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Classifying food as "healthy" vs. "unhealthy": completely erroneous?
ElJefeChief
Posts: 650 Member
Great article at Reason magazine's website. Article basically takes a look at what happens when you take a long list of food items and then ask consumers on the one hand, and nutritionists on the other to classify the foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy." Bottom line - there's a ton of disagreement, and maybe the question really just isn't that helpful in the first place?
http://reason.com/blog/2016/07/09/experts-weigh-in-on-classifying-food-as
Some juicy quotes in the reason article:
"(It's an) erroneous notion that we can diet our way out of a sedentary lifestyle." - Edward Archer, Ph.D., chief science officer for EnduringFX
"Tofu should be outlawed." - Julie Kelly, National Review Online contributor and food/agricultural writer, Orland Park, Ill.
"Tofu is NOT a health food." - Pete Kennedy, Esq., attorney, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Other fun parts of the article worthy of mention, they talk about how the coconut oil craze is overblown, how fats are now considered beneficial when previously they were considered nutritional Satan, and how a root-beer float, depending in the situation, could be considered lifesaving while a bowl of leafy green vegetables could kill you.
http://reason.com/blog/2016/07/09/experts-weigh-in-on-classifying-food-as
Some juicy quotes in the reason article:
"(It's an) erroneous notion that we can diet our way out of a sedentary lifestyle." - Edward Archer, Ph.D., chief science officer for EnduringFX
"Tofu should be outlawed." - Julie Kelly, National Review Online contributor and food/agricultural writer, Orland Park, Ill.
"Tofu is NOT a health food." - Pete Kennedy, Esq., attorney, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Other fun parts of the article worthy of mention, they talk about how the coconut oil craze is overblown, how fats are now considered beneficial when previously they were considered nutritional Satan, and how a root-beer float, depending in the situation, could be considered lifesaving while a bowl of leafy green vegetables could kill you.
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Replies
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So glad that the third doctor pointed out what I have been saying all along: "nutritionist" is a meaningless title, and we would do well to stop putting their faith in people labeled as such.7
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What's wrong with tofu?4
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stevencloser wrote: »What's wrong with tofu?
https://authoritynutrition.com/what-is-tofu/
Different people have different thoughts on tofu.1 -
stevencloser wrote: »What's wrong with tofu?
It's failure to be meat.21 -
Great article at Reason magazine's website. Article basically takes a look at what happens when you take a long list of food items and then ask consumers on the one hand, and nutritionists on the other to classify the foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy." Bottom line - there's a ton of disagreement, and maybe the question really just isn't that helpful in the first place?
http://reason.com/blog/2016/07/09/experts-weigh-in-on-classifying-food-as
Some juicy quotes in the reason article:
"(It's an) erroneous notion that we can diet our way out of a sedentary lifestyle." - Edward Archer, Ph.D., chief science officer for EnduringFX
"Tofu should be outlawed." - Julie Kelly, National Review Online contributor and food/agricultural writer, Orland Park, Ill.
"Tofu is NOT a health food." - Pete Kennedy, Esq., attorney, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Other fun parts of the article worthy of mention, they talk about how the coconut oil craze is overblown, how fats are now considered beneficial when previously they were considered nutritional Satan, and how a root-beer float, depending in the situation, could be considered lifesaving while a bowl of leafy green vegetables could kill you.
Kelly is a cooking instructor and former communication consultant. Kennedy, a lawyer. If someone writes an article on nutrition, would be better to quote people that actually have some training in the subject.9 -
I'd suggest it's never black and white.
If you were dying of starvation and came across a big juicy yummy bucket of frosting laden with trans fat, is it "healthy" to eat the "unhealthy" food to prevent starvation?
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markrgeary1 wrote: »I'd suggest it's never black and white.
If you were dying of starvation and came across a big juicy yummy bucket of frosting laden with trans fat, is it "healthy" to eat the "unhealthy" food to prevent starvation?
So then, context is important...3 -
Haha, I once told my husband that I wanted to buy some coconut oil. He launched into a huge tirade about how all of the "health benefits" of it are *kitten*, right in the grocery store. Finally he asked me why I wanted it, and I told him because I heard it was good for dissolving the glue on my Jamberry nail wraps.
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LaceyBirds wrote: »
It means that people are convinced that we can eat "healthy" enough, to compensate for being physically lazy as *kitten*. While it's true from a pure weightloss standpoint, it's not so much helping with the overall health of the world.1 -
I love how all the people you pulled quotes from clearing have an agenda to push, lolol2
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There's no "healthy vs unhealthy" foods. There's more optimal and less optimal.3
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I prefer Elmo's concept of everyday foods and sometimes foods.6
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markrgeary1 wrote: »I'd suggest it's never black and white.
If you were dying of starvation and came across a big juicy yummy bucket of frosting laden with trans fat, is it "healthy" to eat the "unhealthy" food to prevent starvation?
So then, context is important...
And dosage2 -
LaceyBirds wrote: »
Haven't read the article yet but I would guess that it means you are unlikely to be healthy with a sedentary lifestyle no matter how healthy your diet is.0 -
CipherZero wrote: »There's no "healthy vs unhealthy" foods. There's more optimal and less optimal.
This type semantic argument seems silly to me.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »What's wrong with tofu?
because tofu....2 -
I have been repeating this over and over for a long time but I always says that no food is healthy or unhealthy in the context of an overall diet that meets calorie targets and micro and macro targets...2
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I like this quote as it is most in line with my personal views on food.
As long as the foods or beverages on the study's list do not contain large amounts of pathogens and are consumed by a healthy person, everything on the list is safe to eat. But be careful not to conflate "safe to eat" with "healthy." These terms are not synonymous.2 -
The problem I have with examples like this is that it's largely hypothetical. This is just not simply a realistic scenario except in an extreme case.markrgeary1 wrote: »I'd suggest it's never black and white.
If you were dying of starvation and came across a big juicy yummy bucket of frosting laden with trans fat, is it "healthy" to eat the "unhealthy" food to prevent starvation?
1 -
CipherZero wrote: »There's no "healthy vs unhealthy" foods. There's more optimal and less optimal.
And what is more optimal and less optimal depends on the situation you're in.1 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »
The problem I have with examples like this is that it's largely hypothetical. This is just not simply a realistic scenario except in an extreme case.markrgeary1 wrote: »I'd suggest it's never black and white.
If you were dying of starvation and came across a big juicy yummy bucket of frosting laden with trans fat, is it "healthy" to eat the "unhealthy" food to prevent starvation?
Yeah, stuff like that only happens on the Island in Lost.1 -
Two people are eating gummy bears.
One is a six year old who snuck the bag into his room to get full on them before supper. This will result in a calorie surplus and a spoiled appetite which will further lead to him not eating his supper, thus not getting sufficient protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals in his diet.
The other is a 19 year old male who just completed a 90 minute heavy lifting routine (leg day) and is eating them to restore glycogen and spike insulin (which is anabolic). He has prelogged the calories for this into his eating diary and will eat a complete meal in about an hour. All of his nutrition needs will be met and the gummy bears will have served to aid him in reaching his goals.
Are gummy bears healthy or not?
The moral of this story:
To properly assess whether or not something is healthy requires context which does apply at the level of an individual food item, thus it is the diet and habits of an individual that are either healthy or unhealthy and not the individual components of the diet.
Dosage further complicates the matter (i.e. if the 19 year old male mentioned above ate a 10 pound serving of gummy bears, he would no longer be eating toward his goals and if the 6 year old only ate 3 gummy bears, he would no longer be spoiling his appetite).
Conclusion: No individual food is healthy/unhealthy. The amounts and manner in which we eat them are either healthy or unhealthy.13 -
stevencloser wrote: »What's wrong with tofu?
I had the same reaction. Good stuff if done right3 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »
The problem I have with examples like this is that it's largely hypothetical. This is just not simply a realistic scenario except in an extreme case.markrgeary1 wrote: »I'd suggest it's never black and white.
If you were dying of starvation and came across a big juicy yummy bucket of frosting laden with trans fat, is it "healthy" to eat the "unhealthy" food to prevent starvation?
Artificial trans fats is a horrible example. It's something I think we all should avoid. The more realistic scenarios involves gels, candy, cookies, chocolate, etc. I don't backpack in remote areas without very high calorie, sugar laden foods, particularly if there's a chance of cold weather. Endurance athletes use all sorts of energy foods that your average couch potato should avoid or at least minimize. Candy also provides a nice post lifting insulin and energy spike.1 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »CipherZero wrote: »There's no "healthy vs unhealthy" foods. There's more optimal and less optimal.
This type semantic argument seems silly to me.
The whole "healthy vs unhealthy" food debate is a silly semantics argument, but may make a psychological difference in how someone approaches their food choices.3 -
Great article at Reason magazine's website. Article basically takes a look at what happens when you take a long list of food items and then ask consumers on the one hand, and nutritionists on the other to classify the foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy." Bottom line - there's a ton of disagreement, and maybe the question really just isn't that helpful in the first place?
People always tell me I should eat my vegetables because they're a healthy food. I'm so relieved to hear that there's no such thing as healthy and unhealthy food, I never have to eat another vegetable as long as I live.
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NorthCascades wrote: »Great article at Reason magazine's website. Article basically takes a look at what happens when you take a long list of food items and then ask consumers on the one hand, and nutritionists on the other to classify the foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy." Bottom line - there's a ton of disagreement, and maybe the question really just isn't that helpful in the first place?
People always tell me I should eat my vegetables because they're a healthy food. I'm so relieved to hear that there's no such thing as healthy and unhealthy food, I never have to eat another vegetable as long as I live.
as long as you get adequate micro nutrients from another source then yes you are correct.4 -
What other sources will get me adequate micros, in practice? I mean I can't just take a multi-vitamin, right?1
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NorthCascades wrote: »What other sources will get me adequate micros, in practice? I mean I can't just take a multi-vitamin, right?
Organ meat, or yes a multivitamin.3
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