Contradictions in Dieting - It's the DEVIL

As someone who has been on the vast majority of fad diets out there, I can easily say that dieting is confusing.  I blame this confusion on the immense amount of misinformation and blanket statements being thrown at us by every scientist, nutritionist, researcher, and physician who is hell bent on discovering the magical diet that will forever cure obesity. 

For example:  In the 90s low fat diets were all the rage.  We were taught that by cutting fat, we would lose weight and then be cured!

We were told -

 

Several years later, after having consumed a myriad of low fat products that we thought would fix us, we were told that fat is no longer our enemy. Contrarily, current research shows that adding some fats in to our diets is not only healthy, but can actually help us burn fat. BURN FAT!

Fat is no longer villainized, but revered when consumed in moderation.

The next dieting fad to catch on was the low carb diet.  Popular diets such as Atkins, Zone, and the South Beach Diet had women and men alike ditching the bread, pasta, and potatoes for all the protein, fats, and vegetables they could eat.

We were made to believe:

 

Of course, a person can only suffer constipation, headaches, and mood swings for so long, before they decide to finally gorge down on every carb within hand's reach.  And, As the hardcore no carb dieters started to reintroduce carbs back in to their diets, guess what happened?  Guess!?!  Many of them gained their original weight back, and then some.  And now, current research shows that whole grains and carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet.  They give us energy, help in digestion, reduce our risk for cardiovascular disease, and can aid in...wait for it...controlling our weight! 

Carbs are no longer our enemy!

In present day we have found a new villain, sugar! 

 

 

 Currently sugar is being targeted as the evil culprit in the war on obesity.  Study after study is being done to demonstrate the toxic and addictive effects of sugar on our bodies, yet no one can conclusively state that sugar is why we are fat.  While I can't argue that the consumption of excessive amounts of sugar is likely playing a part in our ever expanding waistlines, I feel that like anything else, in moderation sugar is fine, and can be part of a healthy balanced diet.  

 

With all of this disparaging of major food groups, we have become a confused, undereducated (nutritionally speaking) society, who hops on every quick fix diet that is thrown our way.  I know I personally have spent excessive amounts of time obsessing over labels, trying to remember which food is currently the devil.

This confusion is the reason why I now refuse to follow any one specific diet.  Instead I am opting for eating mostly healthily and in moderation.  I guess we will see how it goes!