IS My fitness pal more concerned with weight loss than overall health?
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judyvalentine512
Posts: 927 Member
HI. I use myfitnesspal to track my foods and drink since I am diabetic and have to know the amount of carbs and fibre are in my meals.
I've noticed that there are a lot of articles about weight loss. Now, I know if you're heavy, you may not be as healthy as you could be, but not always.
My sister, who is overweight doesn't have a thing wrong with her. She walks every day, eats the way she likes, and not always healthy stuff, but she doesn't eat what would be considered 'junk food'
I am especially concerned about articles on the KETO diet. I know there are the nay-sayers and the people who love it. But, overall, it is not a healthy way to eat. Sure you have rapid weight loss, but it's extremely hard on the kidneys.
Anyway, that's just my two cents, for what it's worth,
And if you're all wondering, I am diabetic because of a surgical error that gave me an infection and necrotizing pancreatitis. Only 10% of my pancreas still functions.
I've noticed that there are a lot of articles about weight loss. Now, I know if you're heavy, you may not be as healthy as you could be, but not always.
My sister, who is overweight doesn't have a thing wrong with her. She walks every day, eats the way she likes, and not always healthy stuff, but she doesn't eat what would be considered 'junk food'
I am especially concerned about articles on the KETO diet. I know there are the nay-sayers and the people who love it. But, overall, it is not a healthy way to eat. Sure you have rapid weight loss, but it's extremely hard on the kidneys.
Anyway, that's just my two cents, for what it's worth,
And if you're all wondering, I am diabetic because of a surgical error that gave me an infection and necrotizing pancreatitis. Only 10% of my pancreas still functions.
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Replies
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Yes, MFP is designed as a weight management site. I haven't looked at the marketing for a long time, but I don't believe it claims to be a health promoter in any sense other than weight management. Also, I don't know what MFP keto articles you are talking about, maybe they are on the blog. But I can tell you with certainty that there are many people on this site who will state it is not keto friendly because they don't create a column for the food diary to track net carbs.
MFP is not a medical site. It doesn't claim to judge anyone's standing health based on weight. It is designed for people to set their own goals and use the tool to help achieve those goals. The only real attempts at health intervention I have seen on this site is that it doesn't create goals for women below 1200 calories per day or men below 1500, and it won't allow people below those thresholds to close their diary. They also discourage advertising VLCDs on the forums.27 -
What articles about Keto are you talking about?
There are several low-carb Groups which have the highest membership counts on this site and you'll see them on the sidebars. There may be some articles about Keto that I can't see because my browser blocks ads, but in general the site is going to reflect its membership and the posts in the forums are by users, so whatever anyone wants to talk about is fair game (mostly.)
Keto is the diet-du-jour.
A few years ago it was low fat.
Stick around, it cycles. :flowerforyou:11 -
I don't read their articles, which are often ads, and designed to look like the ads even when they aren't!
As for keto and kidneys, the science is still out if you don't already have kidney issues. I worry more about the lack of fiber in the long term.5 -
concordancia wrote: »I don't read their articles, which are often ads, and designed to look like the ads even when they aren't!
As for keto and kidneys, the science is still out if you don't already have kidney issues. I worry more about the lack of fiber in the long term.
I'm with you there. Plus it's well established from all reputable sources that a diet high in whole grains is a healthy one, and the lack of whole grains, and healthy carbs in general, is clearly a problem with long-term keto adherence. People can debate the health implications of eating patterns with all sorts of macro configurations, but no reputable authority disputes that a diet comprised mainly of plants and lean protein sources is still the healthiest one. Anything else is just a fad diet. I know I'm gonna get dumped on by somebody for saying that, but it's not up for debate. It's as close to proven fact as nutritional science ever gets and has been well studied.
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MFP is a weight loss/management site. It can be used for other purposes, but it's main purpose is to help people lose, maintain, or gain weight in accordance with the calorie goals they set.
The MFP blog is just a blog, and not a particularly good one. It doesn't represent the "opinion" of MFP, or have a particular point of view. It has low carb recipes, vegan recipes, articles about going keto and articles about going high carb. It is really just trying to create and generate clicks. I would not pay much attention to it.9 -
Keto hard on kidneys? No. The evidence of a high protein diet being harmful to kidneys is not established. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/high-protein-diets/faq-20058207. Such evidence as exists regarding a high fat diet and kidneys is that it is beneficial. Any harm that comes to kidneys is from obesity, which is a different issue from macros.
If you want UA to police the community strictly prohibiting all information outside your approval, it won't happen.
If you want to learn more, it will.10 -
ANY harm that comes from kidney is from
Obesity?
Want to back up your claims with peer-reviewed research?4 -
Hannahwalksfar wrote: »ANY harm that comes from kidney is from
Obesity?
Want to back up your claims with peer-reviewed research?
It's not your requested peer-reviewed research, but it's https://www.livestrong.com/article/490111-the-effect-of-fat-on-kidneys/1 -
My Fitness Pal is concerned with making money by:
- Providing a place for people to track Calories and weight
- Allowing for food and exercise logging
- Pushing ads in from of you with the hope of clicks
- Selling your personal data or using it to weight ad preferences
- Selling their premium program
You are not their customer. You are the product. The advertisers are their customer.
16 -
CipherZero wrote: »My Fitness Pal is concerned with making money by:
- Providing a place for people to track Calories and weight
- Allowing for food and exercise logging
- Pushing ads in from of you with the hope of clicks
- Selling your personal data or using it to weight ad preferences
- Selling their premium program
You are not their customer. You are the product. The advertisers are their customer.
Yup. Any free users are there to provide both impressions to advertisers, and a community for the paid users. Articles are written to maximize ad impressions, not to be well-rounded or scientific. Most messaging is driven by the marketing department, not the specialists.
I also do digital marketing for healthcare, and this is common if there is any semblance of profit in the business model.4 -
CipherZero wrote: »My Fitness Pal is concerned with making money by:
- Providing a place for people to track Calories and weight
- Allowing for food and exercise logging
- Pushing ads in from of you with the hope of clicks
- Selling your personal data or using it to weight ad preferences
- Selling their premium program
You are not their customer. You are the product. The advertisers are their customer.
This pretty much describes the entirety of the internet.9 -
Good Morning:
I have been with MFP since Calorie Count closed down. I used to follow a regular food plan and was happy with the way it went. However, I changed my eating habits and let go of wheat and sugar. Now, I follow the KETO diet and have never felt healthier. As mentioned, I did. not do it for weight loss, although that is a benefit for me. However, in answer to your comment about the Fibre, I allow myself 21g of fibre a day and pretty well maintain it.
When looking over the daily food diary of my friends on MFP I find that their average fibre intake is between 8 and 12G. Recommended is 25 to 30g
So, for myself, I am ok with the amount of fiber, but somedays, I feel like a cow who is constantly chewing greenery.
Cheers
[quote=
As for keto and kidneys, the science is still out if you don't already have kidney issues. I worry more about the lack of fiber in the long term.[/quote]
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CipherZero wrote: »My Fitness Pal is concerned with making money by:
- Providing a place for people to track Calories and weight
- Allowing for food and exercise logging
- Pushing ads in from of you with the hope of clicks
- Selling your personal data or using it to weight ad preferences
- Selling their premium program
You are not their customer. You are the product. The advertisers are their customer.
This pretty much describes the entirety of the internet.
Except for .gov, .edu, much of .org, sites with a purely subscription-based revenue stream, sites & apps that exist to enable you to do business with a specific company ...2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »CipherZero wrote: »My Fitness Pal is concerned with making money by:
- Providing a place for people to track Calories and weight
- Allowing for food and exercise logging
- Pushing ads in from of you with the hope of clicks
- Selling your personal data or using it to weight ad preferences
- Selling their premium program
You are not their customer. You are the product. The advertisers are their customer.
This pretty much describes the entirety of the internet.
Except for .gov, .edu, much of .org, sites with a purely subscription-based revenue stream, sites & apps that exist to enable you to do business with a specific company ...
And - as an historically .edu person . . . I have to say, .edu requires skepticism. "Academic freedom" (read up!) is a wonderful, powerful, bats**t crazy thing. I love it. But I don't automatically accept its fruits.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »What articles about Keto are you talking about?
There are several low-carb Groups which have the highest membership counts on this site and you'll see them on the sidebars. There may be some articles about Keto that I can't see because my browser blocks ads, but in general the site is going to reflect its membership and the posts in the forums are by users, so whatever anyone wants to talk about is fair game (mostly.)
Keto is the diet-du-jour.
A few years ago it was low fat.
Stick around, it cycles. :flowerforyou:
That is sooo true. I guess KETO IS THIS Generation’s Atkins.
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[/quote]lyttlefish wrote: »Good Morning:
I have been with MFP since Calorie Count closed down. I used to follow a regular food plan and was happy with the way it went. However, I changed my eating habits and let go of wheat and sugar. Now, I follow the KETO diet and have never felt healthier. As mentioned, I did. not do it for weight loss, although that is a benefit for me. However, in answer to your comment about the Fibre, I allow myself 21g of fibre a day and pretty well maintain it.
When looking over the daily food diary of my friends on MFP I find that their average fibre intake is between 8 and 12G. Recommended is 25 to 30g
So, for myself, I am ok with the amount of fiber, but somedays, I feel like a cow who is constantly chewing greenery.
Cheers
[quote=
As for keto and kidneys, the science is still out if you don't already have kidney issues. I worry more about the lack of fiber in the long term.
Yes you’re right about the kidney damage. But, my doctor told me that as a diabetic, it’s hard enough on the kidneys.0 -
Thanks for the discussion everyone. Pardon the pun, but definitely food for thought. And yes, I think it is the blogs that post things about KETO.0
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