nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

MyFitnessPal Community

Readers Digest article

brcossette

In the March 2015 issue of Reader's Digest they have an article titled "Classic Diet Advice (you can probably ignore)" In the article they point out 5 things 1) Don't lose weight quickly. 2) Always eat breakfast. 3)Eating at home is always better than eating out. 4) Small Changes add up. and 5) Big ambitious weight-goals set you up for failure. Basically the article takes the contrary views on these things based on scientific research. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had a chance to read the article and what they thought about it. My opinion is that this was very shoddy journalism on their part because a lot of those things are what helped me to lose almost 90lbs so far.

Replies

marissafit06

I can understand the potential rationales for 1,2,3, and 5, but 4 puzzles me. How do they refute the idea that small changes don't add up?

sofaking6

Has anything in Reader's Digest ever not been shoddy journalism? That isn't exactly my #1 source for reliable information...

Need2Exerc1se

marissafit06 wrote: »

I can understand the potential rationales for 1,2,3, and 5, but 3 puzzles me. How do they refute the idea that small change don't add up?

I agree with this (assuming you meant 4 and mistyped 3). I haven't read the article though. I honestly didn't know Readers Digest was still in print.

marissafit06

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

marissafit06 wrote: »

I can understand the potential rationales for 1,2,3, and 5, but 3 puzzles me. How do they refute the idea that small change don't add up?

I agree with this (assuming you meant 4 and mistyped 3). I haven't read the article though. I honestly didn't know Readers Digest was still in print.

Yup, fixed it.

michellemybelll

sofaking6 wrote: »

Has anything in Reader's Digest ever not been shoddy journalism? That isn't exactly my #1 source for reliable information...

boom!

WalkingAlong

I haven't read the article but I like it when magazines refute diet myths based on research.

Maybe their stance is that small changes do add up but big changes add up faster and have more visible short term results, which helps make people really commit to the changes. We generally respond best to immediate positive feedback.

PeachyCarol

sofaking6 wrote: »

Has anything in Reader's Digest ever not been shoddy journalism? That isn't exactly my #1 source for reliable information...

Well, I know that the study that #1 was based on has been discussed on here before, so that point's not just coming out of the ether.

ahamm002

So a journalist cherry picked a few studies in order to write an attention grabbing article on diets . . . I'm so shocked.

bainsworth1a

guess I would have to read the article. here's my experience:
1) Don't lose weight quickly. - the times I went for a quick fix always failed miserably but some people have had success for example weight loss surgery.

2) Always eat breakfast - I used to skip breakfast all the time now I eat something and it works for me. I am not starving by lunch time if I have at least a little bit. On the other hand my mother could not eat breakfast and it never hurt her.

3)Eating at home is always better than eating out - it is easier to control portions and what goes in to your food when eating at home but MFP makes it easy to make good choices at restaurants too.

4) Small Changes add up - yes they do dropping soda can reduce your calorie intake. and

5) Big ambitious weight-goals set you up for failure - I have a big ambitious weight goal and even though I have failed in the past I know I am going to make it this time. It is all a matter of attitude and committment

brcossette

ahamm002 wrote: »

So a journalist cherry picked a few studies in order to write an attention grabbing article on diets . . . I'm so shocked.

this is exactly what i was thinking and it's a magazine that is still widely read so to give out information that people will obviously cherry pick is very irresponsible IMO.

Zedeff

brcossette wrote: »

My opinion is that this was very shoddy journalism on their part because a lot of those things are what helped me to lose almost 90lbs so far.

There's more than one way to skin a cat. You may have had success doing all of those things, others have success doing none of those things. Nobody is all right or all wrong.

WalkingAlong

The first diet book I read was Body For Life. It said exercising first thing in the morning was four times more effective for fat loss than later in the day. So I didn't exercise for years because mornings weren't going to happen. Generally it's a positive when myths are busted. There are probably a lot of people who think they can't make a real attempt at weight loss because they don't eat breakfast or eat at home all the time, and other things that aren't crucial.

juggernaut1974

ahamm002 wrote: »

So a journalist cherry picked a few studies in order to write an attention grabbing article on diets . . . I'm so shocked.

Yep this...pretty much standard MO for Reader's Digest

PeachyCarol

brcossette wrote: »

ahamm002 wrote: »

So a journalist cherry picked a few studies in order to write an attention grabbing article on diets . . . I'm so shocked.

this is exactly what i was thinking and it's a magazine that is still widely read so to give out information that people will obviously cherry pick is very irresponsible IMO.

Not defending Reader's Digest, but how is this article any different than morning news shows that trot out their "medical experts" to do a piece on the latest study when they cherry pick the bullet points from it and miss the meat of it? It happens ALLLLLLL the time across all media.

sofaking6

I was nice to RD - you should see my comments about the MFP blog!!

PeachyCarol

sofaking6 wrote: »

I was nice to RD - you should see my comments about the MFP blog!!

Oh, the MFP blog... puh-lease. It's like pinterest pins in long form sometimes.

sofaking6

mamapeach910 wrote: »

sofaking6 wrote: »

I was nice to RD - you should see my comments about the MFP blog!!

Oh, the MFP blog... puh-lease. It's like pinterest pins in long form sometimes.

It is!! I never put that together before...MFP's pinterest board of 5 minute workouts.

SLLRunner

brcossette wrote: »

In the March 2015 issue of Reader's Digest they have an article titled "Classic Diet Advice (you can probably ignore)" In the article they point out 5 things 1) Don't lose weight quickly. 2) Always eat breakfast. 3)Eating at home is always better than eating out. 4) Small Changes add up. and 5) Big ambitious weight-goals set you up for failure. Basically the article takes the contrary views on these things based on scientific research. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had a chance to read the article and what they thought about it. My opinion is that this was very shoddy journalism on their part because a lot of those things are what helped me to lose almost 90lbs so far.

I agree with number one and four, and five, but two and three are irrelevant to weight loss.

Liftng4Lis

47Jacqueline

Writers have to eat too.

TimothyFish

brcossette wrote: »

In the March 2015 issue of Reader's Digest they have an article titled "Classic Diet Advice (you can probably ignore)" In the article they point out 5 things 1) Don't lose weight quickly. 2) Always eat breakfast. 3)Eating at home is always better than eating out. 4) Small Changes add up. and 5) Big ambitious weight-goals set you up for failure. Basically the article takes the contrary views on these things based on scientific research. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had a chance to read the article and what they thought about it. My opinion is that this was very shoddy journalism on their part because a lot of those things are what helped me to lose almost 90lbs so far.

I haven't read the article or the study, but 1) losing weight quickly has never caused me problems 2) When I skip breakfast, it is actually easier for me later, because I can snack more 3) Depends. I graze more at home. The cafeteria at work is actually pretty healthy, if you make good choices. 4) Not sure about this one, but I don't log everything and I'm still losing weight. 5) I have twenty pounds to go on my big ambitious weight goal and I see no reason to think I won't reach it.

juggernaut1974

TimothyFish wrote: »

brcossette wrote: »

In the March 2015 issue of Reader's Digest they have an article titled "Classic Diet Advice (you can probably ignore)" In the article they point out 5 things 1) Don't lose weight quickly. 2) Always eat breakfast. 3)Eating at home is always better than eating out. 4) Small Changes add up. and 5) Big ambitious weight-goals set you up for failure. Basically the article takes the contrary views on these things based on scientific research. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had a chance to read the article and what they thought about it. My opinion is that this was very shoddy journalism on their part because a lot of those things are what helped me to lose almost 90lbs so far.

I haven't read the article or the study, but 1) losing weight quickly has never caused me problems 2) When I skip breakfast, it is actually easier for me later, because I can snack more 3) Depends. I graze more at home. The cafeteria at work is actually pretty healthy, if you make good choices. 4) Not sure about this one, but I don't log everything and I'm still losing weight. 5) I have twenty pounds to go on my big ambitious weight goal and I see no reason to think I won't reach it.

I think you'd find you agree with the article then, because the title is (paraphrasing and emphasis added) "Classic Diet Advice (THAT YOU CAN IGNORE)"

Still, it's anecdotal and/or cherry picked studies chosen specifically to create an overly-dramatic headline.

WalkingAlong

SLLRunner wrote: »

brcossette wrote: »

In the March 2015 issue of Reader's Digest they have an article titled "Classic Diet Advice (you can probably ignore)" In the article they point out 5 things 1) Don't lose weight quickly. 2) Always eat breakfast. 3)Eating at home is always better than eating out. 4) Small Changes add up. and 5) Big ambitious weight-goals set you up for failure. Basically the article takes the contrary views on these things based on scientific research. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had a chance to read the article and what they thought about it. My opinion is that this was very shoddy journalism on their part because a lot of those things are what helped me to lose almost 90lbs so far.

I agree with number one and four, and five, but two and three are irrelevant to weight loss.

I think the article's stance was that none of them are essential for weight loss.

SergeantSausage

LOL ReadersDigest