What makes "bad foods" bad?

cedarghost

I see so many people telling other people to eat "good" foods and avoid "bad" foods, or telling people if they don't eat "good" foods they won't lose weight.
Can someone who is so adamant about this tell me, what constitutes a "bad" food and why?

Chief_Rocka

Eating too much of them

AnvilHead

Two words: Orthorexia Nervosa.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/orthorexia/MY00768

cedarghost

Two words: Orthorexia Nervosa.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/orthorexia/MY00768

Interesting. I thought maybe it was just OCD or something.

BellaFe

Eating too much of them

Yep

jacksonpt

Basically bad foods are foods that don't line up with your dietary goals.

For some of us (myself included), as long as it fits in my calorie/macro goals, I considering it a good food. So steak could be a good food one day (because it fits in my goals), and bad the next (because it doesn't).

Some people try to avoid processed or prepared foods, so anything processed or prepared would be considered a bad food for them.

Vegans might consider beef bad, while paleo folks wouldn't.

Diabetics might see sugars as bad, etc etc.

So good and bad is all relative to the person and their goals/situation.

lacurandera1

Well it starts with their parents and upbringing. Then their friends peer pressure them into drugs and crime. Next thing you know, all the good apples are behind bars detoxing from their heroin addictions bc they got caught robbing a bank.

cedarghost

Basically bad foods are foods that don't line up with your dietary goals.

For some of us (myself included), as long as it fits in my calorie/macro goals, I considering it a good food. So steak could be a good food one day (because it fits in my goals), and bad the next (because it doesn't).

Some people try to avoid processed or prepared foods, so anything processed or prepared would be considered a bad food for them.

Vegans might consider beef bad, while paleo folks wouldn't.

Diabetics might see sugars as bad, etc etc.

So good and bad is all relative to the person and their goals/situation.

Very well put. So people on these forums insisting that one must eat ABSOLUTELY one way, would be like a diabetic insisting everyone else eat like they had diabetes as well.....

jacksonpt

Basically bad foods are foods that don't line up with your dietary goals.

For some of us (myself included), as long as it fits in my calorie/macro goals, I considering it a good food. So steak could be a good food one day (because it fits in my goals), and bad the next (because it doesn't).

Some people try to avoid processed or prepared foods, so anything processed or prepared would be considered a bad food for them.

Vegans might consider beef bad, while paleo folks wouldn't.

Diabetics might see sugars as bad, etc etc.

So good and bad is all relative to the person and their goals/situation.

Very well put. So people on these forums insisting that one must eat ABSOLUTELY one way, would be like a diabetic insisting everyone else eat like they had diabetes as well.....

While that's a fairly extreme example, yes. People on this site often spew advice far too quickly (without knowing the person's goals/circumstances) and with little to no context.

AnvilHead

Very well put. So people on these forums insisting that one must eat ABSOLUTELY one way, would be like a diabetic insisting everyone else eat like they had diabetes as well.....

IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is what works best for me:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

Cr01502

Bad foods:

Foods that didn't do their homework

Foods that stay up past bedtime and make messes in the kitchen.

Foods that argue and don't take no for an answer

Good foods:

Foods that help other people

Foods that do their homework

Foods that go to bed on time

Meg_Shirley_86

While I agree with the above post about Orthorexia Nervosa; some things just aren't good for you and serve no purpose (i.e. trans fats), and some we need but naturally consume so much of that there is concern we need to try to avoid them when possible (i.e. sugar sodium). I'll be honest, I eat "regular" food. However, if a choice can be made between something closer to it's natural form and something that can last on a shelf for 6 months, I choose the former and feel better, and there are some prove-able results as well. Since I've rid my house of the "Helpers", skillet meals, pre-flavored rices, and such, my energy level is vastly different, my skin (which was both dry and acne-ridden) is much clearer, and I've lost weight though I've increased my calories (because I'm pregnant and not really trying to lose weight). Chemicals like MSG and aspartame are notorious for making you feel like you need more food when you don't, as does sugar and salt. My food diary for today shows that I've gone over on sugar, and I've had 0 junk. Look for yourself, I don't keep it private. You can meet a lot of fitness goals while eating processed and refined foods if you wish, but why not fuel your body the best way possible if it's working hard?

BurtHuttz

Rhetorical thread is rhetorical.

dorianaldyn

haha, some of you are funnier and more clever than I!

To answer the question -
Personally, for me - I lump foods that are basically empty calories into the "bad" category. I eat these empty calorie foods nearly daily, I just try to limit myself. My bad foods are candies and treats - they still get consumed, but man they can eat up a large chunk of my calorie allowance in a hurry!

1ConcreteGirl

This is why we are friends.

Bad foods:

Foods that didn't do their homework

Foods that stay up past bedtime and make messes in the kitchen.

Foods that argue and don't take no for an answer

Good foods:

Foods that help other people

Foods that do their homework

Foods that go to bed on time

Chief_Rocka

some things just aren't good for you and serve no purpose (i.e. trans fats),

Conjugated linoleic acid is sold as a fat loss supplment

iplayoutside19

I like to say there is no "bad" weather. Just poor clothing. Same thing with food.

Similar to what jackson said. There is no "bad" food, just bad uses of food.

Meg_Shirley_86

some things just aren't good for you and serve no purpose (i.e. trans fats),

Conjugated linoleic acid is sold as a fat loss supplment

Not to mention, as it appears I may have made an assumption on my post above, that this information changes all the time. I remember when eggs were good for you, when they were bad for you, and now they are good for you again, and I'm 26.

darrensurrey

Basically bad foods are foods that don't line up with your dietary goals.

For some of us (myself included), as long as it fits in my calorie/macro goals, I considering it a good food. So steak could be a good food one day (because it fits in my goals), and bad the next (because it doesn't).

Some people try to avoid processed or prepared foods, so anything processed or prepared would be considered a bad food for them.

Vegans might consider beef bad, while paleo folks wouldn't.

Diabetics might see sugars as bad, etc etc.

So good and bad is all relative to the person and their goals/situation.

In the interest of science, I decided to perform some scientifically scientific research:
http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=paleo&word2=vegan

Kathy_TheVampireSlayer

Baconnaise

Chief_Rocka

some things just aren't good for you and serve no purpose (i.e. trans fats),

Conjugated linoleic acid is sold as a fat loss supplment

Not to mention, as it appears I may have made an assumption on my post above, that this information changes all the time. I remember when eggs were good for you, when they were bad for you, and now they are good for you again, and I'm 26.

There is objective truth, if you know where to look for it

Natihilator

What makes "bad" foods "bad"? People do. People who don't know how food works.

lizzybethclaire

Bad foods are the ones who hang out towards the front of the grocery store. Like hookers showcasing their wares, they tempt you with promises of satisfaction but leave you feeling empty.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

It becomes bad when you take it from people

aliciagetshealthy

Personal bias. One persons bad is other persons completely acceptable. For me, it's mushrooms or brussel sprouts - they can make any good food "bad" <spit spit>....or calling turkey bacon, "bacon"...yuk!

i_am_kate

I watched an episode of "Biggest Loser Australia" and they had all the contestants do an activity with a (fully qualified) nutritionist. She asked them to separate all the "good" foods from the "bad" foods. Naturally, they put cake, chocolate etc. into the "bad food" category. Once finished, she told them they were all wrong. There is no such thing as a "bad" food. There are just foods you should eat on the odd occasion and foods you should eat every day (ie: fruit, vegetables, lean meat or fish etc.).

So really, "bad" food doesn't really exist, it's just how people perceive food which determines whether it should be considered "bad" or "good".

MissJanet55

The cost./benefit ratio has to make sense. I look for food that will deliver some kind of nourishment for the calories. Which is not to say I never succumb to delicous, delicious cheese puffs. There are also some foods where I can't exercise portion control, so I don't have them in the house. These foods are pretty much "bad" foods to me. There is no reason they would be bad for anyone else.

I do think people would feel better if they ate better (ie, lots of fruit and veg and less fast food), in the same way I believe that we can be healthy at a variety of weights and sizes (I don't think thinner is automatically healthier). But if I have learned one thing from being here for a short time, it's that different things work for different people and finding what works might take a little experimentation. So I'm always happy to hear what works for others.

Meg_Shirley_86

The cost./benefit ratio has to make sense. I look for food that will deliver some kind of nourishment for the calories. Which is not to say I never succumb to delicous, delicious cheese puffs. There are also some foods where I can't exercise portion control, so I don't have them in the house. These foods are pretty much "bad" foods to me. There is no reason they would be bad for anyone else.

I do think people would feel better if they ate better (ie, lots of fruit and veg and less fast food), in the same way I believe that we can be healthy at a variety of weights and sizes (I don't think thinner is automatically healthier). But if I have learned one thing from being here for a short time, it's that different things work for different people and finding what works might take a little experimentation. So I'm always happy to hear what works for others.

Yes. This.

khadijak17

Over eating them to the point you expand your stomach and no longer realise what it feels like to feel full?

MyM0wM0w

Basically bad foods are foods that don't line up with your dietary goals.

For some of us (myself included), as long as it fits in my calorie/macro goals, I considering it a good food. So steak could be a good food one day (because it fits in my goals), and bad the next (because it doesn't).

Some people try to avoid processed or prepared foods, so anything processed or prepared would be considered a bad food for them.

Vegans might consider beef bad, while paleo folks wouldn't.

Diabetics might see sugars as bad, etc etc.

So good and bad is all relative to the person and their goals/situation.

All of this. For *me* sugar (not carbs) is bad because my levels were elevated when I was at my heaviest (under control now) and I still try to avoid it... with varying degrees of success. I have blood pressure that is barely controlled with medication so sodium is bad for me. I avoid that with a higher degree of success with some explosions.

Things high in cholesterol might not be 'bad' for me but they might be poison to someone else who has a partial blockage and needs to avoid them. Large amounts of protein might be 'bad' for someone with diminished kidney function but it suits my body just fine.

Bad is a relative term.