Fed Up with Food Fear-Mongering

http://healthyhausfrau.blogspot.com/2013/10/fed-up-with-food-fear-mongering.html

Sounds like the MFP boards in a nutshell

If you haven’t heard lately that carbohydrates and sugar are deadly poisons, consider yourself lucky. As a registered dietitian who stays immersed in both research and popular diet/food trends, a day does not go by that I don’t see single foods or nutrients being demonized and falsely labeled as evil, disease-causing, or even toxic.

That’s right, eating a slice of bread will now KILL YOU (or at least eat through half of your brain) according to numerous supposed health and fitness authorities—including doctors, registered dietitians, personal trainers, and nutritionists—as well as your run-of-the-mill diet gurus, countless bloggers-turned-nutrition-experts, and, of course, big and small media outlets, reporters, and writers. And, if that single dietary constituent somehow doesn’t kill you outright, you can be sure it will hold you hostage, force you to eat it to the exclusion of all other foods, mercilessly addict you, make you obese, and THEN kill you.

Vilifying individual foods or nutrients in the name of feigned health promotion, or food fear-mongering as I call it, is a big, big problem. It does NOT make people healthier, nor does it promote the healthy relationship with food that is so crucial for long-term success with dietary health and weight control. For reasons I will discuss in a minute, I believe that food fear-mongering makes people much less healthy in body and mind, more likely to engage repeatedly in cyclical dieting and other unhealthy eating behaviors, and far less likely to be able to derive pleasure and enjoyment from eating.

But first, let’s make sure we're clear about a couple things. As a dietitian I’m well-aware of diet and weight-related diseases. I understand that limiting certain foods and nutrients (trans fat, excess added sugars, for example) and emphasizing others (fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, for example) all the while taking into account the context of an entire diet and lifestyle can play a huge role in positive health outcomes. I agree that there are better and worse food choices when it comes to our eating habits, but I also realize that diet and health are never black and white, don’t exist in a vacuum, and are not nearly as simplistic as the gurus and "experts" who tell us that fructose is POISON (context and dose-dependence be damned) would have you believe.

I mention this because the last thing I want is people taking from this post that I think loads of sugar is good for you or that I’m a staunch advocate for eating wheat by the bushelful every day--that's just not the case. But what I do hope will be taken from this post is that consuming sugar or wheat or ice cream or pretty much ANY FOOD (barring you don't have an allergy or intolerance) once in a while will not have a significant negative impact on your health, if done in moderation, let alone be the sole cause of your death!

So let’s do a quick recap: sure, there are health problems related to overconsuming just about any food. Sure, we’d be better off with much fewer sugary treats and junk processed foods and much more whole, unprocessed real foods, all in moderation. Sure, there are probably plenty of people who could lay off some of the wheat or sugar in their diet, lose weight (as a result of creating a caloric deficit), and feel much better as a result. But deeming wheat a “dietary poison” and blaming it for all our ills...WHY??

If you’re still with me and not engulfed in a fit of laughter, let’s move on and talk about what I believe to be the top two reasons food fear-mongering is so prevalent:

1. A sensationalistic message sells--we've known this forever.
Even more profitable? A feigned revelation about the dangers of a certain food spread by an alarmist “authority” in the field. As evidenced by the examples above, many of the extreme food fear-mongering messages come from people with something to sell you—in the nutrition field, that usually equates to a book, a diet/service, or dietary supplements.

2. People need something simplistic to blame for their weight or health problems.
Instead of realizing that most diet-related chronic diseases result from a combination of repeated suboptimal nutrition and lifestyle choices and caloric excess over time, it is far easier to point the finger at one food entity, slap on the blame, and then attempt to abstain from that food completely. It is unfortunate but many people just CANNOT grasp, let alone utilize, the concept of moderation with eating, and by putting unnecessary limits on their diets, they can stay on the straight and narrow, though usually not for long.

I don’t fault individuals for this: moderation and balance with diet is not easy to come by as I've explained before. Indeed, I feel that demonizing single foods is actually a symptom of our culture’s desperation and desire to get healthier. At the same time, however, the food blame game is another embarrassingly obvious example of how we seem to be continually grasping for eating truths and absolutes in a society devoid of a food culture, yet overflowing with food.

This makes people all too vulnerable to food fear-mongering messages, and with no shortage of these terrifying warnings, an extremely harmful situation arises.

So why is food fear-mongering so damaging?

1. Food phobias are created.
An authority figure saying that sugar is poisonous exploits people’s ignorance about diet, human physiology, and the long-term development of chronic disease and teaches them to fear food—this is no joke! I have seen the effects time and time again in my practice—people who are actually AFRAID to eat! They have listened to the simplistic, horrifying messages that x, y, or z food will maim you, induce mold growth on your upper lip, liquefy your insides after a bout of burning inflammation, and ON and ON and ON and have frantically boiled down their diet to a few fanatical food options. Then they wonder why they are tired all the time, sick, depressed, obsessed with food, and aren't getting any real pleasure from eating. Their dietary restrictions are totally unnecessary, but have been put in place because of false fears implanted by alarmist authorities trying to make a buck. This angers me to no end!

2. Food fear-mongering creates VAST confusion.
How do I know this? Because I get asked the silliest things all the time, by well-meaning people who really think they’ve got things figured out with nutrition, but have really been duped by fear-mongerers. A few real examples:

I was recently asked with disbelief: “Do you STILL eat grains?” I apparently missed the boat—eating grains was SO pre-Wheat Belly!

Since I do eat grains in moderation, I was once accused of “trusting in corn and wheat” (In Wheat I Trust???) and also informed that my stomach is a “gluten bomb” as a result.

Discussing the health benefits of legumes with someone a few weeks back incited this response: “Legumes = lectins = leaky gut = leaky brain. I’ll get my carbs and protein elsewhere.” This was a completely nonsensical, obviously fearful response. (Side note: the presence of lectins and phytates in whole grains and legumes is often used by low-carb proponents to deter consumption of these very healthy foods).

Someone confidently and proudly told me the other day, “I rarely eat fruit due to the high sugar content.” She surely got Robert Lustig's "fructose is poison" memo.

I love playing dumb when I encounter self-made nutritionists so I can see what advice they have for me, and sure enough, I got schooled with this gem a couple weeks ago: “Nuts are dangerously inflammatory and should be avoided AT ALL COSTS.”

These instances make me want to laugh, cry, and pull my hair out all at once. And the worse part of this immeasurable confusion? Once this degree of food fear and brainwashing is ingrained, I’ve had little success helping people like this back to reality.

3. Food fear-mongering messages are terribly counter-productive to creating health.
Because alarmist messages attract attention, people who are not educated in the science of nutrition and are actively looking for that one causative reason for their lack of health will easily take these messages at face value, not question them, or even realize that they should question them. They believe what these health authorities tell them and start to completely shun wheat or sugar or whatever the fearful food of the year may be. Eliminating a food or nutrient may provide a short-term benefit to their health in some way, but more likely than not, the avoidance tactic will not last, and old behaviors will return, leading again to a suboptimal health status. No progress is made as a result of food fear-mongering messages. No real, sustainable, healthy eating behaviors are developed. Time is wasted. Money is often wasted. Consequently, YES, PEOPLE ARE HARMED.

Read the rest at the link

People are going to believe what they want to believe.

"I Eat Pizza, Pop Tarts, Ice Cream, Potato chips now - And I also eat chicken breasts, broccoli, egg whites, apples, grapes, and oatmeal. No food is off limits! (OK.. maybe Liver, Pâté de Foie Gras, and Brussel Sprouts). I have figured out my TDEE and My BMR and and as long as these foods fit in the mid range on a weekly averaged basic it is fine! The results are happening and I feel great! "

Hmph. I eat Liver, Pate de Foie Gras and Brussel Sprouts. Love them. I also love whole eggs. Think pop tarts may be the biggest waste of calories ever (give me a donut please), potato chips are CRACK and ice cream - meh. No food is off limits, but there are quite a few I choose not to eat. No binge, no recrimination, no crazy. I can have them whenever I want them. Cue "I got the Power"

The best diet is the diet you can stick with. Period.

I'm actually in, but waiting for someone to seriously try to convince us that cauliflower will kill us all.

If there's one food that is genuinely evil, it's cauliflower.

Cauliflower got no reason to live.

I disagree. It's kale.

"I Eat Pizza, Pop Tarts, Ice Cream, Potato chips now - And I also eat chicken breasts, broccoli, egg whites, apples, grapes, and oatmeal. No food is off limits! (OK.. maybe Liver, Pâté de Foie Gras, and Brussel Sprouts). I have figured out my TDEE and My BMR and and as long as these foods fit in the mid range on a weekly averaged basic it is fine! The results are happening and I feel great! "

Hmph. I eat Liver, Pate de Foie Gras and Brussel Sprouts. Love them. I also love whole eggs. Think pop tarts may be the biggest waste of calories ever (give me a donut please), potato chips are CRACK and ice cream - meh. No food is off limits, but there are quite a few I choose not to eat. No binge, no recrimination, no crazy. I can have them whenever I want them. Cue "I got the Power"

The best diet is the diet you can stick with. Period.

The best diet isn't a "diet" at all.

Thanks for sharing, OP.

^^^^ I hear you, but I also disagree. My kid knows there are 43 grams of sugar in a can of pop because he gleefully reads it to me when he gets one. While it doesn't stop him from drinking it, or me from allowing him to have it occasionally, I am glad he is aware of what that means (and he knows what a gram is etc). I am hoping it will serve him later in life and he will make better choices than I did.
Also it gives you an opportunity to educate your son about nutrition. With Halloween right around the corner, we will have ample opportunity! (before anyone goes off - not that candy is bad, but how we eat it in moderation IF we eat other nutritious food).

I'm actually in, but waiting for someone to seriously try to convince us that cauliflower will kill us all.

If there's one food that is genuinely evil, it's cauliflower.

Cauliflower got no reason to live.

Nope, it's definitely celery...

I disagree. It's kale.

I know that most people can fit these foods into their life and not feel guilt for it or be afraid. I had ice cream last night and i'm beating myself up for it. I've been told all my life that certain foods are "good" and "bad" and that eating the "bad" foods will make you fat. So I did get fat but not by eating the bad foods, but the quantity I ate them in ( I know that now, but it still doesn't clear my neurosis). Even after realizing this, i'm still afraid of food and I don't have a normal relationship. I just want to throw it out there that it's not easy trying to over come a fear of food and that no food is good or bad.

I understand exactly where you're coming from. I spent years trying to get my weight under control by eating "good" foods and shunning "bad" foods. But as I started to spend more time looking for those good foods, it seemed like more and more foods were being constantly added to the "bad" list. It was really frustrating. Can't have this, can't have that, can't, can't can't.... There were a couple weeks where I was deeply upset about all of the conflicting information about foods being good and bad. "Nuts are good for you!" "Nuts are inflammatory and full of fat!" "Soy is a good source of protein!" "Soy can mess with your hormones!" I was afraid to even eat. What if I eat the wrong things? I already wasn't making any progress losing weight or "getting healthy," what if I ate some bad food and it only made things worse? I was pretty torn up about it, and I would say it brought me to tears on more than one occasion. I don't mean to say I was bawling my eyes out in the street, but I would have quiet meltdowns while I was logging my food. I felt so stupid because I obviously just didn't get it.

This is the kind of mindset you create when you say that some foods are bad. Think about it.