I believe that Paleo/Primal/Clean eaters belong to a cult.

Apparently they did a study and concluded that one of the main side effects of paleo/primal/clean eating lifestyle is that your head grows bigger and you lose the ability to talk about anything else with your friends.

They're currently doing the same study with Crossfit as well.

work does this as well. At the place where I used to live, the colleagues could not get together for a social without talking about work. Ever.

Maybe we should all just quit work, because it's a cult.

Watching what you eat works. If that's what gets people to watch what they eat, cool.

For me tracking what I eat seems to suffice.

I am involved in serveral cults:
the central florida facepainting guild- totally a cult
fun world clown alley- deffinately a cult
my fitnesspal- most likely a cult
and my best friends are vegan and are always trying to convert me to their cult...which I do when I'm around them

Yes, many Paleo/Primal/Clean eaters are very passionate; it's because we have learned that being sick/fat is not normal and is preventable and curable with diet. We want to help other people have the same experience. But people like you can just go ahead keep doing what you are doing and "wait for the cure" for diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, depression, etc. Best luck to you.

When anyone gets evangelical though, it gets annoying. There are also other ways of "healthy" living besides paleo that also go a long ways in curing diseases, improving overall health, etc. I actually think it's comments like the one above that get people like the OP riled up.

Personally, I could never do paleo....I like my whole grains and ancient grains too much...and while they didn't exist in caveman days, they have been around a far cry longer than 100 years and have many health benefits. I also like a bit of dairy now and then..not often, but every once in awhile.

Personally, the Mediterranean lifestyle is more to my liking...heavy on the veg, fruit, lean proteins...some whole grains...EZ on the red meat and minimal dairy. It works for me and I enjoy what I eat...my blood work has done about 180* from where it was 6 months ago. Conversely, Paleo works very well for my brother-in-law who has had some of the same issues as I have. We can actually sit down and talk about other things though and don't get all up in each other's face about who's lifestyle is superior or if he's going to hell or I am.

Like I said...evangelicals of anything are just annoying.

Apparently they did a study and concluded that one of the main side effects of paleo/primal/clean eating lifestyle is that your head grows bigger and you lose the ability to talk about anything else with your friends.

They're currently doing the same study with Crossfit as well.

hahahaha

I don't care what other people choose to put in their mouths.

Apparently this guy does

can you point to exactly what i've written on this thread that implies i care one way or the other about what you eat?

i personally find the Paleo/Primal/Clean eaters advice on this site to be often silly, and mostly derived from food phobias. it occurred to me that advice was not rational, so i looked up the definition of "cult" and sure enough, that definition has helped me to understand these people and why they give the advice they give.

For your information, food phobia is more of eating disorder than a cult.
Paleo is more of a way of life than a cult.


And...

It's no because you don't believe in things other believes that it makes it automatically a sect!

Apparently they did a study and concluded that one of the main side effects of paleo/primal/clean eating lifestyle is that your head grows bigger and you lose the ability to talk about anything else with your friends.

They're currently doing the same study with Crossfit as well.

This is also true of Beachbody.

Truth.

definition of "Cult" from Merriam Webster.

1 : formal religious veneration : worship
2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults>
5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b : the object of such devotion
c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

i believe Paleo/Primal/Clean eaters fit each of definitions 4, 5a, and 5c to a greater or lesser extent.

insults are against the community guidelines. you can get a strike for that.

I'm pretty sure that posting a topic where you call a group of people a cult will probably run afoul of the community guidelines too.

"Cult" is not an insult. How is providing a dictionary definition an insult?

How is this not an insult? The connotation of the word 'cult' is far from a good one and it seems that this entire post is designed to get a rise from people. In which case, maybe the OP is just trolling.

Your interpretation of this is your own interpretation. However, the OP never insulted anyone, just stated his belief that those who follow these diets fit the definition.

From what I have seen here (ie, no logical or calm responses), perhaps he is right.

And my interpretation is that if you take the time to publicly state your belief that you think what others do is akin to a 'cult', then you are essentially telling them "You are a member of a cult" - which does not have the best of implications. If the OP doesn't really care what people do with their own time or how they live, what's the point of this thread? Am I in a cult if I think it's perfectly fine to burn more calories than you take in if you want to lose weight? If so, then pass me the Kool-Aid and I'll log it for the day.

so you're saying that it's ok for me to have an opinion you disagree with, just so long as i never express it?

gotcha.

You can have your opinions and express them in constructive ways. I don't follow these particular plans myself, but I don't randomly knock people who do unless they try to shove their views on me. If someone did that to you, then hey, have at it with them.

My name is Natalee and I am an unclean eater. I bet I can beat you all in a 5k too! And I ate twinkies yesterday... hahaha! For all you people bashing cupcakes!

you're awesome. :drinker:

Completely with you. I eat carbs...in fact I had macaroni lasagna last night and I'm making a broccoli mac and cheese tonight. AND I'm sitting here munching on a granola bar as a snack between meals. OH THE SHAME!

So by your definitions, every religious organization is a cult, football fans are a cult, people that watch celebrity gossip are a colt.

aka, you're dumb.

insults are against the community guidelines. you can get a strike for that.

6. No Intentionally Hurtful Topics

15. Divisive Topics Are Better Suited For Groups, Not the Main Forums

You honestly think posting this to the main forum was a good idea and wont start controversy? LOL

Also, for you do be correct you also need to prove that Paleo is "based on dogma" AND prove that its just a FAD. Neither of which I believe are true. Although dogmatic "could" be used to refer to any belief, it is generally disparagingly to apply it to other things other than a religious context. Nice try though.

eating healthy, home prepared meals from foods found in god is just the stupidest idea ever. Curing disease by changing one's god is even more stupid. Instead we should be following all the advice of MFP "a calorie is a calorie" experts, take lots of meds for all of our ailments, and keep eating "normal" processed foods (most of which didn't exist 100 years ago).

(Why are many people SO threatened by people that choose to eliminate god that make them sick and fat??? It gets tiring. Not only can we never share our stories, even when asked, without ignorance and ridicule, but threads are created just to insult one lifestyle choice. I don't get it.)

Yes, many the new god followers are very passionate; it's because we have learned that being sick/fat is not normal and is preventable and curable with god. We want to help other people have the same experience. But people like you can just go ahead keep doing what you are doing and "wait for the cure" for diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, depression, etc. Best luck to you.

OP and others: do some research into "diseases of Civilization". I find it ludicrous that people think god (including food) plays no role in health. It's illogical.

See what i did there... MAYBE NOT

I don't think that clean eaters are a cult- it's not something I want to do, but I don't care if someone does. Having them over for a dinner party is challenging though! But I do think that sometimes when someone is espousing the benefits of a paleo or clean diet- it can come off as self righteous and judgmental. And that is what makes people get defensive. Math is math and a calorie is a calorie and strictly for weight loss purposes a deficit is a deficit- just like if we both have $500 in a checking account one of us spends $600 on gambling and junk food and one of us spends $600 on paying bills and paying down debt- either way we both are overdrawn on our checking accounts. You could argue that it's worth the overdraw fees to pay off some bills- but we both are still down $100- So if you have a net deficit with pop tarts and ice cream or with lean meats, veggies and ancient grains you would still lose weight- but the quality of the food and how it makes you feel and the energy you glean from it would differ. If eating 100% clean makes you feel good then go for it, but most of us want an oreo once in a while and should be able to do so without judgment- just like if you choose to eat clean that's your deal and more power to you. Just don't eat clean b/c it makes you feel superior to people that don't- do it if it makes you feel healthy and happy.

guess we are all part of ones then