Misinformation.

Sidesteal

I'd like to talk about something.

Often times on the forums, we'll see someone post what looks like a helpful post full of dieting information. If the information is faulty, some people will reply with the intent to correct it in the hopes that too many people don't buy into the bad information.

Then a bunch of people will get upset with the guy or gal who is trying to correct the person, saying "Stop hating" or "Stop being so negative!". (Sometimes people do post rude replies but it seems like any disagreement is arbitrarily viewed as negative as of late).

Misinformation is bad.

I will give you a few examples to attempt to explain why:

Let's look at meal frequency, which would fall into the personal preference category. Does meal frequency matter?

It might matter for behavioral reasons and it might matter for performance reasons and if it leads to better gym performance it could minimally effect expenditure. But it DOES NOT effect metabolism and if someone says this gem:

"It's very important to eat every 3 hours so that your metabolism keeps burning. If you skip a meal your metabolism will slow down and your body will actually STORE FAT. So please make sure to eat every 3 hours". (<--- this claim is entirely false)

...this is problematic because people who DON'T currently eat frequently might think "Crap, I'm doing it wrong. I'm going to have to fix this". Now they're going to reschedule what could be an eating pattern that works very well for them based on the bad information that increasing their frequency will increase metabolic rate. Additionally, they'll have to eat smaller meals (because they would obviously keep kcals/macros constant) which would probably have a negative effect on adherence/satiety.

Is eating frequently arbitrarily bad? No. It's personal preference. But convincing someone that it's metabolically relevant is BAD, because this convinces them that they must follow this advice.

Lets look at a different example from a recent thread:

"You shouldn't combine carbs and fats in the same meal because it will cause your body to store fat!"

This was recently posted in a topic and not only is it completely bogus and not supported by anything, but the end result was (literally) that someone replied with:

"Thanks so much for this, I'm going to stop eating PB+J sandwiches".

So someone comes on here and posts something completely false and out of fear, another person eliminates something they enjoy from their diet. Now, for all we know someone else is reading that post and not replying, because they're in the kitchen stressed out over how they're going to re-arrange every meal in their day so that the carb sources aren't ever eaten with fat.


This is not a good thing.

There's a very small list of things that are necessary to lose weight.
There's a very large list of things that are personal preference for losing weight. (In this list I include medical reasons, moral reasons, individual intolerances).


Both of these are important, but focus on the necessities first and customize the personal preference aspects to give you the best adherence or most enjoyment possible out of your journey.


And don't confuse the two for yourself or others.

/end rant.

Kaddyshack21

AWESOME!!!

grapenutSF

There's nothing more catastrophic than not eating PB&J anymore.


Just teasing. Thanks much for the post. I agree.

hottottie11

YES!

I hope people take this to heart. It's almost like you have to post about exercise calories or the "evils" of carbs and insulin to get a response around here.

grinch031

It is each member's responsibility to take every piece of advice with a grain of salt.

Also, for those posting misinformation, if they knew what they were saying was false, they probably wouldn't keep saying it. I think the big problem is many of the posters giving advice only look at the OP, but never read the actual thread. That's why you have these long threads with lots of arguing, and then you have the same piece of misinformation repeated over and over, and the posters never learn the truth about what they are saying. If they simply read the thread, they would see that their beliefs are false and they wouldn't keep contributing to the misinformation.

But I think the larger issue is the misinformation all over the internet. There are too many web resources from people with MD or PhD credentials perpetuating these myths.

DannyMussels

A lot of fitness junk is pretty grey-area. You'll see people argue til they're blue in the face (blue in the monitor???) and post articles/facts/studies supporting both sides.

I usually trust the advice of whoever is sexier.

Never steers me wrong.

Shyloh1

Very well put!

carrie_eggo

100% correct. This is one of THE best posts I've read in a long time. Thank you for taking the time to post this.

annabellj

thank you. I miss my pbj but so worried about eating bread all the time lol

tuffytuffy1

Great post. And I peeked at your pictures, your baby is absolutely ADORABLE!

Sidesteal

YES!

I hope people take this to heart. It's almost like you have to post about exercise calories or the "evils" of carbs and insulin to get a response around here.

I actually had the following thread titles ready to go:

"It's not about calories, it's about clean eating"

and

"I have massive breasts and I cannot jog"


But I thought I'd make one more attempt at a legit title. Next time it's on.

UponThisRock

The gospel of personal anecdote outweighs science and reason in most cases. Look at any Paleo thread ("But it worked for MEEEE!!!!).

I could say more about this, but I'm going to bite my tongue (a rarity for me, lol).

JustLindaLou

WELL SAID!!!!
While there are some universal truths in weight loss/fitness goals (like: ya gotta burn more calories than you are consuming to lose weight, muscle burns fuel more efficently than fat, and 1 lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat), we are each so unique we each need to find what works for us and not be led astray by well-meaning persons who may or may not know what they are talking about.
If you are stalled in your progress and unsure why, try something different for a couple weeks and see if it works for you. Use MFP as a tool for ideas, support, and tracking your own progress. There are so many resources available today, yet looking at all of them at once is sure to result in confusion and conflicting advice! If what you are doing works, stay with it and let your results speak for you.

jenniebean1680

"You shouldn't combine carbs and fats in the same meal because it will cause your body to store fat!"

This was recently posted in a topic and not only is it completely bogus and not supported by anything, but the end result was (literally) that someone replied with:

"Thanks so much for this, I'm going to stop eating PB+J sandwiches".

THANK YOU, omg. I read that one and was afraid my head was going to explode.

Everyone has to do their own research. Just because you read it on the intarwebz doesn't mean it's truth. People really need to realize there's a definite 'reader beware' aspect to these boards.

Sidesteal

The gospel of personal anecdote outweighs science and reason in many cases.

I could say more about this, but I'm going to bite my tongue (a rarity for me, lol).

Do as you please, but I welcome your commentary/thoughts if you want to expand on it.

grapenutSF

your alternate titles would make this puppy ROLL! one of them anyway. next time!

dg09

Very well said.

OSC_ESD

I always " sift " through the BS and hope that most people can decipher the truth from all the crap ! I feel you ... Your always so " spot on " and I look forward to reading your information ! Thanks for keeping me honest !

cgrout78

Great post...I (and i'm sure many others) appreciate the thought and effort that you and a few other people on here put in to making sure that everyone gets good information.

LoraF83

Great post! I think there are some things that work for certain people, and some things that work for other people. I have great reasons for the way I'm doing my weight-loss journey and it's working for me. I'm happy to share with anyone who asks but I'm not going to condem anyone else for how they are doing it (unless it's a drastic measure that will harm them - like an eating disorder or magic-cure pills).

AmyM713

Thanks for this post.

princesspeach577

Thanks for posting this! I think it needed to be said

Articeluvsmemphis

nice rant well composed, how many calories did you burn ranting? make sure you log them and eat them back

DL121004

Well said, and agree in general (I was with you on the 3 meal v 6 meal issue).

OTOH, there are also oversimplifications (e.g., "calories in, calories out"), and areas that are still being explored and we're learning about -- the human body is a massively complex organism (e.g., potential issues regarding fructose).

RAFValentina

Well said!

So many people see one thing and misinterpret it ... mostly misinformation too and so you end up with total nonsense. It's like Chinese whispers sometimes!

SassyCalyGirl

I don't consider anything on these threads to be "advice" I consider the posts to be "opinions". Each individual needs to find what works for "THEM"....... What works for one doesn't work for all.

lizard053

Very nice. Misinformation is everywhere, including many diet/weight-loss websites! (Not JUST this one.) Even doctors and dieticians can give out false information, especially if they jump on every bandwagon that comes along. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what works for them. Too many are looking for an easy way out...

Laura_Ivy

This is why I have pretty much given up on reading about weight loss strategies..some say to eat more then eat less or up your protein and the list goes on and on until I want to bang my head against a damn wall! :grumble:

Katie1951

I see misinformation quite frequently and wonder how many people take it as gospel. I've lost 43 pounds to date, over a 29 month period and it all comes down to calories in - calories out.

Again, my mantra CALORIES IN vs CALORIES OUT. High fiber calories keep you fuller longer, but a calorie is a calorie.

AFitJamie

Another Excellent Post Sidesteal, thanks.

I absolutely agree that it is important to correct misinformation.

However, I also think it is important to recognize that for many people, part of the attraction of MFP is the ability to connect in community of individuals working through similar issues. Part of that community is not just learning from "experts", but also being able to provide support. It is clear that a number of people I've seen post want to be helpful to others (and not feel that all they can do is take support and advice.) It could quickly begin to feel one sided. Hard on personal morale if you don't think you can support the people who are supporting you.... So people share what they "know" - what has been told them and what seems to have worked for them. I think it is very important to recognize people's input and intended support while helping to correct information - otherwise I think it can be seen as negative.

As well, for this community to work, I think we need people to share - we can't have someone ask a questions and nobody answer - just waiting for an "expert" to answer.... That isn't going to make anyone feel supported... This community would evaporate quickly I think.

All that to suggest to some folks that it takes discernment to work out where people are coming from and provide correcting information gently. For some posts I have read, I'm of the opinion they were made not in a supportive, helpful, community response, but to promote an individual, or business the individual operates. I'm happy to see experts take these on and the manner in which it is approached can be far more direct. But, for those posts that are made with a helpful intent, I think a more gentle correction may be needed from some folks at some time. I've seen "That's just Broscience crap!" type posts - which I doubt are helpful to anyone reading.

This isn't, in any way, a personal criticism, In fact I have read a few of your posts where I believe you have shown great tact and discernment. Just a comment for the population in general. I know if I'm sharing and trying to be helpful and supportive, I want to be corrected if I have inadvertently spread an "urban legend". However, the manner in which that correction is done will say a lot about that community we are participating in here.

Jamie

Sidesteal

Another Excellent Post Sidesteal, thanks.

I absolutely agree that it is important to correct misinformation.

However, I also think it is important to recognize that for many people, part of the attraction of MFP is the ability to connect in community of individuals working through similar issues. Part of that community is not just learning from "experts", but also being able to provide support. It is clear that a number of people I've seen post want to be helpful to others (and not feel that all they can do is take support and advice.) It could quickly begin to feel one sided. Hard on personal morale if you don't think you can support the people who are supporting you.... So people share what they "know" - what has been told them and what seems to have worked for them. I think it is very important to recognize people's input and intended support while helping to correct information - otherwise I think it can be seen as negative.

As well, for this community to work, I think we need people to share - we can't have someone ask a questions and nobody answer - just waiting for an "expert" to answer.... That isn't going to make anyone feel supported... This community would evaporate quickly I think.

All that to suggest to some folks that it takes discernment to work out where people are coming from and provide correcting information gently. For some posts I have read, I'm of the opinion they were made not in a supportive, helpful, community response, but to promote an individual, or business the individual operates. I'm happy to see experts take these on and the manner in which it is approached can be far more direct. But, for those posts that are made with a helpful intent, I think a more gentle correction may be needed from some folks at some time. I've seen "That's just Broscience crap!" type posts - which I doubt are helpful to anyone reading.

This isn't, in any way, a personal criticism, In fact I have read a few of your posts where I believe you have shown great tact and discernment. Just a comment for the population in general. I know if I'm sharing and trying to be helpful and supportive, I want to be corrected if I have inadvertently spread an "urban legend". However, the manner in which that correction is done will say a lot about that community we are participating in here.

Jamie

Great reply.