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Why is the American diet so deadly?
31–40 of 196 posts
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#32hope this doesn't hijacked by "WhAt Is EvEN UltRAPorCESSED FooD" crowd.
You'd probably put me in that crowd, but I think it is a very valid objection. "ultra-processed" is in my opinion a far too large and diverse group to yield good scientific results. It may be a reasonable starting point for investigations, but you really need to look at specific aspects individually to figure out how this works.
We're not going to convert everyone into only eating fresh and non-processed stuff, so you'll have to find out which specific ways of processing or which additions to processed food are problematic and address those.
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#33hope this doesn't hijacked by "WhAt Is EvEN UltRAPorCESSED FooD" crowd.
I’m blissfully unaware of that POV. Links? Are they claiming that boiling noodles is “ultra processing” or something?
The problem is that there's no definition of ultra-processed. It's generally a "I know it when I see it" type of thing but of course that means it's unevenly applied in a world without nuance.
To use your example, surely hand made noodles aren't ultra processed. But are Bertolli noodles ultra processed? The only difference in ingredients is what emulsifier is used.
Food, biology, etc. is complicated and reducing it to TikTok sound bites often results in squabbles.
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#34> Why Is the American Diet So Deadly? Too much sugar. Too carb heavy. Not enough fiber (fruits, veg). Fats demonized for a long spell. No time for preparing whole foods in daily lives. No easy access to cheap, prepared whole foods. Edit: car-focused culture and zoning laws/planning that result in more sedentary day-to-day lifestyle that magnifies the effect of the poor diet.
>Not enough fiber (fruits, veg).
I'm not sure why people think fiber is great. Yes it pushes things through. Yes there are bacteria that eat it. So does other food.
But it also makes you go poop more often, which is bad for your body.
I mostly eat meats and relatively low fiber food. I don't track it closely, so occasionally I'll eat corn and it passes through.
---
My point:
"Why fiber?" Actually prove that the generic intake of 'fiber' is good. There are so many different types of fiber, the macro size of the fiber matters(ground pinto beans has a different gastro effect than whole), the actual molecules its made of, etc..
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#35Just an observation as an American living in Copenhagen, Denmark: The typical diet for my coworkers involves the following attributes compared to the US:
1. Hot/big breakfast is rare. A roll with some butter and cheese + Espresso instead.
2. We have a "canteen" cafeteria and it is all fresh made foods, lots of fish options and of course Rugbrød (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugbr%C3%B8d) a super dense "bread" although IMO it isn't really bread as we understand it.
3. Most folks will pile a ton of food on their plate and lunch is served at 11:30.
4. Very little soda. A six pack of soda will last a week or more in an office of 25 people.
5. Almost no snacks. Our office will maybe have one small bag of nuts available and it can last two weeks before refilling.
6. Very little fast food options. There are a handful of fast food options in town, but they are very much an exception and probably serve more tourists than locals.
7. Dining out is expensive relative to income levels, so it is far less frequent.
8. Yes, portion sizes, again, particularly for drinks. A typical soda pour would be maybe 8-10 ounces in a restaurant.
Danes do drink a lot of beer though and they start early. There's no "drinking age" and teens can buy beer/wine at 16 and booze at 18.
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#36The problem is really quite simple: Americans overeat
Processed foods are part of the problem (in that they are tastier and easier to consume than "rawer" foods), but increased wealth and ability to consume food is also a part of the problem
Food has literally never been cheaper and tastier
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#37The truth about a good diet is not reducible to a simple rule of thumb; like life itself, it's more nuanced than that.
Thank you, New Yorker, for letting me read the article without a subscription.
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#38Lot’s of people are chosing an healthy diet: https://www.feelingbuggy.com/p/how-the-ketogenic-diet-helped...
Lots?
[citation needed]
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#39> Why Is the American Diet So Deadly? Too much sugar. Too carb heavy. Not enough fiber (fruits, veg). Fats demonized for a long spell. No time for preparing whole foods in daily lives. No easy access to cheap, prepared whole foods. Edit: car-focused culture and zoning laws/planning that result in more sedentary day-to-day lifestyle that magnifies the effect of the poor diet.
>No easy access to cheap, prepared whole foods.
Apples, Bananas, Carrots, Milk.
I imagine there are other foods too. But its weird to see people think they don't exist.
Re: Why is the American diet so deadly?
#40Imo, its mostly cultural which turns physiological. Every home cook I know has difficultly even putting on weight. The home cooks also enjoy the taste of vegetables and find the amount of sugar in store bought/fast food desserts nauseating. But I also know people who were fed pre-made food all their life and would literally throw up if fed broccoli. This problem needs to be addressed at home and from a young age, which is.. hard.