The Nutrition Grouch
The weight loss industry is, has been, and always will be a dumpster fire. People like to say health & wellness (of which weight loss is a part of) is “broken” or full of “misinformation” but that is being too generous because it implies that some of it is good or that it is actually fixable. It is damaged beyond repair. If it were possible, I would burn it to the ground and start over.
While it is impractical to try to summarize what’s wrong with the industry in one podcast description, my premise is this: there is a truly astronomical amount of information that neither our media nor our professionals are able to communicate to you in a meaningful way without losing all context, applicability to real life, and/or the ability to see how all of the pieces fit together.
The media should just stop covering health & wellness because their soundbites explain nothing and are little more than headlines and talking points. They may raise awareness but not understanding, leading to the illusion of explanatory depth. Academics actually know what they are talking about and could help educate us but are too busy with their work and only some are engaged with the public. Most academics look down on and laugh at the quacks and zealots in the field but it’s the quacks and zealots that have the real power.
Businesses do not have the right people in place (PhDs or medical professionals) to drive product and service development (that’s left to the MBAs). After the brand is established, the number one rule is that you must protect and promote the brand no matter how myopic, self-serving, or unimportant that brand is. Healthcare is for the (already) sick and public health is so surface level.
When it comes to their health, the public is lazy. They want the most entertaining, convenient, and positive information available, even if it is at the expense of achieving their goals. Hard work, I think not. Let me take the path of least resistance and “do it on the side”. There’s no reason for real change.
Instead of being stuck in pedaling the news of the day, disconnected factoids and tidbits, overly reductionist, cliché, idealistic, magic cures, easy fixes, secrets, tips, tricks, hacks, fads, gimmicks, cherry-picked, binary, good/bad, flashy, insanely optimistic, exaggerated, fantasy land, sunshine and rainbows, theoretical, testimonial based weight loss information -- let’s come up with a more comprehensive, systematic, sustainable, realistic, semi-automated, results-oriented, pragmatic approach to weight loss with a slice of common sense.
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time (years and decades) thinking about the thousands of nuances of weight loss (just Google Energy Balance Nutrition Consulting, The Paper Database, or The Science of Dieting). I’ve also spent thousands of hours trying to understand why the health & wellness field isn’t actually science based despite the information being readily available.
I am so fed up and exhausted by it all. It is so broken that on many days I want to say forget it. I’m done with this. It can’t be fixed. I’m a smart motivated guy that can take my talents elsewhere (LeBron). But something keeps drawing me back. It’s like a sickness or a bad relationship. I just can’t get out of it. At my core, it’s who I am. In this podcast I want to offer you truly science-based weight loss advice, critiques of the weight loss industry/diet culture, and thoughts on my experiences and failings in the profession. And with that, I bring you The Nutrition Grouch.
The Nutrition Grouch
McDonalds is Not the Enemy
Is McDonalds really that bad for you? Yes, it is. But it's not McDonalds that is bad, it's how much and how often you eat McDonalds that is bad. The poison is in the dose. By focusing so intently on hating McDonalds people are missing the other culprits that make up the majority of our calories in our highly palatable, easily accessible, calorie rich food supply.
McDonalds isn't going away, and neither is the fast-food market they created. So, we need to find a way to live with it. Bashing McDonalds or hating McDonalds is unhelpful and unproductive. You can eat McDonalds or other fast food without breaking the calorie bank. It just takes a little forethought and effort.
Some of the topics in today's podcast include:
Is McDonalds really that bad for you? (0:14)
The poison is in the dose: 10,000 shots of whiskey (3:16)
McDonalds checks all the “bad” boxes but none of the “good” (10:52)
Is it McDonalds’ fault or personal responsibility? (11:19)
McDonalds wouldn’t exist without customers, and customers don’t want salads (11:59)
If McDonalds ceased to exist, would anything really change? (14:06)
Going through the drive thru on my bike (17:04)
More variety = more food consumed (18:18)
“Calorie Pressure” (19:26)
How I get tricked into eating 3 bags of chips in one week (21:08)
The importance of knowing who your enemy is (22:47)
Chipotle is Not healthy (24:46)
If Natural Grocers is so great, why is half their store supplements? (25:14)
I trust McDonalds more than health food vendors (i.e. Chipotle) (26:09)
Normalizing “healthy” fast food: a slippery slope (26:55)
Eating out is the enemy (27:39)
Fast food breakfasts are for special occasions not common occurrences (28:31)
8 tips for managing your fast-food environment (28:42)
540 Meals Makes a Difference: how to eat McDonalds and lose weight (35:06)
Morgan Spurlock is an idiot (35:57)
Will you get sick eating 3 Chipotle burritos every day? (36:23)
34,000 Big Macs eaten by one man (and counting)! (36:37)
The cat is out of the bag and there’s no turning back (37:51)