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
Carbs: Which Ones Should You Actually Eat?
Not all carbs are created equal, with some being better than others. But how can you tell? In part III of our miniseries on carbohydrates, The Nutrition Grouch reviews the nutrition epidemiology literature to discuss what types of carbohydrates you should be eating, based on the literature. Some answers are pretty straightforward, some are surprising, and others just don't make any sense at all.
Some of the topics in today's episode include:
- Carbs: nothing is “OFF LIMITS” (0:00)
- When it comes to food, variety is “not” the spice of life (0:36)
- A quick recap of our last two episodes on carbohydrates (7:06)
- Ultra-processed foods tend to contain carbs AND fats (9:30)
- Three types of scientific studies suggesting carbs do not turn to fat (11:59)
- Some carbs increase your risk of type II diabetes but so do some fats (15:09)
- Saturated fat and trans-fat increase your risk of developing type II diabetes (23:57)
- TV Dinners: Phase I weight loss for The Science of Dieting (25:46)
- Does eating dairy (saturated fat) cause type II diabetes? (28:20)
- A potential podcast episode: if I was an internet asshole (33:09)
- Reverse causality, ice cream, and Diet Coke (34:07)
- Ultra-processed cereals and their surprising protective superpower against diabetes (35:30)
- Should I eat low glycemic foods to prevent type II diabetes? (37:02)
- Fruit juice and the risk of developing diabetes (46:22)
- I thought fruits and veggies were supposed to be SUPERFOODS?! (46:55)
- Brown rice versus white rice, which is better? (48:46)
- Potatoes: apparently a hill that I will die on! (49:17)
- Nuts, coffee, and alcohol (52:27)
- Conclusion and beginning of final summary (52:53)
- Are whole grains really that good for you? (54:37)
- I want to go work for the cereal industry! (56:02)
- Bottom line recommendations (58:30)