The amount of disease that could be prevented through modifying one's diet? The potential impact of healthy diet, when you combine it with not smoking and regular physical activity, is enormous. For example, our studies have shown that we could prevent about 82 percent of heart attacks, about 70 percent of strokes, over 90 percent of type 2 diabetes, and over 70 percent of colon cancer, with the right dietary choices as part of a health lifestyle. The best drugs can reduce heart attacks by about 20 or 30 percent, yet we put almost all of our resources into promoting drugs rather than healthy lifestyle and nutrition.
From a public health standpoint, how would you characterize this pyramid? Well, this pyramid is really not compatible with good scientific evidence, and it was really out of date from the day it was printed in 1991, because we knew, and we've known for 30 or 40 years that the type of fat is very important. That was totally neglected.
If you're American and overweight, won't you be put on a low-fat diet? If you're overweight and living in the United States, and you go to a hospital and see a dietician, almost for sure, you're going to be put on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
What's your view of that? The problem is that that's really the wrong diet for an overweight person. Because the person is overweight, in general they're going to have quite a bit more insulin resistance and much less well able to tolerate low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
Great stuff.
But then, I already think the U.S. government has got a lot of things wrong to begin with...or am I the only one who would hate to walk briskly for 90 minutes a day on a treadmill?
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
From a public health standpoint, how would you characterize this pyramid? Well, this pyramid is really not compatible with good scientific evidence, and it was really out of date from the day it was printed in 1991, because we knew, and we've known for 30 or 40 years that the type of fat is very important. That was totally neglected.
I like him.
My daughter is studying "nutrition" in 5th grade. She tells me (tongue in cheek) that I don't eat enough bread...
At least she's smart enough to see that the pyramid isn't all that great, but she points to it when she wants more pasta, too. Smart ass.
I don't think Canada's food guide is much different from the US one. I suggests for a woman on my age that I consume:
7 fruits and vegetables (and yes, potato is in here as well)
"Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day.
Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.
Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice."
6 servings of grain (half of them whole grain)
"Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day.
Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar or salt."
2 servings of milk and alternatives
"Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day.
Select lower fat milk alternatives."
2 servings of protein and alternatives (serving being about 2-1/2 oz)
"Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often.
Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week.
Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or
salt."
I suppose it's better than nothing, but I don't think I'd ever follow it. The only thing that some people might take away from it is a better understanding of what a serving is. ie. that 1/2 cup of pasta is a serving, not a bowl.
I've got Walter Willett's book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy in my hot little hands right now. I'm set to read it as soon as I finish the book I'm on. Anyone else read it?
I've got Walter Willett's book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy in my hot little hands right now. I'm set to read it as soon as I finish the book I'm on. Anyone else read it?
Yes, it is a great book. Nothing earth shattering but reinforces what we know--eat lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and good fats.
If you're American and overweight, won't you be put on a low-fat diet? If you're overweight and living in the United States, and you go to a hospital and see a dietician, almost for sure, you're going to be put on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
What's your view of that? The problem is that that's really the wrong diet for an overweight person. Because the person is overweight, in general they're going to have quite a bit more insulin resistance and much less well able to tolerate low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
Okay, as a Registered Dietitian I have a few issues with this...first off I will not argue that the food guide pyramid is inherently flawed, in defense of the proffessionals who put it together, the FGP is a jumping off piont- it was only designed as a tool to educate. It would be impossible to put all of the nutrition knowledge we have in one diagram and dumb it down to a 4th grade reading level. Take it for what it is.
Second, I really don't appreciate how this guy is trashing my proffession. An RD is the BEST source of nutrition information for the public. Most MD's never even take a nutrition class. There is so much research and information about diet and nutrition that it warrants an entierly dedicated field of proffessionals. For this guy to say that a dietitian does not understand how to choose an appropriate diet for a person is outrageous and insulting! (plus, if you have nutritonal concerns, you should be seeing an RD BEFORE you get to the hospital- by the time you are admitted we are usually doing damange control- it is best to be proactive and preventative).
HA! That totally sounds like me as a child. She's working the system.
Man, it must be hard to teach kids what you know when the schools are contradicting you.
And no wonder so many people are trying in vain to lose weight, you know? "If the government says it's true..."
I teach 7th Grade Literature, and my nonfiction selection for the past two years has been Chew on This which is Schlosser's young-adult version of Fast Food Nation-- an awesome book for kids to read!!!
Anyway, I had one kid fall into a fit of hysterics when her mom tried to buy bulk frozen Tyson chicken breast (for various reasons, apparently, but she did convince her mother to buy, instead, the locally-farmed and processed chicken at $1 more per pound). Her mother was not happy at first, but has since told me that they've made good changes at home, per the book.
Anyway, it's damn near impossible to read that book, talk about it, and then encourage the kids to go and eat the school lunches. I keep asking them, "what is a chicken-O anyway? What are chicken fries? How does the turkey end up dog-style, wrapped up in "corn"?"
Anyway, if you have kids, this is a great read for kids 5th grade and up.
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No, I don't really hate it. In any field there are arguments for and against certain practices. That is how we grow and learn. If no one ever challenged a theory or way of practice we would remain stagnant and never improve ourselves. It is unfortunate though when someone publishes half-truths and skewed information and the public is unaware of it- they just believe that what they read is the whole truth.
And, back to my original argument, please don't lump the dietitian into the category of "the govornment", the "man", or any other "system" that you think is out to get you. I went into the field because i am facinated by the way our diet can affect our health. I don't teach the food guide pyramid, I hate when a person is prescribed meds before diet, and I am not paid by the govornment, and the FDA pisses me off at least every 6 months. That's all.
I don't teach the food guide pyramid, I hate when a person is prescribed meds before diet, and I am not paid by the govornment, and the FDA pisses me off at least every 6 months. That's all.
Do you think that your attitude is normal for dieticians? Perhaps the author of that article made an unfair generalization based on his/her experience with dieticians. There seem to be health care professionals, from all disciplines, on both sides of most of these issues.
I think my attitude is normal for the dietitians that I know. Of course you're right there are people on both sides in any field. Many of us go into the field becuase we believe in a holistic view of health care and we have a "food first" approach. I do think that the authors broad statement is unfair, although it is not unusual. Many MD's still view us as the cafeteria worker in a hair net, not the clinical resource that we are.
RedRocket, first of all, welcome. You will be a great source of information here. I hope you take the time to check out the other forum sections. We have a dedicated Nutrition subforum.
Second, as a physical therapist I am often horrified by the type of treatments that some of my "peers" are performing. I am sure that must be similar in your profession. I find it interesting (having just read Good Calories, Bad Calories) the politics that are behind things like the food pyramid and the research that is ignored because it flies in the face of common belief.
That said, I'm curious to know what your thoughts are on nutrition. Do you favor the low-fat/high-carb approach, or more of a moderate Zone-type approach, or a low-carb approach?
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Hi, and thanks for the welcome (BTW Julie, I'm in CT too!)! As far as my personal view of the "right" diet, I don't really think there is one. I think life should be all about balance. Our bodies require protein, carb, and fat to function- beyond that it is a matter of semantics. I haven't seen any research that compels me to say one diet is better than the others- I just can't jump on a bandwagon.
My genetics aren't the same as yours and neither is my metabolism, so who is to say that you and I should eat the same diet? (just the same as the authors noted in the book that your genetics will dertermine your form when squatting)
I do believe in eating a "clean" diet. Meaning that I try to avoid a lot of processed foods. It is difficult at times, but I think that it is more important to avoid a lot of the food additives that are being forced down our throats than to count carbs. This also includes refined sugars.
Obviously i could talk about this all day (oh wait, I do!). I'll add my little disclaimer here: I specialize in chronic kidney disease, so sports and preformance nutrition is not something i am proficient in- it is a very specific area of the field. Over the summer I will be taking a sports nutriton course as part of my MS program, but until then i still have a lot to learn.
I totally agree ... the problem sometimes lies in finding the actual balance that works!!
Do you work out of a hospital? I used to work at Rockville which has (or at least used to have) an extensive Renal Rehab program tied to their Dialysis program. As a PT, I worked with that team. And currently as a home care therapist (I work for McLean in Simsbury), I often treat folks with ESRD who are undergoing dialysis.
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