Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Options
Replies
-
Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
True, but eating junk food in limited quantities will tend to make you healthier during your time here.2 -
I can also agree with this to a point. It's going to catch up with most people down the road, one way or another. For me personally, knee pain/arthritis resulting from a MVA 17 years ago is worse in my forties if I eat like garbage for a week or more at a time.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
I would agree with this to a point. I think a sedentary person eating a diet of healthy foods is not likely to be healthier than a person who is active but eats a lot of junk food.3 -
Great. We agree: "That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation..."Packerjohn wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
True, but eating junk food in limited quantities will tend to make you healthier during your time here.2 -
You misunderstood - i didn't suggest running as a replacement for anything - I said it's useful for evading danger. It's a basic human skill. One time i ran toward a guy who was breaking into a car, and because i hadn't run regularly, i twisted my ankle. I learned the hard way to run regularly, and in varied terrain.Cherimoose wrote: »Sorry i'm late..
1 - Telling newbies to "lift heavy" is vague and dangerous. Direct them to a program or 3 to follow. Good newbie programs start with LIGHT weight.
2 - Taxing soda or other "fattening" foods is stupid. Since obesity is from a calorie surplus, might as well tax computers, cars, etc, and all food proportionate to calorie content.
3 - Not everyone should "find an exercise they enjoy". Some people need to STKU (shut the kitten up) and do what they don't feel like doing. The enjoyment will come with the results.
4 - Planks are overrated. Bench press and back squats are overrated.
5 - Strength training is overrated. Before the 20th century, almost no one did it, or needed it, because they had active lifestyles.
6 - Everyone who is able to run, should - even if it's just around the block. It's an important survival skill that could save lives one day.
7 - Many of my firm opinions may be different in 10 years, and so may yours.
BP and Squats are not overrated they are awesome and will help with the survival as well...try pulling yourself up over a fence by just running...which goes into the whole strength training thing...it is not overrated regardless of what we did 20 or 40 or 100 years ago..things are different now...not everyone is going to be carrying buckets of water to cows....and the running...fine run but try running up a tree...as noted prior.
Lifting weights obviously has benefits, but it's often touted like some central requirement for being fit, looking good, or being healthy. People can have all that from things like sports, or challenging hobbies (pole dancing, gardening, etc), or they can choose a physical occupation (like i did - i'm a strength & conditioning coach).
The downside to the bench press is that outside the gym, we tend to push things in a standing, unsupported position, which involves very different neuromuscular skills than pushing while supported by a bench. Many if not most injuries are from skill deficits, not a lack of brute strength. So if someone with a sedentary life wants to prepare for inevitable challenges, like pushing furniture or a refrigerator for example, a better first pick might be a standing cable chest press, or pushing a tall sled. Similarly, a goblet squat or dumbbell squat might be a more useful first pick for a sedentary person than carrying a 7 foot bar on their back. Do powerlifting exercises have benefits? Of course. But they're overprescribed as primary exercises, while some excellent alternatives rarely get mentioned. That's why i say barbell exercises are overrated.
13 -
Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
Great. We agree: "That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation..."Packerjohn wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
True, but eating junk food in limited quantities will tend to make you healthier during your time here.
Yep, and for most people, that moderation is 10-15% of total calories. Unfortunately not the definition of moderation many people go by.
The CDC suggests a limit of about 15% of daily calories from these types of foods.
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf
3 -
Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Living on it is the key word there.2 -
stevencloser wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Living on it is the key word there.
Exactly. To swing to the other extreme, it wouldn't be healthy to subsist entirely upon broccoli and kale either.
Which brings me to my opinion to contribute to this thread: Context and dosage are very important and relevant concepts which are often ignored in favor of binary thinking.16 -
826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
Yea, but see... this depends upon personal responsibility, and placing the onus for owning the reality and investing in the work necessary to see change. And lawd knows a lot of people don't like THAT.4 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I think WLS is plain wrong. Operating on a healthy stomach and forcing people to starve themselves instead of improving eating habits, attitudes and environment. In the future it's going to be viewed the same way lobotomy is viewed today: Torture, barbaric, cruel.
While I don't have a crystal ball, I think you might be right about that. I know a number of people who have had various WLSs, and many more who have considered it. I ask them this:
If you were to walk into your doctor's office and say, "Hey doc! I'm going to lick this weight loss issue. I'm going to only eat three tablespoons of very bland food three times per day, and get most of my vitamins and nutrients from pills," your doctor would say, "Whoa whoa whoa... you can't do that! That's crazy!"
So... why is it okay for a person to exactly that that after paying you $10k to perform a destructive procedure? Hmmm?
16 -
,myheartsabattleground wrote: »What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Weight loss is a three year stint. Year 1 - lose the blabber weight; Year 2 - Get somewhere near a number you feel content with; Year 3 - Recomp your body - Yep you've lost weight but your a smaller version of the fat person. So lifting becomes the name of the game. By the beginning of year 4 your in a good place. Most of us think we can do all this is in 4 months. Harsh but true, 3 years is realistic - obviously not in all cases but it happens. Happy days
10 -
Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
Ah, but you're looking at the destination, instead of looking at the quality of the journey. :-)Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
Quality is relative.4 -
stevencloser wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Living on it is the key word there.
Exactly. To swing to the other extreme, it wouldn't be healthy to subsist entirely upon broccoli and kale either.
Which brings me to my opinion to contribute to this thread: Context and dosage are very important and relevant concepts which are often ignored in favor of binary thinking.
But strawmen are so much easier to attack.8 -
janejellyroll wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »exercising to lose weight is dumb. Especially spending time on a treadmill to justify a candy bar.
I'm a very short older woman. If I didn't exercise on my treadmill, I'd have the paltry caloric allowance of 1200 calories to create a 150 calorie deficit since my maintenance for being sedentary is 1,350 calories.
I don't want to eat like a toddler.
Can't say enough how awesomely true for me this is.
My (maybe) unpopular opinion:
Maybe you can eat crap food (hamburgers, soda, ice cream (weep a little), candy bars, milk shakes) and make it all fit into your calories for the day, but food is fuel for me, and my body doesn't function properly when I feed it garbage. Good for you if you can make it work. But I actually doubt even you (whoever you are) can make that work for a lifetime of health.
A hamburger is bread, meat, and maybe some toppings. A body can easily use bread and meat as fuel. It's carbohydrates, protein, and fat -- three things I'm eating every day anyway. Also consider the micronutrients it contains like iron, B12, potassium, and B6 and I'm confused as to why anyone would think a hamburger is "garbage."
Oh, man: Vegan defending nutritional adequacy of hamburgers?
Sometimes I just love the forums. Thank you @janejellyroll!
(Edited to add: I agree with her, BTW.)34 -
Probably going to get some flak for this... but jumping on an elliptical or a treadmill for an hour of steady state cardio is pretty much a complete waste of time5
-
But even relativity is based on a constant.Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
Ah, but you're looking at the destination, instead of looking at the quality of the journey. :-)Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
Quality is relative.
1 -
-
Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
But even relativity is based on a constant.Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
Ah, but you're looking at the destination, instead of looking at the quality of the journey. :-)Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
Quality is relative.
Yup death is pretty constant.1 -
According to many it's relative. :laugh:Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
But even relativity is based on a constant.Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »
Ah, but you're looking at the destination, instead of looking at the quality of the journey. :-)Chef_Barbell wrote: »Derf_Smeggle wrote: »My unpopular opinions on health and fitness are:
I think there is a quality of addictiveness to sugar/sweetners. Food manufacturers know this, else they wouldn't add so much to processed foods to increase consumption and sales. It's not like heroine addiction, but it is there in our brain chemistry.
There is healthy food and there is junk food. The people living on fresh meats, fresh veggies, whole grains, etc are going to be healthier than the people living on fast food, twinkies, and soda. That said, you can still enjoy both in proper moderation, but moderation means something vastly different between the two.
Too bad none of us are coming out of this alive.
Quality is relative.
Yup death is pretty constant.1 -
If anything, I'm sure this thread has been cathartic for many people. It feels good to get stuff off your chest
6 -
Christine_72 wrote: »If anything, I'm sure this thread has been cathartic for many people. It feels good to get stuff off your chest
Unless of course you're bench pressing, in which case it's a waste of time. :laugh:24
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 913 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions