Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Is anything really good for you anymore?

13»

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    shaumom wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    I disagree however that actual scientific study publications are sensationalized though....if you read the actual studies they tend to be very measured and understated in their conclusions are rarely if ever make broad inferences.

    Thanks for mentioning this. I would say that is what I have seen as well, that the studies themselves are less likely to make the typical sweeping generalizations that are all or nothing. Although I have seen a few scientists discuss the studies using more sweeping statements during interviews. Not the majority, certainly, but some, definitely.

    Keep in mind that interview articles (i.e., not full-text Q&A) involve a journalist cherry-picking which quotes to use, based on what said journalist believed going into the interview.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    shaumom wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    I disagree however that actual scientific study publications are sensationalized though....if you read the actual studies they tend to be very measured and understated in their conclusions are rarely if ever make broad inferences.

    Thanks for mentioning this. I would say that is what I have seen as well, that the studies themselves are less likely to make the typical sweeping generalizations that are all or nothing. Although I have seen a few scientists discuss the studies using more sweeping statements during interviews. Not the majority, certainly, but some, definitely.

    Keep in mind that interview articles (i.e., not full-text Q&A) involve a journalist cherry-picking which quotes to use, based on what said journalist believed going into the interview.

    It's fairly easy to contact the researchers and they typically respond quickly. I often check with them if an interview ever occurred. More often than not it never happened.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2018
    shaumom wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    I disagree however that actual scientific study publications are sensationalized though....if you read the actual studies they tend to be very measured and understated in their conclusions are rarely if ever make broad inferences.

    Thanks for mentioning this. I would say that is what I have seen as well, that the studies themselves are less likely to make the typical sweeping generalizations that are all or nothing. Although I have seen a few scientists discuss the studies using more sweeping statements during interviews. Not the majority, certainly, but some, definitely.

    Yeah well scientists are just people and if you talk to them in person they will sometimes end up being more hyperbolic as well. Not to mention if what the scientist "said" is through the filter of a news article then the journalist had the ability to select what they considered the most "interesting" statements which often can highlight the stronger ones and leave out the caveats. Question is what they are willing to say when they put pen to paper in a publication.
  • slossia
    slossia Posts: 138 Member
    Not bring overweight is good for you, so for all those overweight people telling you that diet soda is not good for you, let’s see if they think their healthy when they are told that they need to loose weight at their doctor visits. I know that my doctor doesn’t ask me if I drink diet soda! So what I think is if you can eat candy and not be overweight, then candy is neither “good or bad for you”
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Responding to the initial post:
    I'm an old fart who matured before the internet did. Back then, we needed to develop a keen judgement in handling "old wives tales", "proverbs", "fables", and "Proverbs".
    The accuracy of an old wives tale varied according to the age of your wife.
    The verity of proverbs varied according to the smell of the cooking.
    The truth in fables was variable as needed.
    The Proverbs were in a Book that was good for thumping.

    Nowadays we just have twitter, google, and facebook.

    The more things change, the more they stay the same.

    Enjoy your food.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    If you believe everything you read, then yes, everything is bad for you. If you use common sense, eat a varied diet, and learn how to vet sources, taking care of yourself gets a heck of a lot easier! The average person on the street isn't critically thinking, they are just hearing and parroting the headlines and sound bytes. Ignore the noise :wink:

    Amen!!!!!!!

  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?

    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.
  • stanlfink
    stanlfink Posts: 267 Member
    What’s worked for me is to always head in the direction of better health and make healthy choices. Is Tilapia the best fish to eat? Perhaps not the best, but compared to a lot of other choices, it might not be the worst. Think lower unhealthy carbs (cookies, candies, bread with no fiber, almost all sugar, especially added sugars). Watch the calories. Eat lots of vegetables especially raw. Treat yourself to cheese in moderation to take the edge off. Don’t do too much at one time or you won’t stick to it. Make small changes in the right direction. It will work for you!!!!
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?

    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?

    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    @estherdragonbat @pinuplove @quiksylver296
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    estherdragonbat pinuplove quiksylver296 @Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    estherdragonbat pinuplove quiksylver296 @Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.

    Have you ever had this?!? Oh, man!!!

    6q3eazaoy8uq.jpg
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    @estherdragonbat @pinuplove @quiksylver296 Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.

    Have you ever had this?!? Oh, man!!!

    6q3eazaoy8uq.jpg

    So, chocolate covered pop-rocks?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    @estherdragonbat @pinuplove @quiksylver296 Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.

    Have you ever had this?!? Oh, man!!!

    6q3eazaoy8uq.jpg

    So, chocolate covered pop-rocks?

    Spicy, salty, chocolate-covered pop rocks!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,253 Member
    edited October 2018
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Let me begin with some background. I'm completely new to "eating healthy", and have decided to try meal prepping. I started with some ground rules. Not to list them all, but some rules were 1. Food had to be relatively cheap, easy to get. 2. I had to like it. I'm not a huge fan of seafood. Mostly because I don't like the fishy taste. So decided to go with Tilapia. I heard so many great benefits. "it's the boneless, skinless chicken breast of the sea". Never tried it before, so I only bought a few to try. I Made it along with some rice, and really loved it. No fishy taste. Thinking "ok, I can do this". Cheap, and easy to get.

    My wife is doing the same diet as me. She takes some to work for lunch. A co-worker sees her eating the fish, and that's when it begins. "are you eating Tilapia"? "you know they are raised on poop"? "your better off eating a pound of bacon, then eating that". "Tilapia causes cancer". You get it. She comes home, and tells me all of this. Now normally. I wouldn't pay it much attention. However. The guys she works with are physically fit. Some of them live in the gym, and have great eating habits. Great group of people. The kind of people you'd want advice from when it comes to diet and fitness. So it was a huge buzz kill for me.

    So like anyone that's new to this would do. I consulted with google. There are tons of articles about how unhealthy Tilapia is. Almost equal to the amount of articles on how healthy it is. So I began digging into other things. Almost everything I look up, be it tomatoes, lettuce, chicken, whatever. It all has at least some articles explaining how its bad for you. So....

    Is anything good for you anymore?
    Do I just ignore what some people are saying?
    How do you filter out facts about food, from all the other nonsense?
    Do I have to perform an in depth investigation before I eat anything?
    One thing about food is that it's made of biological substances, and almost any biological substance can be gross is you choose to look at it that way.

    - Honey is bee vomit
    - Yogurt is what bacteria leave behind after digesting milk
    - Milk is a mammalian glandular secretion
    - Meat is, well, you know where meat comes from
    - Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi that feed on decaying matter
    - Eggs are the unfertilized ova of chickens (unless you pay extra for the fertilized ones)
    - Fruits are the fertilized ova of trees and bushes
    - Grains are the fertilized ova of grasses
    - Leafy vegetables are effectively the stomachs of the plants
    (fwiw, I cheerfully eat all of the above)

    And almost everything grows in poop (and other decaying organic matter), feeds on something that grows in poop, or feeds on something that feeds on something that grows in poop. If you're not going to eat anything capable of grossing you out when viewed from the right perspective, you'll likely starve. :)

    If you add all the pee and poop in water you just condemned me to thirst in addition to starvation.
    I don't know that I like you no-more: you're almost as bad as the food babe!!!!!

    <Can I use your honey-bee vomit terminology? I'd love to use it when someone tells me how much better honey would be as compared to evilz sucrose--or the even more evilz sucralose I sometimes often use!!!>
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Let me begin with some background. I'm completely new to "eating healthy", and have decided to try meal prepping. I started with some ground rules. Not to list them all, but some rules were 1. Food had to be relatively cheap, easy to get. 2. I had to like it. I'm not a huge fan of seafood. Mostly because I don't like the fishy taste. So decided to go with Tilapia. I heard so many great benefits. "it's the boneless, skinless chicken breast of the sea". Never tried it before, so I only bought a few to try. I Made it along with some rice, and really loved it. No fishy taste. Thinking "ok, I can do this". Cheap, and easy to get.

    My wife is doing the same diet as me. She takes some to work for lunch. A co-worker sees her eating the fish, and that's when it begins. "are you eating Tilapia"? "you know they are raised on poop"? "your better off eating a pound of bacon, then eating that". "Tilapia causes cancer". You get it. She comes home, and tells me all of this. Now normally. I wouldn't pay it much attention. However. The guys she works with are physically fit. Some of them live in the gym, and have great eating habits. Great group of people. The kind of people you'd want advice from when it comes to diet and fitness. So it was a huge buzz kill for me.

    So like anyone that's new to this would do. I consulted with google. There are tons of articles about how unhealthy Tilapia is. Almost equal to the amount of articles on how healthy it is. So I began digging into other things. Almost everything I look up, be it tomatoes, lettuce, chicken, whatever. It all has at least some articles explaining how its bad for you. So....

    Is anything good for you anymore?
    Do I just ignore what some people are saying?
    How do you filter out facts about food, from all the other nonsense?
    Do I have to perform an in depth investigation before I eat anything?
    One thing about food is that it's made of biological substances, and almost any biological substance can be gross is you choose to look at it that way.

    - Honey is bee vomit
    - Yogurt is what bacteria leave behind after digesting milk
    - Milk is a mammalian glandular secretion
    - Meat is, well, you know where meat comes from
    - Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi that feed on decaying matter
    - Eggs are the unfertilized ova of chickens (unless you pay extra for the fertilized ones)
    - Fruits are the fertilized ova of trees and bushes
    - Grains are the fertilized ova of grasses
    - Leafy vegetables are effectively the stomachs of the plants
    (fwiw, I cheerfully eat all of the above)

    And almost everything grows in poop (and other decaying organic matter), feeds on something that grows in poop, or feeds on something that feeds on something that grows in poop. If you're not going to eat anything capable of grossing you out when viewed from the right perspective, you'll likely starve. :)

    If you add all the pee and poop in water you just condemned me to thirst in addition to starvation.
    I don't know that I like you no-more: you're almost as bad as the food babe!!!!!

    <Can I use your honey-bee vomit terminology? I'd love to use it when someone tells me how much better honey would be as compared to evilz sucrose--or the even more evilz sucralose I sometimes often use!!!>

    Sure! :)

    ...Although I should warn you that I oversimplified: assuming I remember right, honey is honey bee-vomit along with honey-bees mucus secretions (i.e. snot) and some glandular secretions very roughly analogous to mammalian breast milk.

    And, again IIRC, I think that, in molecular terms, it's mostly sucrose.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    @estherdragonbat @pinuplove @quiksylver296 Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.

    Have you ever had this?!? Oh, man!!!

    6q3eazaoy8uq.jpg

    So, chocolate covered pop-rocks?

    Spicy, salty, chocolate-covered pop rocks!

    I'm not sure I want my chocolate to pop :grimace:
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    @estherdragonbat @pinuplove @quiksylver296 Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.

    Have you ever had this?!? Oh, man!!!

    6q3eazaoy8uq.jpg

    So, chocolate covered pop-rocks?

    Spicy, salty, chocolate-covered pop rocks!

    I'm not sure I want my chocolate to pop :grimace:

    But it's good if it's salty and spicy, IMO. Maybe sometimes we just gotta put up with a little popping. Or else eat those chocolate potato chip bars. :)
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Yeah, there's the catch-22 where some people say farmed fish has less Omega-3 and eats the wrong food so it's bad for you, but others say an increase in consumption of wild-caught fish is leading to over-fishing and the decimation of some species.

    The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an app called “Seafood Watch” which is a great tool in guiding what type of fish to buy with regards to over-fishing and other environmental concerns. Highly recommend!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    greg_87 wrote: »
    Is anything good for you anymore?
    @estherdragonbat @pinuplove @quiksylver296 Tacklewasher
    A recent editorial in JAMA observed that much research on the health effects of foods is far less clear-cut than press releases and media reports present it, especially when claims are made about single foods. Take it with a grain of salt.

    Except, isn't salt bad for you??????

    The ill effects of a single grain are negligible and inevitable. :wink:

    PPPPPbbbbbbtttttttt!!!!!!!!

    Really? Bored today?

    I like salt with my chocolate. Quite certain I'm destined for an early grave.

    Have you ever had this?!? Oh, man!!!

    6q3eazaoy8uq.jpg

    So, chocolate covered pop-rocks?

    Spicy, salty, chocolate-covered pop rocks!

    I'm not sure I want my chocolate to pop :grimace:

    But it's good if it's salty and spicy, IMO. Maybe sometimes we just gotta put up with a little popping. Or else eat those chocolate potato chip bars. :)

    That's a sacrifice I might be willing to make!
  • This content has been removed.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    I've never heard that about tilapia before. I have heard it about shrimp though since they are along the oceans floor. But I eat what I eat. Once something is cooked in a high temp then how can it hurt you? Next time try cod or flounder. Actually cod is quite a bit thicker and tastes better IMO so you may like it better anyway.

    And tell your wife to ignore those coworkers. Anyone that says bacon is better than fish obviously has no idea what they are talking about. I bet they eat at Mcdonalds on a regular basis as well.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    Kalex1975 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Yeah, there's the catch-22 where some people say farmed fish has less Omega-3 and eats the wrong food so it's bad for you, but others say an increase in consumption of wild-caught fish is leading to over-fishing and the decimation of some species.

    The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an app called “Seafood Watch” which is a great tool in guiding what type of fish to buy with regards to over-fishing and other environmental concerns. Highly recommend!

    wild caught fish is all I will eat. I tried the non-wild caught one time and it was so full of water it was soggy when I ate it and that was after draining it for what seemed like forever and trying to get more water out with a towel around it. disgusting