Origin: Healthy Weights
- emotional state suffered by dieters
- hopelessness, despair, self-doubt
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Food Guide Complainers Adding To Epidemic
Submitted by Drew on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 09:39
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What do fad diet clinics, supplement companies, homeopaths and Canada's self proclaimed most outspoken obesity expert have in common? None of them think you should follow Canada's Food Guide.
There is no shortage of critics when it comes to Canada’s Food Guide. According to Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is an “oxymoron”. What Dr. Freedhoff doesn't recognize, is that his highly publicized critiques are doing more harm than good.
Any national guide is unfortunately subject to influence by interest groups and is of course not a replacement for personalized professional advice (which is far more expensive than a guide by the way). But the conspiracy theorists are negating all the good that the guide does.
Not to mention, for thousands of years man survived without a food guide, so calling it hard to follow is simply adding insult to injury.
I truly question the motives of anyone who can find fault in a guide that first and foremost recommends that we eat more fruits and vegetables than any other foods. Apparently Canada’s fruit and veggie producers have deep pockets and are a powerful lobbying group.
In a nutshell, the guide suggests eating mostly fruits and vegetables, followed by whole grains, then dairy products and finally meats/alternatives.
It is even laid out in a pretty rainbow in case the guide is too confusing.
Some will claim that the guide is obesenogenic. Really? If more people ate the recommended number of fruits and vegetables their calorie intake would be substantially reduced.
I’ve said many times before that the best feature of fruits and vegetables is not what they ‘are’ but what they ‘are not’: high fat, high calorie and high sodium.
Apparently recommending eating mostly fruits and vegetables isn't evidence based enough for nay sayers such as Freedhoff.
For the average adult woman, the guide recommends 7 fruits/vegetables, 6 grains, 2 dairy and 2 meat/alternative servings of the colored rows above. Even using the (high) calorie estimates superimposed in the image above, this still works out to be under 2000 calories per day. I promise you that the average adult female is eating far more than 2000 calories per day.
Not to mention, the guide's first goal is to “Meet your needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients”
In the interest of keeping this post short and recognizing that I should have written this post 2 years ago when the guide first came out, I will end now by thanking all of the experts (and non experts) for panning Canada’s Food Guide.
Your self-serving complaints may play well to the media, but they also keep the general public reading the latest fad diet book, visiting pill- pushing weight loss chains or at the very least, throwing their hands in the air in diet defeat.
As a local public health nurse suggested, they can't suggest that children or parents follow Canada's Food Guide without being riddled with an uninformed backlash.
---
Read comments below with caution:
According to our weblog servers, it appears that Yoni has been making anonymous slanderous comments plus others promoting himself and quickly taking a screen capture before they are moderated and threatening to slander me in his upcoming posts using his 'screen captures'.
Well done. Thanks to all for reading.
----
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This blog is presented for informational purposes only.
Content does not constitute medical advice. Views expressed are solely the author's. The author makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to via this blog.
Reader comments published on this blog do not reflect the views of Drew Harvey, www.DietTired.com or The Healthy Weights Clinic www.HealthyWeights.ca
Comments
Everyone is entitled to
Everyone is entitled to opinions.
But when supposed experts share their opinions they are held to higher standards and in this case have potentially detrimental effects on people who could seriously benefit from following the food guide.
I'll take Yoni's science
I'll take Yoni's science based opinion over Drew's anyday. Science Drew, science.
Sounds like someones
Sounds like someones bandwagon ride is getting bumpy. boohoo
fan boy. Drew taught me at
fan boy. Drew taught me at the University of Waterloo. Last I checked he had science under wraps. Why are you taking this so personal?
If the average person
If the average person followed Canada's food guide even remotely.... Canada would be FAR HEALTHIER.
I understand the arguments against but many of them are far reaching. I mean, the pyramid is good too but if it was proposed, the same people would be complaining about it.
This all so political and ego motivated. "my way or the highway" ... typical expert opinion while dissing any organization that is simply trying to help.
Lastly, this is all overrated as no one reads the damn guide or pyramid anyway!
No matter who's ideas are
No matter who's ideas are right, there is definitely harm in fanning the flames against the guide.
Little wonder people turn diet clinics and health food stores for nutrition advice when they are told they can't even trust canadas food guide.
Nutritionism at its finest.
Anyone who ignores the
Anyone who ignores the influence of industry on government standards, regulations, laws, etc. does so at their peril. Food Guide, Pyramid, expert advice -- which of these have been directly influenced by commercial interestes, in terms the content and advice re: what I should eat? (drum roll)... The Food Guide! And as such -- all other arguements aside -- it is compromising your health. It may not be 100% wrong or entirely misleading -- fruits and veg, what an idea! -- but it is not the result of a process that was designed to make me healthier. It was a process designed to do something in the way of nutrition, that ended up appeasing food companies -- big, big business that no government would want to anger. And Drew, you have it wrong. I have a literature degree, and am no scientist -- but I do have decent calorie counting software, and if I ate everything the Guide told me to, I'd be significantly over the total calories I should have in a day. And what's a portion, anyway :)....
Thanks Yoni for sending us
Thanks Yoni for sending us over here via Twitter! (this is actually Yoni writing this comment)
These comments really are priceless.
Did you happen to see the disclaimer on the side of this blog?
Well as least he covers himself by stating that he doesn't guarantee his blog is adequate or accurate and that the views he writes aren't actually his views. Who knows, maybe he hates the Food Guide afterall?
Interesting Drew, I've been
Interesting Drew,
I've been monitoring this stream of comments all day.
Looks like you deleted a few.
Good thing I kept screen captures.
Might make for an interesting post on my blog.
Cheers,
Yoni Freedhoff
According to Dr.
According to Dr. Sharma
“Given the obesity epidemic, promoting healthy eating is an important part of public policy,” says Dr. Arya Sharma, chair of the Canadian Obesity Network. The guide is not a treatment for obesity, or diabetes or any other medical condition, he adds. “This is for someone who is healthy and wants a healthy diet.”
Sharma believes the proposed guide is based on the best available science, but acknowledges that contradictory evidence is common in the nutrition sciences.
Yoni,yelling louder doesn't make you right.
Oh and Drew, to answer your
Oh and Drew, to answer your question regarding the screen captures.
My gut told me after reading the comments that perhaps you'd be the sort to delete things you didn't like to read.
Guess my gut was right.
Sometimes belief does trump evidence.
Yoni
I see you've been at the
I see you've been at the delete button again.
A fascinating thread this has been.
Certainly blogworthy.
Look for it next week.
Yoni
Get over yourself. Nobuddy
Get over yourself. Nobuddy cares what you may or maynot do. You've shown your true colours.
Jesus, you'd think this guy
Jesus, you'd think this guy writes for the new york times or works for the 5th estate. i'm quite sure the couple hundred people who actually read it will be entertained but these are pretty spineless threats.
Hang in there Drew, I hope you can manage the shit storm!
Considering Freedhoff
Considering Freedhoff calls himself Canada's most outspoken obesity expert you'd think he could handle a little criticism.
Correction... he now refers
Correction... he now refers to himself as being 'referred to' as canada's most outspoken.
Referred to by .....himself. God, the negative tone on his blog would make you think that he is a crusader of biblical proportion saving the world from itself.
Yoni, did you know that Heart and Stroke supports CON? Better write an article up about that.... oh wait, .... better sweep that under the rug.
This blog with comments has
This blog with comments has digressed to something not very helpful for those looking for real content. I am so disappointed to see dialog reduced to name calling (morons). There is no place for it in professional, high calibre writing - bloggers or commentators. And when I read posts by people named "Anonymous" I just take a pass on giving their content any credibility whatsoever. I become pretty suspicious as to one's motivation when they can't sign their name. If you find you can't speak face to face with someone, then I think it is best to just take a pass. Everyone so far, needs to take a deep breath here and remember that everyday is an interview. No need to partake in what I colloquially call a 'pissing contest'. Aren't we really all on the same side? I really, really hope that Yoni's upcoming screen capturing post is very well thought out. Sometimes it isn't all about being 'right'. Deep breaths, people, deep breaths.
Anne
Anne. Thank you for being the
Anne. Thank you for being the voice of reason.
To moderate, or not moderate anonymous malicious attacks and name calling....?
Hopefully I can do so without further threats or slander.
Unfortunately Dr Freedhoff has lost himself in all of this. He can't seem to enter normal debate on a scientific and health issue.
I suppose he will continue his reckless campaign against a guide that so many Canadian's could benefit from.
I am personally not big on
I am personally not big on moderating in general. I think it gets too complicated. Unless you have true safety and security issues in the form of threats and the like. When people speak, no matter where the forum, it becomes their personal responsibility to be 'self' moderate. Ask yourself, would you say that in person in front of a room full of people with the local newspaper camera's rolling. Some still would. (I have been at townhall meetings!) But many can figure out that they need to rein it in. I think Obama made a statement in his first year about disagreeing without being disagreeable. A nice mantra to keep ourselves on track. I love the blogging world as it has opened up a whole new world of enlightenment and learning and sharing ideas. I have to tell you how stunned I have been at well named people being wildly unprofessional in their Twittering, blogging and commenting. I haven't been able to figure it out. It seems like it wouldn't serve them well as they try to get their next job. I say leave the ranting to Rick Mercer. Is it some sense of superiority? I say, keep it classy. The children are watching. 55 is still not too old to have your Mom give you the 'manners' talk.
I agree whole-heartedly with
I agree whole-heartedly with Drew's blog today. He stated it very simply: "If more people ate the recommended number of fruits and vegetables their calorie intake would be substantially reduced." The Guide presents a reasonable and manageable approach to a diet that most people can handle. Suggesting to the majority of us (who don't go to and/or can't afford weight-loss clinics) that the only way to a healthy diet is through dramatic reductions in salt, fat and sugar is going to lead most of us to give up before we start. As a society, we need to start altering our eating habits carefully and modestly, or there will be no improvement. I see the Food Guide as a good way to promote that change.
I like to consider myself an
I like to consider myself an optimist. I have to say, today I have felt pretty let down by the human species. I have always hoped that higher education breeds a better being. This blog entry has become a total mess with regards to the comments. Talk about way off track. I don't know who has deleted and re-edited what or why. How would anyone ever follow anything on here with any semblence of a 'conversation' of ideas if they just showed up now.
Here is my recommendation for restoring sanity. Delete the entire blog entry, comments as well. Repost the blog entry tomorrow and let's all try this again by putting our best foot forward. Kind of a groundhog day thing. Let's just pretend this never happened. Learn. Learn to do it a better way.
No screen print post as a follow-on. No derogatory comments. Healthy ideas. Maybe disagreeing ideas. But don't be disagreeable. Let's leave the requirement for a sandbox to the ones that know how to use it best.
I love my fruits and vegetables and I just don't think this thing has been worth the fight that I have witnessed. Nor the provocation that seems to continue on the sidelines. STOP fanning the flames. This isn't sport.
If I was queen, I think I would be handing out time-outs.
We CAN do better. Everyday is an interview.
Cheers,
Anne Waters
Agreed Anne. I actually
Agreed Anne.
I actually upublished all the comments except yours above. However, the slander campaign continued so I'll leave it as is and shut off the commenting.
This was not a proud display of comments by any party.
Thanks to all for reading.
Re: Food Guide Complainers
Re: Food Guide Complainers Adding To Epidemic
Those who live in glass houses should be careful of the stones they throw.
That said I will take science bases evidence any day over personal attacks which are simply based on hatred of not agreeing with someone.
First and last time for me to waste my effort on your unproven accusations. You seem more worried about selling your products than carrying on a meaningful conversation, so sorry for you.
I would like to see
I would like to see Yoni direct his formidable energy to areas that are the most likely to do more harm than good, such as the weight loss industry, and continue to promote population health measure such as healthier hospital food.
Even if the recommended servings on the food guide were reduced, will this make a difference in people's weight? Most people aren't counting the number of servings of different types of food they eat and eating more if they don't measure up to the food guide.
Nice Post! There is no
Nice Post! There is no location for it in expert, high caliber composing - bloggers or commentators. And when I read mails by persons entitled "Anonymous" I just take a overtake on giving their content any integrity whatsoever. I become attractive doubtful as to one's motivation when they can’t signal their name.
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