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
How Much Junk Food is Too Much Junk Food?
We all eat (some) junk food, but exactly how much is too much? What exactly is junk food and are some junk foods worse than others?
In today's episode, The Nutrition Grouch explains that while there is a strong dose response relationship between ultra-processed food intake and type 2 diabetes risk, not all ultra-processed foods are bad for you. In fact, some ultra-processed foods may be "good" for you and actually reduce your risk.
He also discusses the limitations of the ultra-processed food classification system and while he encourages you to reduce the total amount of ultra-processed food in your diet, he also stresses the importance of "picking your spots" to enjoy the taste, convenience, and freedom from the kitchen that ultra-processed foods may provide you.
Some of the topics in today's episode include:
An elementary school explanation of junk food (1:21)
2009: the debut of Monteiro’s NOVA ultra-processed food classification (2:13)
Beer and wine aren’t good for you, but liquor is worse (7:52)
Whole wheat bread and Wonder bread are in the same category? (10:11)
Cheerios are not the same as Lucky Charms (10:44)
Bro science idiots and breakfast cereal (11:19)
70% of our food supply is ultra-processed! (12:51)
Ultra-processed is a dirty word and shorthand for “bad” for you (13:26)
Not all minimally processed foods are good for you (15:55)
What’s the bigger problem: nutrient deficiencies or too many calories? (18:36)
Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for you (Chen, 2023) (21:10)
Are some ultra-processed foods actually “good” for you? (22:40)
Is Diet Coke better for you than regular Coke? (25:29)
What’s worse, animal products or Coke, the answer may surprise (26:39)
My kids love hot dogs and chicken nuggets, darn it! (27:14)
Chen’s 2023 quintiles of ultra-processed food consumption (28:44)
There isn’t any “safe” amount of ultra-processed food (31:04)
It’s extremely difficult to quantify your exact risk (31:55)
Are there any health benefits to cutting out ultra-processed foods completely? (36:40)
When your nutritional tank is full, it’s full (39:11)
Is 10 servings of fruits and veggies a day better than 5 servings? (39:41)
You can do your health far more harm with nutrition than you can do good (40:30)
Fruits and veggies versus cancer reoccurrence (41:31)
The blunted pleasure response of habitual ultra-processed food consumers (44:01)
My favorite researcher of all time, Kevin Hall (45:23)
A bag of Doritos versus a bag of baby carrots (47:18)
We’re all asking the wrong question about electric cars (50:49)
Induced demand nutrition (52:41)
NOVA is too broad and unrefined, is there anything better? (57:52)
The crazy individual variation in how foods are metabolized (59:01)
How much junk food is too much junk food?