
The facts are: Obesity costs the nation $147 Billion annually (that's just the financial toll - it even doesn't factor in the human toll) I think most will agree that a $750,000 investment to counteract this epidemic is more than justified.
Another huge issue in this country are stress and depression disorders - here are the stats on that from Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6183DO20100209
IDepression is the leading cause of disability in this country.
In short - based on PeTA's opinion piece above, they are opposed to research to combat two of the nation's most significant health problems: obesity and depression. Thinking about the millions of people who benefit from this research is literally staggering. It also begs the question why PeTA is so quick to ridicule something that helps so many.
Finally - some related news that was also released today about the significant impacts of Dr. Grove's research.
High Fat Diet In Moms Affects Offspring's Circadian, Metabolic Rhythms
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1958141/high_fat_diet_in_moms_affects_offsprings_circadian_metabolic_rhythms /