Food Politics: Stop Torturing Yourself
I want to start by expressing my satisfaction about the growing interest in the 80 Bites program. The influx of emails from users who find the program beneficial is important. One recent email caught my attention. The sender had completed the program and her reaction was puzzling. Why does someone follow the program which is clear and specific but still parrot back the “Eat Healthy” directives? For example, the chapter with Oprah's famous photo showing her post-Optifast weight loss should be shocking since most readers have no memory of this episode. The fact that many people were inspired by her initial success only to be let down as she regained weight highlights the flawed nature of the wellness formula.
I'm no longer surprised at how deeply ingrained is the acceptance of calories and exercise for weight loss. It's like the depth of the propaganda and brainwashing around diet culture is more profound than anyone could believe. I've always seen through the marketing tactics that push calorie counting and excessive exercise, and it's frustrating that so many still fall for these myths. For instance, I've repeatedly said that if all the 'before and after' stories were true, we wouldn't be facing an obesity crisis. The FDA and CDC are applauding drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro because it will save their collective necks. They're trying to avoid confronting the role they played in perpetuating harmful dieting strategies. A recent email asked about protein intake in the 80 Bites program. This question really strikes at the heart of the issue. The program is designed to make you forget nutrients like 'protein' and 'carbohydrate' and focus on food as pleasure. I find it exasperating when I visit eateries that categorize meals by protein and carb choices rather than just food. This dietary categorization is so deeply embedded in people's minds that they can't see past it. As our conversation continued, I realized that this person was a vegetarian. Her diet was filled with trendy health foods that are constantly in flux as dietary fads change. It made me reflect on how diet trends have see-sawed over time from the low-fat craze to the current obsession with high-fat diets like Keto and Atkins.
Eventually I had to confront a truth I didn't want to face. I had always believed that the 80 Bites program could work for vegetarians but now I see that it's not feasible. My conclusion stems partly from this interaction and from others who've shared that consuming large amounts of vegetables is time-consuming and often leads to bloating. They miss the balance that fat and protein bring to a meal. It's intriguing how this young woman in her early 30s with 25 extra pounds can't seem to let go of her preconceived notions. She fails to realize that many thin people eat very little, and sometimes their thinness is maintained by habits like smoking as we have all seen with celebrities like Kate Moss and Catherine Deneuve. This young woman could easily lose the extra weight as it hasn't been a long-term issue for her. She could even lose just half of it and still be in good shape. Yet she clings to her veneration of vegetables.
This is particularly interesting because she lives in a cold climate where growing or obtaining fresh vegetables is only feasible for a few months each year. This obsession with a vegetable-centric diet seems misplaced.. It reminds me of how dieting trends have changed since the 1960s when Weight Watchers started with simple food weighing. Now it has transformed into a complicated obsession with eating for reasons unrelated to hunger or satisfaction. I've come to the conclusion that vegetarians if they strictly adhere to their narrow diets won't find success with the 80 Bites program. It's not that they couldn't manage the quantities, but the manipulation involved in a vegetarian diet doesn't lead to the same feeling of fullness and satisfaction. The book covers the topic of giving up meat, poultry, and fish in depth, explaining the compromise on high-quality amino acids and other nutrients. This content was contributed by Meredith Luce and MaryBeth Langinlais, two well-known Registered Dietitians. Another aspect to consider is the taste and nutritional value of food. If food lacks flavor, it often lacks nutrition too. This is something I've observed over the years and was highlighted in a Scientific American article discussing the impact of preservatives and chemicals on soil and over-farming. We've managed to double our food production, but at the cost of nutritional value. I recall a conversation during Thanksgiving with a friend's father who reminisced about how juicy and flavorful tomatoes were in the 1950s, a stark contrast to what we experience now.
Every diet manipulation, whether it's Keto, DASH, Weight Watchers, or something else—has one goal: to enable people to eat as much as they want.
The diet industry has cleverly tapped into this desire, understanding that overeating is often the root cause of weight issues. So, they manipulate diets to cater to this tendency, whether it's promoting meat-heavy diets like Keto or Atkins, or vegetarian and low-fat options. The core principle remains the same—to keep people overeating. Many people consume large quantities of low-calorie foods like spinach thinking that it won't affect their weight. However, this approach often disrupts hormonal balance and perpetuates a constant cycle of eating. This observation is reinforced by the queries from Reporters through a service called HARO, which focuses on health, fitness, and lifestyle issues. Interestingly, these queries often require responses from registered dietitians or MDs, reflecting a trend where eating decisions are increasingly influenced by professionals rather than common sense. This reliance on “experts” for basic tasks like meal planning or even hair shampooing is a sign of mistrust of the Media. People now need someone with credentials to validate their choices, a situation that has evolved from decades of misleading diet advice. It's fascinating yet concerning to see how complicated simple life tasks have become, often involving multiple experts for the most trivial matters.
Despite these trends, I see a shift happening, particularly with the introduction of medications like Ozempic, which are changing the landscape of diet and wellness. This shift is particularly significant as 80 Bites is out of sync with the pathetic wellness culture. My approach to health and diet has always been straightforward, focusing on enjoyment and simplicity rather than convoluted wellness rituals. Typical is a yoga teacher who assumed I shared her enthusiasm for” integrative nutrition.” . One such expensive program in integrative nutrition contributes to more eating disorders. This isn't the 80Bites point of view.
At Memorial Sloan Kettering—the #1 cancer hospital—the common denominator among patients is obesity. Think about the fat acceptance movement and its implications on health. The medical community is now grappling with the realization that many patients do not wish to remain obese contrary to their. Fat Acceptance narrative. Medications like Ozempic are seen as solutions, and their popularity is skyrocketing.
This situation has left many doctors conflicted as they've been recently trained to be accepting of obesity, but now see a growing demand for treatments that contradict this stance. Obviously, any doctor who has really embraced fat acceptance without considering the health risks is likely disingenuous. The medical establishment is now facing a potential overhaul where obesity can be eliminated. The problems created by false marketing and diet trends can be resolved which will lead to saving our fragile medical system. The current trajectory where the majority of the population is obese is unsustainable. Regarding vegetarianism and veganism, I've observed that many people adopt these diets thinking they are making environmentally sound choices. However, they usually end up overeating and unbalancing their gut hormones leading to weight gain. The hypocrisy of veganism is highlighted by a friend who is a Pilates teacher and vegan with eight dogs who consume huge amounts of meat. This contradiction points to the complexities and sometimes hypocrisy within diet and environmental choices. It's a reminder that our decisions around food and lifestyle are often more nuanced than they appear. The irony is that many people who seek weight loss programs find themselves unable to commit due to their trendy beliefs. They're so attached to ideas that often don't provide them with a balanced lifestyle. The issue seems to be rooted in a form of politics – when people declare they are vegan, gluten-free,or follow any other specific diet, it becomes more than just a personal choice; it turns into a statement. I remember reading about a power couple in Los Angeles in the 1990s who would fax their dietary restrictions to a dinner party hostess. This behavior which is obviously poor manners is a reflection of food obsessions where choices have become politicized and divisive.
The 80 Bites program is designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their size, political beliefs, or dietary history. For just $14, it offers an alternative viewpoint when people weren't obsessed with specific nutrients or diets. I think about how Joe Pilates wasn't concerned with consuming more protein; people were naturally thinner and sexier. Food Politics be gone.
