NYT opinion: "sugar vs, your body". Is there a culture change in tthe US?

(Pascal) #1

An interesting opinion piece, even if far from perfect, but the big learning is in the comments section. Unbelievable how many people understand now how bad sugar is for them. Are we seeing the shift in culture in the US?

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #2

Starting to see it. Certainly.

But I feel like we’ve been here before. It felt like things were shifting back when Taubes wrote big fat lie article. When GCBC came out, that felt like a sea change was coming. But I think I thought it would take about 20 years from there.

So maybe we’re on the way. We’re not there yet.

(Ethan) #3

Let’s just look at a timeline of the prevalent views:

All fat is bad, and sugar is good.
All fat is bad, and sugar is neutral.
Most fats are bad, but some are good; sugar is still neutral
Most fats are bad, but some are good; added sugar should be avoided in excess.
Most fats are bad, but some are good; added sugar is bad in excess.
Animal fats are bad, vegetable fats are not good, and omega-3 fats are good; added sugar is bad.

As you can see, views on fats are moving from bad to good, and sugars from good to bad. It’s only a matter of time before sugar is bad and then carbs are to be limited, but fat is ok.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #4

Not a keto guide, clearly, but we’re clearly heading to Sugar = Evil. I mean, my doctor (a vegetarian), pointed me to:
Is Sugar the new Fat?
Why Are We Fat?
and a Freakonomics episode featuring Robert Lustig.
And then, for diet to:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1481061143

Society is not going keto soon. I don’t know that I want to see a world of Low Carb products on the interior aisles of the stores, made with cheap vegetable fats and artificial sweeteners. I suspect that beating back sugar should be sufficient for a lot of folks, especially kids.

#5

Nope, not there yet. Seed oils are presumably terrible now (I have no idea and have avoided them for years anyway). Most people still think Canola oil is healthy!

Also, most will fry with extra virgin olive oil which is a bad idea too

I do think that it will be clean rather than made with crap if it ever comes. Clean vegetarian or mostly vegetaian is the current movement

#6

I think it’s becoming a more permanent shift in thinking. I like @EZB’s timeline. Looks about right.

#7

I don’t know. I think keto is becoming very popular. I’m seeing so many low-carb and sugar-free products now, which reminds me of when I first tried low carb many years ago (Atkins at the time). Unfortunately, that was short-lived back then, but it feels different now. There are more and more studies and data supporting the low carb WOE every year. Public opinion seems to be shifting and there seem to be so many more medical professionals that are beginning to understand and support it. There are a lot of people on Mark’s Daily Apple’s FB feed who have tried his keto reset plan, and a number are considering whether to do it long term, instead of just a temporary “reset.” We still have a long way to go, but I think we are on the right track.

(Ethan) #8

Not where yet? I think we are at that stage I listed at the end of the timeline: Animal fats are bad, vegetable fats are not good, and omega-3 fats are good; added sugar is bad.

People fry in vegetable fats because they are “not bad” by today’s general thinking. Things are progressing. It may be 20 years before they get to the final phase where they realize that sugars are bad and should be used sparingly and that carbs should be closely watched.

#9

vegetable fats are not good

Is what you said, not good implies they should not be used. Saying they are not bad is different if that is what you meant then I would agree with you. Most people are wrongly told by Dr. Oz and the other sheeple leaders that canola oil is an excellent option (wrong of course for a myriad of reasons starting from the GMOs used to grow it to the harsh chemicals used to process it to the oxidation it undergoes before you consume it or when you heat it).

Bottom line people are encouraged to use unstable polyunsaturated oils since they lower cholesterol. No one is told the cholesterol is not the end goal

(Ethan) #10

Ah. I see the confusion. It’s a nuance. Not good does not mean bad. It also doesn’t mean neutral. By “people think vegetable fats are not good,” I mean, “people think vegetable fats are preferred over animal fats, but are still fats and should be limited–they are not ‘good for you.’”