Five a day. Do we have to have so much fruit and veg?

[Noodle Legs]

Diet. Absolutely hate the f**king word. Show me an article of some so called “research” as to why we should “get our 5 a day” and I’ll find you one or more that says the opposite. The same can be said with other foodstuffs. The advice we get is so confusing because the so called “experts” change their minds- remember butter? Food of the devil 35-40 years ago. Could clog arteries and all that. Now it’s back on the menu. Don’t even get me started with eggs! Most of the so called advice stems from research paid for by big companies to promote their product. Same with the fitness industry, they take advantage of the confusion and prey on peoples “fear” of eating this and that in order to market their product. Yes you may even see short term results with these plans but they’re often unsustainable. The pounds you lose are more from the pocket than the body.

So what’s the answer? Honestly, I haven’t got a clue! I’m not a diet expert in the slightest but I will say this: I believe the WORRY and STRESS of what you’re eating is the real problem and the paymasters know this and actively encourage it. A lot of us are told by the media to look a certain way nowadays and told to “eat more of this” or “eat less of that” in order to achieve it! Or we become a slave to the scale. Or you have to flog yourself silly with ridiculous punishing daily exercise in order to lose belly fat in a week. Utter Bull. I lost 4 inches off my waist through regular walking alone.

Yes I’m a “everything in moderationer” and a lot of people will be aghast at the sheer thought of me saying that and no doubt will set out to “shoot me down”. I eat generally quite healthy I admit but if I want cake or crisps etc then I’ll have it. Difference is, I’ll have a SLICE of cake rather than the whole one or a PACKET of crisps rather than a multipack. Just a common sense approach to it I feel. I don’t worry about what I eat or punish myself because I’ve “had something bad”. Nor am I lining someone else’s pocket trying to get healthy.

My point is this- you can have too much/ not enough of anything and the end result is we’re all still gonna die. I know a few people who exercised regularly and ate well and still dropped dead long before their time. You don’t know when your time is up so stop worrying and stressing about diet and just be happy!!

Rant over.

 

[Noodle Legs]

You're right. There's a difference between a diet (what a person eats) and dieting (restricting calorie intake in some way or other).

Pick apart and patronise all you want. I stand by what I said.

 

[presta]

“experts” change their minds

Quite right too. Don't buy a car or you'll suffocate when you drive faster than 30mph.

 

[Fnaar]

Quite right too. Don't buy a car or you'll suffocate when you drive faster than 30mph.

And also, years of frantic masturbation has never ever made me vote Tory

 

[swee'pea99]

Diet. Absolutely hate the f**king word. Show me an article of some so called “research” as to why we should “get our 5 a day” and I’ll find you one or more that says the opposite. The same can be said with other foodstuffs. The advice we get is so confusing because the so called “experts” change their minds- remember butter? Food of the devil 35-40 years ago. Could clog arteries and all that. Now it’s back on the menu. Don’t even get me started with eggs! Most of the so called advice stems from research paid for by big companies to promote their product. Same with the fitness industry, they take advantage of the confusion and prey on peoples “fear” of eating this and that in order to market their product. Yes you may even see short term results with these plans but they’re often unsustainable. The pounds you lose are more from the pocket than the body.

So what’s the answer? Honestly, I haven’t got a clue! I’m not a diet expert in the slightest but I will say this: I believe the WORRY and STRESS of what you’re eating is the real problem and the paymasters know this and actively encourage it. A lot of us are told by the media to look a certain way nowadays and told to “eat more of this” or “eat less of that” in order to achieve it! Or we become a slave to the scale. Or you have to flog yourself silly with ridiculous punishing daily exercise in order to lose belly fat in a week. Utter Bull. I lost 4 inches off my waist through regular walking alone.

Yes I’m a “everything in moderationer” and a lot of people will be aghast at the sheer thought of me saying that and no doubt will set out to “shoot me down”. I eat generally quite healthy I admit but if I want cake or crisps etc then I’ll have it. Difference is, I’ll have a SLICE of cake rather than the whole one or a PACKET of crisps rather than a multipack. Just a common sense approach to it I feel. I don’t worry about what I eat or punish myself because I’ve “had something bad”. Nor am I lining someone else’s pocket trying to get healthy.

My point is this- you can have too much/ not enough of anything and the end result is we’re all still gonna die. I know a few people who exercised regularly and ate well and still dropped dead long before their time. You don’t know when your time is up so stop worrying and stressing about diet and just be happy!!

Rant over.

I think you make some good points, not least the one about constantly changing advice driven by a continual stream of research largely funded by the food industry. It's hard to believe that the climate of 'they can't make up their minds, it's all rubbish' confusion, is entirely an accident, given that it's so useful to the companies that make the food people default back to, in the absence of clear and consistent guidelines. The only thing I would question is whether it's the stress and worry that's the real problem. My take on it is that the real problem is fat, sugar and salt. The stress and worry don't help, but it's the fat, sugar and salt that are fueling the west's ill-health crisis.

I was also raised on 'everything in moderation', and agree that it's a good basic principle to follow. I enjoy lots of 'bad' stuff, but as you say, a pack of crisps, not a jumbo pack; a slice of cake, not a cake. Interesting that what my mum was telling me 50-odd years ago is eerily similar to the best dietary advice out there today: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

 

[Noodle Legs]

My take on it is that the real problem is fat, sugar and salt. The stress and worry don't help, but it's the fat, sugar and salt that are fueling the west's ill-health crisis.

Interesting comments here and I would have to say I’d probably agree to a point. But most rational thinking people would know this already and factor that into their eating habits with a common sense approach like I described with the crisps and cake analogy. They also know that they don’t need some “scientist” telling them how much of what to eat! Everyone has a different take on what’s right or wrong eating wise and it’s right to increase awareness, but not the fear factor.