Training & Nutrition - American adults clueless about nutrition

Just watch the total clueless adults like the jocks in the Nutrisystems TV commercials that brag how they lost weight eating processed food.

Ok.

There's a lot of hate and frustration in that post but I agree with what I think is the premise. Too many processed foods are marketed as healthy choices. Your body evolved to eat the food which occur naturally in its enviroment - lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Therefore, how can the Healthy Choice Enchiladas with 300mg of sodium and high fructose corn syrup as sweetener actually be considered a healthy choice? We've created an environment where its too hard to decipher which foods are actually good for us.

-s

There's a lot of hate and frustration in that post but I agree with what I think is the premise. Too many processed foods are marketed as healthy choices. Your body evolved to eat the food which occur naturally in its enviroment - lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Therefore, how can the Healthy Choice Enchiladas with 300mg of sodium and high fructose corn syrup as sweetener actually be considered a healthy choice? We've created an environment where its too hard to decipher which foods are actually good for us.

-s


It's too bad that so much money gets pumped into supporting garbage foods parading as healthy choices, when the healthiest foods are the ones that have to take and make something out of instead of just popping it in the microwave for 3 minutes.

Maybe it's not just a case of being clueless, but being lazy and relying on an illness care system. Instead of eating for life it is eating to satisfy an addiction.

You make an interesting point about not being able to decipher what is good for us. Opposing that view, I say that if the food you eat needs deciphering it is not good for you. If what you plan to eat has an ingredient list it is probably not something you should be eating.

Sounds like someone's got a case of the mondays....on thursday.

Just watch the total clueless adults like the jocks in the Nutrisystems TV commercials that brag how they lost weight eating processed shi*. Only in the USA, home of the fat as* couch potato. And the US Government is the biggest joke on the planet that continues to make a known cancer cause a legal product because money talks with the scum buckets in Washington.Are you referring to cigarettes? Because cigarettes are legal in nearly every country in the world, so it's not just limited to the US. It's not good, of course, but it's not a problem you can specifically pin on the US.

I hope you feel better now that you've gotten your ranting out:)

There's a lot of hate and frustration in that post but I agree with what I think is the premise. Too many processed foods are marketed as healthy choices. Your body evolved to eat the food which occur naturally in its enviroment - lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Therefore, how can the Healthy Choice Enchiladas with 300mg of sodium and high fructose corn syrup as sweetener actually be considered a healthy choice?

With only 298 calories, 6.7 grams of fat, and 13 grams of protein, it's quite a bit healthier than many "convenience food" alternatives. But, as with most frozen foods, the sodium content is far too high (563 mg).

http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/22588.html

Just eat the "MAN FOOD" on the Nutrisystems plan and you will lose weight. How clueless is that ?

Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Read it.

Sounds like someone's got a case of the mondays....on thursday.
:lol:

Well, if you're (referring to OP) going to get political on us, I might as well say this:

I have observed that all of the "healthy" foods (that is, fruits, vegetables, raw meats) are much more expensive than the pre-packaged microwave junk foods at the supermarket. I have a feeling that economics might contribute in part to the obesity epidemic as well. Just a thought for you to ponder.

Take the meats out that could be replaced by beans etc and a diet of processed food cost more than a whole food diet.

The real problem is that the "clues" are conflicting. There are reportedly 30,000 diets in print, yet none work. There are probably 5 new diet books a year, yet the population expands. Every month or so media blares out a new research finding that contradicts one similarly blared out some years before, but no attempt is made to rationalize the differences. The medical profession receives no education/training on nutrition, physical fitness or disease prevention.

The population is poorly served by the medical/health community and the media.

Al

In grad school, my wife and I lived on $20/week for groceries.

Bake your own bread, grow your own herbs, can your own jams/jellies, buy your veggies/corn in the summer from the farmstand, and buy stuff only on sale at the grocery store.

I have observed that all of the "healthy" foods (that is, fruits, vegetables, raw meats) are much more expensive than the pre-packaged microwave junk foods at the supermarket. I have a feeling that economics might contribute in part to the obesity epidemic as well. Just a thought for you to ponder.

I agree 100%. There is always sales on cakes, pastries, frozen foods, and all packaged and processed things. Healthier food is much more expensive and also harder to find. The supermarket by me has a full aisle of cookies and another full one for chips.

Just watch the total clueless adults like the jocks in the Nutrisystems TV commercials that brag how they lost weight eating processed ****.

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

grow your own herbs .

Right on mon. I like dat! :D
Hey -- pass that will ya!

Right on mon. I like dat! :D
Hey -- pass that will ya!

....... 'ere...

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

Thats a little bit of a stretch. Yes you can lose weight by burning more then you consume, but dont think if you do it eating McDonalds it is healthy. Weightloss does not always mean health. You can be losing weight while not being healthy.

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

That is the perfect example of how in the dark society is about nutrition. People think being skinny and losing weight means good health.

I was talking to someone the other day who said they stopped eating salmon because it had too much fat in it. She didn't understand the difference between good fat and bad fat. She probably thinks eating low-fat cookies is better because it supposedly has less fat.

There is more to nutrition than just calories.

That is the perfect example of how in the dark society is about nutrition. People think being skinny and losing weight means good health.

I was talking to someone the other day who said they stopped eating salmon because it had too much fat in it. She didn't understand the difference between good fat and bad fat. She probably thinks eating low-fat cookies is better because it supposedly has less fat.

There is more to nutrition than just calories.

Yes and no....achieving an appropriate weight should be the first goal. For most Americans, that means losing weight, and for that...calories do matter.

Giving up salmon for a time might be a viable solution, especially if salmon represents a "substance abuse" issue for that person.

The same could be said for nuts - they're very "healthy" in terms of macro and micro nutrients, but they're so calorie dense, and so easy to over consume, that most overweight folks should avoid them.

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

Let's see you eat 5000 calories in French Fries and try and lose weight.

Let's see you eat 5000 calories in French Fries and try and lose weight.

Assuming that's all you ate, if you were to burn 5500 calories per day, you would indeed lose weight. Of course, that means you'd need to ride your bike about 75 miles per day, or have a very physical job (e.g., lumberjack).

I agree 100%. There is always sales on cakes, pastries, frozen foods, and all packaged and processed things. Healthier food is much more expensive and also harder to find. The supermarket by me has a full aisle of cookies and another full one for chips.That's right. Never eat out of the center of a supermarket. Eat what's around the edges. Interesting, no? They put the worst stuff in the middle.

That's right. Never eat out of the center of a supermarket. Eat what's around the edges. Interesting, no? They put the worst stuff in the middle.

You know its funny you said that. Normaly I go up and down every aisle then around the perimeter. The last time I went I did the perimeter first. Before going into the aisles I said to myself, I got everything I need and I didnt even go down any of the aisles? How can that be? A supermarket has like 20 aisles and I didnt need anything but what was around the edge. I guess that explains it. They put all the garbage in the center.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

I have to disagree with this one....I was raised on Wonder bread, velveeta, bacon and Miracle Whip sandwiches. The nutritional value and variety in those was pretty bad. I now eat much more nutritionally varied and less processed food. I had a lot to learn

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.You really need to rent the DVD for Super Size Me! Highly recommended and very funny.

I think any food in moderation isnt "bad"... its the excesses that cause things like Twinkies to be so bad for you. You can eat McDonalds here and there and never become overweight or have high cholesterol... moderation is the key.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

That's got to be the dumbest statement I've read on BF ever.

Yes and no....achieving an appropriate weight should be the first goal. For most Americans, that means losing weight, and for that...calories do matter.

Giving up salmon for a time might be a viable solution, especially if salmon represents a "substance abuse" issue for that person.

The same could be said for nuts - they're very "healthy" in terms of macro and micro nutrients, but they're so calorie dense, and so easy to over consume, that most overweight folks should avoid them.

You are right. Too much of anything can be bad. Even though Salmon and Nuts contain a healthy fat that our bodies can use for good, it doesn't mean we can eat as much as we want.

The point I was trying to make is that you can't say it doesn't matter what you eat as long as it is under a certain amount of calories. You can be skinny and still not be healthy if all you eat is French fries. Over all I think it is better to make healthy food choices than to just cut calories.

That's right. Never eat out of the center of a supermarket. Eat what's around the edges. Interesting, no? They put the worst stuff in the middle.

Bacon is on the perimeter of my grocery store. So is cheese. And sausages.

Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Read it.
Start here if you don't have this book:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ei=5088&en=7c85a1c254546157&ex=1327640400&pagewanted=all

Al

Bacon is on the perimeter of my grocery store. So is cheese. And sausages.

So is lard and shortening in mine. :D

Lard makes the best pie crust.

That's right. Never eat out of the center of a supermarket. Eat what's around the edges. Interesting, no? They put the worst stuff in the middle.

And never, ever, ever go shopping when your hungry, you will buy more, and most of it will be crap. The best thing to do, is make a shopping list, stick it on the fridge, with a pencil or pen, when something gets low, add it to the list. Even items you buy every week without fail, should go on the list. Do a kitchen inventory before you go shopping, this allows you to update the list. When you are shopping, if it's on the list, buy it, if it's not on the list, don't buy it.

You miss alot of crap that way, and if you don't buy crap, your not going to eat it:D .

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.


If you eat MacDonalds and you burn more than the calories you take in, you will lose weight. The problem is that a large portion of that weight loss will be muscle and less of it will be body fat.

Again, I believe, the body has evolved to eat the foods which occur naturally in its environment. Eating foods like McDonalds confuses the body by giving it a large number of calories but not enough nutrition. Hence the bodily has to digest muscle to fuel necessary life functions such as our large brains (our evolutionary edge) and body repairs. The food also triggers a famine response because the body is being starved of nutrients. This famine response makes the body store as much fat as possible. In essence you get muscle waisting and an increase in bodyfat simultaneously. All of a sudden, your skinny fat!

Stick to lean meats, fruit and vegetables. Even if you overeat your body can deal with the food better.

-s

Bacon is on the perimeter of my grocery store. So is cheese. And sausages.

Important food groups (in moderation yadda yadda)

Bacon is on the perimeter of my grocery store. So is cheese. And sausages.

So are the donuts, cigarettes, booze and girly magazines in mine.

Assuming that's all you ate, if you were to burn 5500 calories per day, you would indeed lose weight. Of course, that means you'd need to ride your bike about 75 miles per day, or have a very physical job (e.g., lumberjack).

SSP:
I know that you know this subject.
Question: Would my system rebel in form of "bonking" if we were to bike 75 miles on 5500 calories of french fries? In other words: Is calories all that matters for a one time effort? (like gas in a tank)
It is clear to me that vitamins are needed for long term health.

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.

Yes, a calorie is a calorie - be it protein, fat, or carb. However, there certainly are healthy foods, and VERY unhealthy foods. Would you consider 2,500 empty calories of Pepsi to be the same (health wise) as a balanced 2,500 calorie meal dense in vitimins? No way, bro. :eek:

The real problem is that the "clues" are conflicting. There are reportedly 30,000 diets in print, yet none work. There are probably 5 new diet books a year, yet the population expands. Every month or so media blares out a new research finding that contradicts one similarly blared out some years before, but no attempt is made to rationalize the differences. The medical profession receives no education/training on nutrition, physical fitness or disease prevention.

The population is poorly served by the medical/health community and the media.

Al

And, because there are so many books, we are to believe that everyone can and will read?

SSP:
I know that you know this subject.
Question: Would my system rebel in form of "bonking" if we were to bike 75 miles on 5500 calories of french fries? In other words: Is calories all that matters for a one time effort? (like gas in a tank)
It is clear to me that vitamins are needed for long term health.

Vitamins and minerals *are* important...that's one good reason not to use the "French Fry" diet. :D

And, for a 75 mile ride, you need to take in fuel while you're riding. French fries, with their heavy fat content, are not very good for this sort of thing. To avoid the bonk, you're better off with quickly digested carbs, instead of fats and protein, while you're exercising. Things like sports drinks, gels, bars, bananas, fig newtons, etc.

200-300 calories per hour, depending on how hard you're riding, is generally recommended (though on rides less than 2 hours, you can get away without eating at all if you're careful).

Save the fats and protein for after the ride...but be careful not to overeat or "reward" yourself with food.

I've heard too many times, "I ride my bike 100+ miles per week, but can't lose 1 pound!". That just shows how easy it is to subvert a good exercise program with a few poor food choices each week...one "splurge" meal at Outback Steakhouse can easily blow all your hard work on the bike for that week.

Perhaps the question is does a person who needs 5k calories a day to maintain weight need the same or more vit/mins compared to the person who needs 3k to maintain flat weight?

Yes, they may need more protein, carb, fat, but what about vit/min?

Al

Perhaps the question is does a person who needs 5k calories a day to maintain weight need the same or more vit/mins compared to the person who needs 3k to maintain flat weight?

Yes, they may need more protein, carb, fat, but what about vit/min?

Al

That's a very interesting question...I would assume that due to higher metabolic activity, that at least some vitamins (and most minerals) would be needed in greater quantities. But, that's just a guess.

Vitamins and minerals *are* important...that's one good reason not to use the "French Fry" diet. :D

And, for a 75 mile ride, you need to take in fuel while you're riding. French fries, with their heavy fat content, are not very good for this sort of thing. To avoid the bonk, you're better off with quickly digested carbs, instead of fats and protein, while you're exercising. Things like sports drinks, gels, bars, bananas, fig newtons, etc.

200-300 calories per hour, depending on how hard you're riding, is generally recommended (though on rides less than 2 hours, you can get away without eating at all if you're careful).

Save the fats and protein for after the ride...but be careful not to overeat or "reward" yourself with food.

I've heard too many times, "I ride my bike 100+ miles per week, but can't lose 1 pound!". That just shows how easy it is to subvert a good exercise program with a few poor food choices each week...one "splurge" meal at Outback Steakhouse can easily blow all your hard work on the bike for that week.

Are you saying just one cheat meal can ruin all my hard work for the entire week? DANG!!
Oh well, that "bloomin' Onion" is over-rated anyway.

Wonder bread, velveeta, bacon and Miracle Whip sandwiches

....damn, that sounds good.....

You can eat McDonalds exclusively and still lose weight, as long the calories you eat is less than the calories you expend.

There is no such thing as healthy food. There is no such thing as unhealthy food.
You must be young because when your young you could live on Big Macs and fries but when you hit 60 you better be eating right or you will be taking advantage of your health plan.

That's right. Never eat out of the center of a supermarket. Eat what's around the edges. Interesting, no? They put the worst stuff in the middle.

Well....actually....they tend to put the non-perishable stuff in the middle so that it's easier to get that stuff in and out of the store without navigating aisles...but in general, there's a lot of truth to that.

They do put the worst stuff in the middle of the supermarket. That's where I spent most of my time before I started trying to lose weight again. As you can tell by my username, I'm still working on it :D

Oh yeah..."No such thing as unhealthy food. No such thing as healthy food?" Complete BS. Let's see how healthy you are if you went completely on a MacDonald's diet, but restricting the caloric intake to what you normally eat. You might stay the same weight, but I doubt you'll stay at the same blood pressure, heart rate, etc. :rolleyes:

Start here if you don't have this book:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ei=5088&en=7c85a1c254546157&ex=1327640400&pagewanted=all

Al

Great article. We had just finished excerpts of the book when I used this article in a Contemporary American History course I teach to high school students (Jr/Srs). After several discussions/arguments, I think they began to understand his point...

noisebeam, glad to see someone picked up on him!:)

The real problem is that the "clues" are conflicting. There are reportedly 30,000 diets in print, yet none work. There are probably 5 new diet books a year, yet the population expands. Every month or so media blares out a new research finding that contradicts one similarly blared out some years before, but no attempt is made to rationalize the differences. The medical profession receives no education/training on nutrition, physical fitness or disease prevention.

The population is poorly served by the medical/health community and the media.

Al
That's why you need to find a doc trained in health care, not sickness care.

I won't begin to say that this is a perfect method, but I've noticed a huge difference between how healthy my parents eat vs my fiance and I and it comes down to one thing: meal planning.

My parents buy groceries based on coupon savings, sales and specials: the house is full of processed junk food and empty calories.

We take 10 minutes or so before the grocery run and build a list of 6 recipes we plan to cook before the next grocery run (this turns into an 8-9 day turnaround when eating at a friend/parent's house one night and eating out once in that span) we go, usually after dinner and pick up the stuff on our list. our grocery bill per person is still cheaper than my parents, and we have almost no junkfood laying around.

The fault to this method is of course that one can still plan recipes/meals that are nutritionally out of balance, but we're working on that and have gotten much better.