Eating "junk" and losing weight?
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I started reading one of these because it has personal significance, and this is what it actually says:
"The scientists, from New Zealand, Spain, Australia and Germany as well as Nottingham in the UK, say their study could have "major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally" if the link they have found turns out not to be coincidence but causal."
That's a rather large "if." I dealt with the zealots as a child with asthma. Then it was milk and chocolate. Modern medicine and exercise actually did quite a bit for me, not nutrition zealots. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't rely on the popular press for my nutrition information.0 -
More evidence:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/fast-food-health-arteries-beauty_n_2198725.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jan/14/fast-food-child-asthma-allergies
http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2009/06/16/2599780.htm#.UTSsNVfoHpo
http://www.good.is/posts/another-reason-to-cut-down-on-junk-food-evidence-suggests-that-alzheimer-s-might-be-another-form-of-diabetes
The first link had me rolling my eyes. They compared the effects of a meal with 8 grams of saturated fat to one with twice that much.
The results had nothing to do with the fact that one meal was "fast food." Where was the control group that had a "fast food" meal of equivalent macronutrient ratios to the "Mediterranean" meal?
That's the whole point. It's about nutrients, not whether the food is "whole" or "processed" or "fast" or whatever other buzzwords you attach to it.0 -
90% of disease in the United States is directly due to poor nutrition choices.
I agree. But "poor nutrition" choices really means "too many calories" and not a whole lot more.
It's obesity that is the core problem. People who manage their weight and get a lot of exercise, but eat processed food, are not the ones getting sick and dying at rates many times that of the general population.
Heart disease, diabetes, and the other major diseases caused by "poor nutrition choices" are a result of obesity and lack of exercise.
I have watched so many health programs outlining the negative outcomes of too much salt, too much this and too much that - it puts you off. It's not just about your weight, but also your composition. If women are low on iron, they don't menstruate - effectively infertile. Is that healthy?
You just got me thinking about iron. Just look at the Japanese diet, which sorely lacks beneficial iron and calcium. The infertility rates in Japan are far higher than in the United States. Japan's ranked 203 out of 222 countries with respect to fertility (US is ranked 123), and it is estimated that 1 in 10 couples has at least one partner that has fertility problems.
That's a pretty interesting factoid.0 -
In a perfect world, we'd all eat super healthy and lose weight...In my world, we have this thing called a McChicken, and it's worth a cheat here and there
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In a perfect world, we'd all eat super healthy and lose weight...In my world, we have this thing called a McChicken, and it's worth a cheat here and there
Heck yeah McChicken.
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90% of disease in the United States is directly due to poor nutrition choices.
I agree. But "poor nutrition" choices really means "too many calories" and not a whole lot more.
It's obesity that is the core problem. People who manage their weight and get a lot of exercise, but eat processed food, are not the ones getting sick and dying at rates many times that of the general population.
Heart disease, diabetes, and the other major diseases caused by "poor nutrition choices" are a result of obesity and lack of exercise.
I have watched so many health programs outlining the negative outcomes of too much salt, too much this and too much that - it puts you off. It's not just about your weight, but also your composition. If women are low on iron, they don't menstruate - effectively infertile. Is that healthy?
You just got me thinking about iron. Just look at the Japanese diet, which sorely lacks beneficial iron and calcium. The infertility rates in Japan are far higher than in the United States. Japan's ranked 203 out of 222 countries with respect to fertility (US is ranked 123), and it is estimated that 1 in 10 couples has at least one partner that has fertility problems.
That's a pretty interesting factoid.
I believe the Japanese also eat whale meat which, if I remember correctly, is high in Mercury. There are too many factors to say that food is the cause of 90% of health problems. If you work in an area with high smog versus clean air, contaminated water etc.
That being said I believe the less processed the food the easier it is for your body to break down but that is my opinion based on what I experience. Now I am not normal as I am a diabetic that also has chronic pancreatitis so I am supposed to watch what I eat but it has made me more aware of my body and how it acts.0 -
Citation, please.90% of disease in the United States is directly due to poor nutrition choices.
>>Editor's note: This talk is a personal narrative and is not yet backed by larger experimentation.<<I also challenge you to watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc&feature=youtu.be
MY anecdotal evidence suggests that exercise can be a big part of general healthiness.
A solution to one particular issue is not a solution for every issue.0 -
Citation, please.90% of disease in the United States is directly due to poor nutrition choices.
>>Editor's note: This talk is a personal narrative and is not yet backed by larger experimentation.<<I also challenge you to watch this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc&feature=youtu.be
MY anecdotal evidence suggests that exercise can be a big part of general healthiness.
A solution to one particular issue is not a solution for every issue.
Exercise is the biggest part - There is a lot of research going on at the moment into fat fit people.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/05/can-you-be-fat-and-fit-or-thin-and-unhealthy/
Shock Horror, Ronaldo eats fast food - how on earth can he play football!
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/never-mind-the-fat-its-being-fit-that-matters-8105027.html0 -
I'm not willing to cut out anything that I won't cut out for the rest of my life. It's not sustainable. I eat my fair share of fruit & veg and other healthy foods, but I eat junk too.
I am not going to totally cut out my junk food. I would never stay on a plan that didn't let me have some "fun" now and then. I enjoy food and alcohol.
Everything in moderation.0 -
I'm not willing to cut out anything that I won't cut out for the rest of my life. It's not sustainable. I eat my fair share of fruit & veg and other healthy foods, but I eat junk too.
I feel this way too. I don't eat crazy. But I also have a snickers bar when calories/carbs for the day allow. The most important thing to me is sustainablity, this is the rest of my life.0 -
I learned years ago that my "idea" of what someone else should do, is not my business. I stick to managing my OWN LIFE and it is not my business to try to shove, push, preach, or judge others for theirs.0
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I see SO many people on here who have their diaries open and eat more than half of their calories from what's considered "junk" food. What's the deal with this?! I realize I'm the one with 150 pounds left to lose, but wouldn't these people be losing more if they would eat fruits and vegetables at every meal? I'm striving for 75% fresh food. Is that maybe unrealistic? And there are people losing .5 pounds per week but eating candy, chips, etc. Would it not make a difference if they'd eat real food instead? Maybe I'm just confused!
Yes, I could have lost more weight if I didn't enjoy kettle chips and fast food on occasion. But then again, I would have been miserable and likely would have given up. So for me, enjoying my treats and working them into my calorie allotment whenever I can is what made me lose weight. Here's another shocker.... I have never been able to get my ratio right. I did try but decided I am not that obsessive about food. I also don't own a kitchen scale (again too obsessive compulsive for me to keep up with long term).
In the end, doing whatever works for you is what will get you to your goal weight. Trying to do what works for someone else will inevitably lead to failure.0 -
Exactly. People are getting their information from TV and Youtube and "nutritionists" and whatnot. They can't point to any actual data indicating a difference between healthy, active people eating "processed" food versus "whole" food.
Read the scientific literature. Look at causitive factors. Look at the relationships between disease and body fat and sedentary lifestyles.
Body fat and lifestyle are the evils here, not ground beef. Control your body fat and lead an active lifestyle and you will be about as healthy as you can be.
What are you talking about, now? I was with you all the time you were talking about how you can't make a strong claim that junk food is measurably worse than eating clean.
Now you are claiming you will be as healthy eating junk food as eating a clean, whole food diet? Sources?
Because the reason I don't eat junk food is that it hasn't been demonstrated to be safe. Not to my satisfaction. When we are talking about foods that are full of chemicals who exists only to prolong shelf life or alter "mouthfeel", my stance is, "Unsafe until proven safe." It isn't, "Safe until proven unsafe."
I actually feel this way about a lot of things. I would have to be dying and/or completely desperate to take a drug that hasn't been on the market for years.0 -
Eating a diet based on 'junk' food while limiting my calories just didn't work for me. 'Junk' food is too high in calories, fat, carbs, salt and lack nutrition. I would lose weight but oh so slowly. Eating more 'natural' food words a lot better for me. The pounds have been melting off since I eat better. I do, however, fall off the wagon occasionally. And...the key words in the post are 'for me'. This is what works for me, doesn't mean everyone has to do it this way.
Also, multivitamins are supposed to be supplements...not the main source of nutrition.
Exactly. There are many many "co-factors" that they DO NOT include in vitamin tablets. For those, you would need to eat real food. So much of the standard diet is fake food, devoid of all but the macronutrients, protein, fat and carbohydrates. Our minds don't miss those nutrients because the taste has been engineered to appeal from the neck up. But our bodies certainly miss those nutrients. Much of food science today is investigating how the micronutrients keep us healthy. There is a whole field of "nutritional medicine" that is healing people with food.
There is a reason why eating hot dogs is associated with the incidence of leukemia. http://www.preventcancer.com/patients/children/hotdogs.htm0 -
I just had ice cream and hot chocolate for breakfast. It's not the first time I've done this and certainly won't be the last.
Losing weight is all about the number of calories you eat, it doesn't matter if those calories are from healthy foods or from "junk" foods. As long as you stay under your calorie goal, you'll lose weight.
Most people don't JUST want to lose weight though. You probably also want a nice toned look. For body composition, you need to make sure you're getting enough protein as well.
Stay under your calorie goal, "eat back exercise calories," and try your best to hit you fat and protein numbers.0 -
At age 59 my dad lost 80+ pounds eating a package of Oreos a day in addition to about four cups of potato chips, a package of Pop Tarts, salted cashews, and Five Guys or Taco Bell for dinner. The guy has never seen a fruit or vegetable he liked except maybe oranges. He takes no vitamins or supplements. He got a jump start getting sick and spending a couple weeks in the hospital, but that didn't learn him none, obviously.
calories in - calories out ... he created his deficit by exercising like a madman ... 2-3 hours every day of the week. He started with walking and moved on to jogging and swimming.0 -
I see so many people going on about not getting nutrients - do they not sell multivitamins everywhere?
That is not how it works.
That's not how *what* works? You seem to be implying that vitamins don't contain nutrients.
The idea is that a multivitamin can't reproduce all the beneficial nutrients contained within a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
But that doesn't mean people shouldn't take them. I take one when I remember. I often forget though. I think most MDs would reccomend a multi-vitamin.
This falls under "better safe than sorry" imo.0 -
[quote
Because the reason I don't eat junk food is that it hasn't been demonstrated to be safe. Not to my satisfaction. When we are talking about foods that are full of chemicals who exists only to prolong shelf life or alter "mouthfeel", my stance is, "Unsafe until proven safe." It isn't, "Safe until proven unsafe."
I actually feel this way about a lot of things. I would have to be dying and/or completely desperate to take a drug that hasn't been on the market for years.
[/quote]
Have the foods you've been eaten been 'proven' to be safe?
I suspect no more than the 'junk foods' you're thinking about.
Plenty of nasty stuff in nature too, though it's certainly easier to find it stuff that has been more heavily processed by humans.0 -
I see SO many people on here who have their diaries open and eat more than half of their calories from what's considered "junk" food. What's the deal with this?! I realize I'm the one with 150 pounds left to lose, but wouldn't these people be losing more if they would eat fruits and vegetables at every meal? I'm striving for 75% fresh food. Is that maybe unrealistic? And there are people losing .5 pounds per week but eating candy, chips, etc. Would it not make a difference if they'd eat real food instead? Maybe I'm just confused!
Im very sorry but I do not understand how what other people are eating while succeeding or not is affecting your progress toward your own goals. You are doing well just focusing on what works for you!0 -
Reiterating for those that didn't care to read previous posts.Let's hear what the America College of Cardiology states:
Practice moderation. Don't have too much or too little of one thing. All foods, if eaten in moderation, can be part of healthy eating. Even sweets can be okay.
https://www.cardiosmart.org/healthwise/nutr/i/nutri
END THREAD
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Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0
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