Why do people seem to bash "healthy"eating?

mactaffy84

I've been going through lots of posts, and I see this very often: "It doesn't matter what you eat, losing weight is a matter of taking in fewer calories than you use" or "If it fits your macros, then all is fine". Isn't losing weight a part of getting healthy (or healthier) for most people? If that assumption is true (and after reading some of these posts, I'm not sure it is), then why does everyone say it is OK to eat all the processed foods that are in the American diet and has lead us, as a nation, to be the fattest industrialized nation on earth? And we know obesity contributes to diabetes, heart disease, stroke....not exactly what I would call healthy.

I'm not advocating not having a treat if you want it (this from someone who had some chocolate ice cream last night). But I don't see how eating fast foods and processed foods in the quantities offered out there can possibly be healthy. And so many people on MFP don't just say it is OK, but seem to encourage their consumption.

Just wondering.....

GiveMeCoffee

No one is bashing healthy eating. What's mainly being said is moderation, stay away from extremes. Processed foods are not what made us obese, over consumption is. But it's when people are going to the extreme and saying don't eat anything that has more than 5 ingredients or comes in a box.... that sets people up for failure.

I love to cook and bake, but there's also times I want McDonalds or something else, I just make it fit into my day. I try to follow an 80/20 rule... 80% good choices the other 20% I don't worry about, it's what has made this sustainable and much more enjoyable.

Plus everyone's at different levels and has different goals, when I started the only thing that mattered to me was losing the weight, so all I cared about was the amount of calories I was consuming, now that I've changed my goals to more fitness related I've changed what I track to reach those goals.

And now I need more coffee because there's way too much blood in my caffeine stream to think clearly

kommodevaran

I think it's a game of rebellion. "How to get most enjoyment out of your diet and still lose weight." If you get what I mean. I myself wouldn't eat "what I used to eat, only less". I used to be so hungry, and that's why I ate too much. I eat "healthy" most of the time now, plus some "treats". It used to be the other way around, no wonder I got so fat and tired :embarassed:

xsmilexforxmex

No one is bashing healthy eating. What's mainly being said is moderation, stay away from extremes. Processed foods are not what made us obese, over consumption is. But it's when people are going to the extreme and saying don't eat anything that has more than 5 ingredients or comes in a box.... that sets people up for failure.

This.

jdad1

Because proccesed food is not what is getting people fat. To much food and not enough activity is what is getting people fat.

jim180155

I think it's a game of rebellion. "How to get most enjoyment out of your diet and still lose weight." If you get what I mean. I myself wouldn't eat "what I used to eat, only less". I used to be so hungry, and that's why I ate too much. I eat "healthy" most of the time now, plus some "treats". It used to be the other way around, no wonder I got so fat and tired :embarassed:

That's a great way to phrase it and good advice for any who haven't made similar changes.

mactaffy84

True, and good points. But I was shocked(maybe I shouldn't have been) over how much money, time, and research food companies put into making processed foods that not only taste good, but actually get people to eat more of it. And, yes, over consumption is the culprit, but how many people can say that they got fat on over-consuming broccoli or apples? It is the "junk" food that is being over-consumed because it is DESIGNED to be over-consumed.

I'm not advocating never having a treat, but when people write posts and say they are going to lay off pizza, people jump on them. Maybe laying off the pizza, if it causes them to overeat (again, by design), then what is wrong with that? Why do they get berated by others? Others say that they are wrong.

Maybe I'm over-thinking this, but I still find myself astounded.

zeal26

If I say this to someone, it's usually because they are stressing themselves out with 'healthy' eating, getting really down and guilty about eating a 'dirty' food etc. When people deprive themselves of all the things they love, they're more likely to give up and just go back to putting on weight.

I do eat what I'm craving but within reason. There are plenty of foods I have cut out of my diet because they make me feel crap/I don't have control around them. Often it's not worth it to me to spend 300 calories on one small chocolate bar- I could have loads of fruit and cheese for that. But if I really want that chocolate bar I'm going to have it! This frame of mind is the main reason I'm actually succeeding at weight loss this time.

GiveMeCoffee

True, and good points. But I was shocked(maybe I shouldn't have been) over how much money, time, and research food companies put into making processed foods that not only taste good, but actually get people to eat more of it. And, yes, over consumption is the culprit, but how many people can say that they got fat on over-consuming broccoli or apples? It is the "junk" food that is being over-consumed because it is DESIGNED to be over-consumed.

I'm not advocating never having a treat, but when people write posts and say they are going to lay off pizza, people jump on them. Maybe laying off the pizza, if it causes them to overeat (again, by design), then what is wrong with that? Why do they get berated by others? Others say that they are wrong.

Maybe I'm over-thinking this, but I still find myself astounded.

I got fat over consuming all kinds of good food, too much chicken, too much fish, too many potatoes, too many sweets, and because I drank over 1000 calories in the way I took my multiple coffees everyday.

The don't get berated but they are told why eliminate it totally from your diet, when by eliminating it you are going to want it even more, and make this much more difficult than it has to be. These changes have to be something you are willing to do for the rest of your life... am I willing to give up pizza forever... NO WAY I love my pizza, do I eat it every day no, but usually about once per week.

For me I grew up and feel like I've always been on a diet.. and a diet always meant eating salads, restricting everything I thought was good, and being miserable... well that didn't work obviously. Learning that I could eat all the food I love just smaller portions and that if I go over one day or have something greasy and absolutely delicious is okay, cause tomorrow I get a chance to do it all over again, is why I've been consistent for over 16 months of this and have lost the weight, gotten healthier and my husband didn't want to kill me.

Moderation doesn't mean eat crap all day long (some days I do) but it means eat the healthy stuff and have your chocolate too

JesterMFP

For one thing, I don't think you have to tie "healthy" eating directly to weight loss. Yes, people can i,prove their health by improving their diets, and they can improve their health by losing weight, but the two don't necessarily go together. I don't think it's helpful to tall people they have to (or should) change their diets radically in order to lose weight. That's like saying there's no point losing weight unless you give up smoking too, or there's no point losing weight unless you're also careful about sun exposure, or you make sure you get enough sleep etc. A lot of people try to tackle too many things at once, end up giving up, feel like a failure and stop trying.

If someone can eat the foods they love, including from big business fast food companies, and lose weight and keep the weight off, then isn't that better than someone cutting out all processed foods, "junk" or whatever, eating lean meat and leafy greens for three weeks and then realising they can't live like that, giving up, gaining the weight back and deciding that losing weight and/or getting healthy is too hard?

Not everyone can get into exercise when they start losing weight. Some people struggle with mobility or making enough time. Some people are just not interested in exercising and never will be. Exercise and generally being active is amazing for physical and mental health; of course it is. But does that mean that if someone isn't going to start exercising regularly they shouldn't bother losing weight? Sometimes people do what they can and make what changes they can at the time.

And, apart from all that, everyone has a different opinion on what "healthy eating" is anyway. I personally don't think that just because something has been made in a factory it is inherently unhealthy. Or because it's sold by a multinational company who probably only cares about profits, that it's inherently unhealthy. I don't think there's anything wrong with white potatoes (per your other post elsewhere) or pizza. I personally think that a lot of people (not everyone, but a lot) would be far more successful at losing weight and getting healthier by learning to eat the foods they enjoy in moderation, as part of a nutritionally balanced diet, than if they stop eating those things altogether, and overnight.

I too find it quite scary the lengths companies go to, and the things that are possible now in food processing. I think, though, that it's better to be mindful and to learn how these things work, and learn how you respond to certain foods, and make that work for you... rather than to fear all processed foods and stay "safe" by not eating any of them at all. For people who are susceptible to emotional eating, learning to eat in moderation is about taking your power back.

A lot of people who struggle with their weight already have pretty messed up relationships with food, and I've seen so many people stuck in the dieting cycle - "being good" or "fallen off the wagon". Labelling individual foods as good/bad/unhealthy/healthy/clean/dirty etc etc is just part of that imo. Judge the overall diet, not the individual items of food.

Fuzzipeg

What we eat and what we find works for us without causing issues is actually a lifetimes series of discoveries. What we can eat at 10, 15, and 20 without problems is very different to what we can eat quality and quantity wise, in our later lives when our bodies feel the strain more, of eating very differently to how we as a species used to at a time when most of our activities were much more physical and demanded more food just to exist. Our bodies are good at taking nutrients from the foods we give them. As our bodies express the difficulties they are experiencing we refuse to think or recognise that the very foods we put into our systems is causing us ill, and often we get numbed by the toxicity it leaves in its wake in our systems.

There are so many illnesses which people, generalisation, take for granted as being a fact of life and decide there is nothing which can be done to help themselves and they want to leave it to the medical profession to provide the magic pill to cure the ill. I want to celebrate the people who think about what they eat, what benefits they gain from it and enjoy finding out as much as they can to maintain, or regain their good health. These people can enjoy a meal which is looked on as being indulgent because their systems are in good health and can deal with all the toxins and things well.

tigersword

No one is bashing healthy eating. What's mainly being said is moderation, stay away from extremes. Processed foods are not what made us obese, over consumption is. But it's when people are going to the extreme and saying don't eat anything that has more than 5 ingredients or comes in a box.... that sets people up for failure.

I love to cook and bake, but there's also times I want McDonalds or something else, I just make it fit into my day. I try to follow an 80/20 rule... 80% good choices the other 20% I don't worry about, it's what has made this sustainable and much more enjoyable.

Plus everyone's at different levels and has different goals, when I started the only thing that mattered to me was losing the weight, so all I cared about was the amount of calories I was consuming, now that I've changed my goals to more fitness related I've changed what I track to reach those goals.

And now I need more coffee because there's way too much blood in my caffeine stream to think clearly

This. The obesity problem has nothing to do with processed foods. We've been eating processed foods in the US in large quantities since around WWII. The biggest cause of the obesity problem is the fact that everyone works in an office now. People aren't active anymore. As human beings, we've been engineering and designing foods to be palatable for thousands of years, modern day food companies aren't doing anything different.

Eleonora91

If you want to lose weight you obviously need to change some of the habits that led you to gain all the weight first. I personally had to decrease my consumption of several foods that I used to eat daily or at least very often in order to effectively lose weight. It doesn't work the same way for everyone though. What made those foods "bad" for me (and for my weight) was mainly the fact that they were too high in calories. It's not because the more I ate them, the more I wanted them. I don't believe there's something bad in eating any kind of food, a single pack of chips isn't going to kill anyone. It starts to be a problem when you eat certain things way too often, because then you're having too many calories and not following a balanced diet. Sometimes I'd still like to eat those foods but I know I'm not going to be deprived if I substitute them with lighter, more nutritive foods. I don't even have to do this all the time - as I already said, a pack of chips didn't make me fat and it's not going to ruin my health anyway. Also, most foods are always processed, it doesn't matter if they don't have a few preservatives or food colourings in the ingredients. I don't believe in eating only raw, unprocessed foods, but that might be me. The only thing I agree with you on is that sometimes I feel like people make dieting and eating those foods at the same time look way too easy. It's not that easy to still eat whatever you want while being at a deficit or making it fit in your macros... you always end up choosing some "healthier" or "lighter" options rather than losing weight by just eating anything you used to eat. Some people say they can eat what they want and still lose weight, which didn't work for me... not that I'm complaining. I'm getting results so at least what I'm doing is working, but while I don't believe in eating unprocessed foods all the time, I also don't believe having treats too often would work for me.

geebusuk

But I don't see how eating fast foods and processed foods in the quantities offered out there can possibly be healthy.

And why not, if you're getting appropriate micronutrients in your diet and meeting your macro nutrient goals?

Having a look at my day yesterday, absolutely everything was 'processed'.
I ate an entire 900ml tub of "millionaire" ice cream. Pack of cocktail sausages. A load of ham (salty, probably). Cheap swiss roll with custard, 'chicken dippers'.
Yet I'm the healthiest I've ever been with the best body composition I've ever had.
Not too long ago I did a 32 mile trail ultramarathon. (According to Jefit) I'm not far off doing a squat with double my body weight on my back - so like I had two blokes my size both sitting on my shoulders while doing a squat. All 'health markers' I've had checked are excellent.

I personally dislike the way people describe one set of foods as 'healthy' and another as "junk".
I think it's wrong to universally label any food as 'unhealthy' - infact, I'd say this attitude it's self is "unhealthy".

Before I did the aforementioned ultramarathon, I had a >800g "carb loading" day.
Eating clean (sic) foods, fruit and those high in fibre would have been very unhealthy for my objectives on the next day.
Eating a lot of processed carbs with high calorie density WAS the 'healthy' choice.

LoupGarouTFTs

I've been going through lots of posts, and I see this very often: "It doesn't matter what you eat, losing weight is a matter of taking in fewer calories than you use" or "If it fits your macros, then all is fine". Isn't losing weight a part of getting healthy (or healthier) for most people? If that assumption is true (and after reading some of these posts, I'm not sure it is), then why does everyone say it is OK to eat all the processed foods that are in the American diet and has lead us, as a nation, to be the fattest industrialized nation on earth? And we know obesity contributes to diabetes, heart disease, stroke....not exactly what I would call healthy.

I'm not advocating not having a treat if you want it (this from someone who had some chocolate ice cream last night). But I don't see how eating fast foods and processed foods in the quantities offered out there can possibly be healthy. And so many people on MFP don't just say it is OK, but seem to encourage their consumption.

Just wondering.....

I think "healthy" eating is fine, as far as it goes, but I am not going to limit myself only to "healthy" choices for the rest of my life. As others have said, I enjoy the taste of food (or I would not be here!) and I am not going to deny myself the occasional slice of chocolate cake or a nice Maine lobster with drawn butter once a year.

What I will bash every day of the week are unhealthy mental attitudes touted as lifestyles. I really wish that the ideas of "clean" and "dirty" eating could be stricken from the dietary lexicon. I can't imagine a less healthy mindset than shaming oneself or others with the term "dirty" eating or the inherent whiff of moral superiority that comes with the term "clean" eating. There are way too many people who push lifestyles that border on orthorexia nervosa on other people, lifestyles in which personal value are attached to every bite that goes into one's mouth--sorry "ethical" vegans, this means you. Food is fuel. It is not a moral code. Putting that much value on food rarely ends up in a good place. If it's a personal choice, that's fine, but no one should attempt to force eating based on shame or perceived moral superiority on other people.

So yes, healthy eating has its place, but in my mind "healthy" means healthy in both mind and body.

mactaffy84

I don't believe I ever used the word "junk". Nor did I ever say that people should not ever, never eat processed foods. And I'm glad you feel healthy eating what you are eating. But if someone else does not wish to eat that way, for whatever reason, and is requesting help to meet that wish, why talk them out of it? Why say, go ahead and eat your (chocolate, donut, Big Mac, whatever) because it is fine, there are no bad foods, everything in moderation. Why doesn't anyone support them in their efforts rather than tear their efforts down? I can't recall (not saying it hasn't happened, just that I can't remember it happening) someone replying, "good for you to do what you think is what you need. Good luck". It is always, "you're a fool, you can eat whatever you want as long as you don't over-do".

My opinion, and I have a right to my opinion, is that there ARE foods that are not as healthy for you (or downright unhealthy) as others. I've never said for others not to eat them, that is their decision. But I'll try to promote and encourage others to eat as best they can. And if they want to try to stop the addictive processed foods, I will try to encourage that rather than telling them that they are wrong. That's all I'm saying.

paperpudding

I've been going through lots of posts, and I see this very often: "It doesn't matter what you eat, losing weight is a matter of taking in fewer calories than you use"

But as a statement of fact, this is true.
If you eat fewer calories than you use, you will lose weight ( barring rare medical conditions)

Whether eating just chocolate and rice ( to pick 2 random foods ) is the healthiest way to do it is another story but the statement that 'losing weight is a matter of taking in fewer calories than you use' still stands.

And sure, very few people got overweight eating too much broccoli and apples - but what does that prove?

Weight loss eating plans need to be sustainable long term - I think making drastic changes, like forcing oneself to set broccoli and apples, if one hates them, is not sustainable.
Eating 'junk food' but in smaller amounts, is more sustainable for many people.

geebusuk

Also, meant to add;
From what I've seen in studies and so on is that various aspects of "healthy eating" improve the health of people with otherwise less healthy lifestyles.

The more active you are, the more the body can cope well without being restricting certain food groups and so on.

It would seem it's more mitigating that you're otherwise unhealthy - a 'sticking plaster', if you will.

hmg90

I agree with this.

People are free to eat what they want, but some seem to not realize that obesity/weight gain is ONE side effect from unhealthy eating, but far from all.

If you don't care about your general health but merely want to look better, then sure, it's fine to eat junk in limited amounts and lose.

The reality is that the US as a nation is overfed and undernourished. The ready made bread contains so much gluten it is ruining people's digestive systems. When they tested the spices that come with noodles on rats, they found it kills brain cells. If people knew what they were actually eating, I'm sure a lot more would stop. Don't get me started on sugar.

Cancers, asthma, eczema, digestive problems, skin problems, fertility issues plus much more - this is diet related stuff.
As Jamie Oliver says in his TED talk - Americans have blessed their children with a shorter life span than themselves. I don't care if some want to kill themselves by eating crap, but when giving it to their children, it pisses me off.

(And yes I know this goes for other countries too, but the US is the far worst).

neanderthin

I don't believe I ever used the word "junk". Nor did I ever say that people should not ever, never eat processed foods. And I'm glad you feel healthy eating what you are eating. But if someone else does not wish to eat that way, for whatever reason, and is requesting help to meet that wish, why talk them out of it? Why say, go ahead and eat your (chocolate, donut, Big Mac, whatever) because it is fine, there are no bad foods, everything in moderation. Why doesn't anyone support them in their efforts rather than tear their efforts down? I can't recall (not saying it hasn't happened, just that I can't remember it happening) someone replying, "good for you to do what you think is what you need. Good luck". It is always, "you're a fool, you can eat whatever you want as long as you don't over-do".

My opinion, and I have a right to my opinion, is that there ARE foods that are not as healthy for you (or downright unhealthy) as others. I've never said for others not to eat them, that is their decision. But I'll try to promote and encourage others to eat as best they can. And if they want to try to stop the addictive processed foods, I will try to encourage that rather than telling them that they are wrong. That's all I'm saying.

Your forgetting context and dosage and that is what makes all food, even the ones that are less nutrient dense, equal.

BekaBooluvsu

No one is bashing healthy eating. What's mainly being said is moderation, stay away from extremes. Processed foods are not what made us obese, over consumption is. But it's when people are going to the extreme and saying don't eat anything that has more than 5 ingredients or comes in a box.... that sets people up for failure.

I love to cook and bake, but there's also times I want McDonalds or something else, I just make it fit into my day. I try to follow an 80/20 rule... 80% good choices the other 20% I don't worry about, it's what has made this sustainable and much more enjoyable.

Plus everyone's at different levels and has different goals, when I started the only thing that mattered to me was losing the weight, so all I cared about was the amount of calories I was consuming, now that I've changed my goals to more fitness related I've changed what I track to reach those goals.

This!^^^

darrensurrey

why does everyone say it is OK to eat all the processed foods that are in the American diet and has lead us, as a nation, to be the fattest industrialized nation on earth?

Simply because it hasn't lead you to be the fattest country. Eating too much of it has.

If it's about losing weight (and let's face it, MFP isn't really about fitness as you don't need to count calories to improve your VO2 Max), then there's no reason to cut out food you're used to and enjoy. This is why so many people fail to lose weight permanently before coming to MFP - they have an on/off mentality. Moderation is the way forward. For some, eating a little can result in bingeing of course but there are reasons behind this. Most of the people on my FL seem to manage fine by not cutting out the nice stuff and just being a little less generous in their helpings by using MFP's tools.

BekaBooluvsu

Weight loss eating plans need to be sustainable long term - I think making drastic changes, like forcing oneself to set broccoli and apples, if one hates them, is not sustainable.
Eating 'junk food' but in smaller amounts, is more sustainable for many people.

This too! I grew up on junk. I've made huge modifications but can't completely eliminate it or my progress will back track. I've tried the extreme and it doesn't work for me, slowly modifying the bad with healthier is what works for me.

MelodyandBarbells

True, and good points. But I was shocked(maybe I shouldn't have been) over how much money, time, and research food companies put into making processed foods that not only taste good, but actually get people to eat more of it. And, yes, over consumption is the culprit, but how many people can say that they got fat on over-consuming broccoli or apples? It is the "junk" food that is being over-consumed because it is DESIGNED to be over-consumed.

Perhaps not many can say they got fat over broccoli and apples. But ever stop to think that's the same reason a great many of us wouldn't lose weight long term being restricted to such foods? The reality is that if your goal is weight loss, cutting out food items altogether and going on a restrictive diet is likely unsustainable. Why wouldn't we tell that to people who come here and ask for help?

VoodooSyxx

I'm nowhere near a perfectly "clean" eater, but I try my best to eat a lot healthier than I used to. The junk food warrior's best excuse is "not sustainable". They'll trot that one out repeatedly to justify their daily chocolate/cake/cookies/ice cream, whatever. Believe it or not, none of that crap was part of my diet to begin with, even when I was putting on the weight. So why would I care to eat it now just to get this mythical "sustainable" diet?

SpencersHeart

I find it interesting that the "diet" industries of "Jenny Craig", "Weight Watchers", "NutriSystem" have included in their "diet" foods: pizza, brownies, lasagna, cookies, etc

They are mostly today, advocating (my opinion) portion control.

When my sister was with Weight Watchers, many, many, years ago, all I ever saw her eat was salad, carrot sticks, celery sticks and yes, she lost a ton of weight, of which she gained back plus more when she couldn't eat like that as a life style change.

Life style change is the key word, not diet, or healthy food, nor unhealthy food...life style change.

I wish my sister was still alive to know that she could have had a cheeseburger at our family cook outs and still lose her weight.

eric_sg61

Losing a bunch of weight is going to do a lot more for your health than your food choices.

Sinisterly

People bash "bad eating" and "healthy eating" alike.
Both get bashed.
People will always try to push what worked for them on others.

It will never stop. Ever.

-exits thread-

FlaxMilk

What I will bash every day of the week are unhealthy mental attitudes touted as lifestyles. I really wish that the ideas of "clean" and "dirty" eating could be stricken from the dietary lexicon. I can't imagine a less healthy mindset than shaming oneself or others with the term "dirty" eating or the inherent whiff of moral superiority that comes with the term "clean" eating. There are way too many people who push lifestyles that border on orthorexia nervosa on other people, lifestyles in which personal value are attached to every bite that goes into one's mouth--sorry "ethical" vegans, this means you. Food is fuel. It is not a moral code. Putting that much value on food rarely ends up in a good place. If it's a personal choice, that's fine, but no one should attempt to force eating based on shame or perceived moral superiority on other people.

So yes, healthy eating has its place, but in my mind "healthy" means healthy in both mind and body.

I'm not sure why clean is such a threatening word to people when it's used by others to describe their own diets or how they try to make their choices. (I get it if someone is demeaning someone else's diet.) How clean I try to keep my diet is as relevant to my feelings about you and your diet as how clean I keep my house is.

Wait- If I can carry the clean argument over to housekeeping, life could get a lot easier. There's no one definition of a clean house, so it's meaningless to try to keep one. I can't make a lifestyle change, where I'll never ever have a messy house again, so why try. If I say I am trying to keep my house clean, others might get offended. This could work for me, I have a messy house and I hate to clean.

I found the post a little ambiguous, so I'm not sure if this was the intent, but both clean eaters and ethical vegans can be very healthy in body and mind. Food can reflect morality for a lot of different people. All of the major religions I think of off the top of my head have some form of food related restriction, teaching, or code attached. There are far fewer clean eaters and vegans trying to push their views than there are religious related food customs. People can talk about and even celebrate what they do with food without it being about you and what you do. Religious based food rules are immersed in popular culture to the point that it's not even noticeable; I don't eat meat whether it's Friday or not, so why get offended if a bar is advertising a fish laden "Lent" menu on Friday nights? It has nothing to do with me.

MelodyandBarbells

I don't believe I ever used the word "junk". Nor did I ever say that people should not ever, never eat processed foods. And I'm glad you feel healthy eating what you are eating. But if someone else does not wish to eat that way, for whatever reason, and is requesting help to meet that wish, why talk them out of it? Why say, go ahead and eat your (chocolate, donut, Big Mac, whatever) because it is fine, there are no bad foods, everything in moderation. Why doesn't anyone support them in their efforts rather than tear their efforts down? I can't recall (not saying it hasn't happened, just that I can't remember it happening) someone replying, "good for you to do what you think is what you need. Good luck". It is always, "you're a fool, you can eat whatever you want as long as you don't over-do".

My opinion, and I have a right to my opinion, is that there ARE foods that are not as healthy for you (or downright unhealthy) as others. I've never said for others not to eat them, that is their decision. But I'll try to promote and encourage others to eat as best they can. And if they want to try to stop the addictive processed foods, I will try to encourage that rather than telling them that they are wrong. That's all I'm saying.

I think I know what you mean. So a 250lb lady is having trouble hitting 1000 calories per day because she has seriously cleaned up her diet and is now getting full from 800 calories of chicken and veg. Most of those threads quickly have people throw out calorie dense options - oil, avocadoes, slather on the peanut butter, etc. When she comes back saying she doesn't like or is allergic to these options, at what point do you say , hey , if anything your new lifestyle is what appears to be unhealthy because you can't even meet basic caloric goals? At what point do you remind her that if she wants to be in this for the long haul, she may wish to reintroduce certain foods that she does like in a controlled manner, because we ALL need to learn moderation at some point? IMO, stopping at "here's some calorie dense options" and not seizing the opportunity to give some excellent long term advice would be the poor quality approach. And if you feel you want to focus on consuming healthier foods, you can always post those responses to those threads. These are adults reading the responses and I'm sure ultimately, they'll decide on their own to do what's best for themselves

anchiel

I don't think anyone's bashing eating whatever diet you choose. Obviously, you can get off track eating both healthy and processed foods. When someone says they're going to stick to only one kind, I think what most people are trying to do is tell them they have options, in case they mistakenly believe that eating "healthy" foods is the only way to go. Everything - healthy, processed, a mixture of the two - is fine for your body as long as it's in moderation. There isn't really a good analogy for this, but it's as if someone said that they're only going to listen to classical music because it makes them smarter. There are people who are passionate about all kinds of other music that will step up to its defense and sing its merits, but ultimately, no one's going to plunk headphones down on your head and force you to listen to those other genres, just as no one is going to force a different diet down your throat with just their words.