You will have seen the list of NEEDN’T foods released recently by researchers at the University of Otago. The list was developed as part of a treatment programme for obesity, and has 49 foods which are high in fat, sugar and calories and low in essential nutrients.
What we saw in the media was this list portrayed as a ‘blacklist’ of ‘banned’ foods never to be eaten. People said it was the start of a fat tax, and the food police telling us what to eat.
I think what was lost in the flurry of coverage was a lot of context. Remember, this list was created to help people who are obese. No obese person got there by eating everything in moderation, in appropriate portion sizes. If we all knew naturally how to eat that way, arguably we wouldn’t need a list of foods to avoid.
Many of the foods on the list will surprise no-one. We don’t need biscuits, cake, chocolate or wine. No-one could think that pies or crisps or energy drinks are healthy foods. But the fact is, we like eating these things. They taste good. They give us pleasure. They’re foods that are easy to crave, and because of that, for some people it might be better never to have them. But for most of us, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy these foods, in the context of a healthy diet.
And context is the key. What some – maybe many, if our expanding waistlines are anything to go by – of us have lost is the ability to handle these foods as what they are: occasional treats. People were surprised at things like honey being on the list. But think about context. Honey is a great food, if you have a little bit on your wholegrain toast a few times a week. But if you are adding spoonfuls of honey to four cups of tea or coffee a day, you’re probably no better off than if you were adding sugar. Muesli bars – also on the list, and which many people see as a healthy choice – can be no better than cakes if they are loaded with saturated fat and sugar, as some are. But there are also some good ones out there. You have to know what to look for on a label. This kind of contextualising is what we do all day long at Healthy Food Guide.
What we eat is personal. And it’s often emotional. The reasons we become overweight are sometimes despite all we know about healthy eating. We shouldn’t think of lists like the Otago one as ‘big brother’ telling us what not to eat. We should think of it as a tool and a reminder of what we really, in our hearts, already know: that there are foods we’re wise to be cautious with. We don’t have to avoid them altogether and forever. But if this list makes us think even a little more carefully about our food choices, it’s probably a good thing.
What do you think? Will this list be helpful for people who are obese and trying to lose weight? Will it help you? Comment below.
12 Comments. Add yours
I think it is helpful and I think honey is a good example. People do seem to over react to these things, it is a useful tool as you say in trying to look at what you eat, how much and often you eat it. I still like the idea of foods being labelled treat foods, or the traffic light system. We need to remember too that you need limited treats, only having one of something doesn't help if you also have one of, a lot of other treat foods in the same day or week :)
I agree that it is all about context - I know a girl who when on school camp at high school got potassium poisoning from eating too many bananas. You wouldn't think they'd be bad for you would you!
Portion size really is important too - I've started serving my meals on a smaller plate, which not only means I think I've eaten more, but it is a lot better on the budget since you eat less and as such cook less! While I don't eat treat foods all the time, and also sometimes eat them more than I should when I'm busy, such as when I have a lot of lectures in a day, I think labelling something as a 'banned' food is just silly. I've had friends (and even when I was at primary school) where they had foods that were banned, and you can bet that every chance we had to eat them we did! Anything you put a 'ban' on, you will immediately want to eat more.
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I do not have a weight problem as I avoid foods such as those on the Otago "banned" foods list and exercise regularly to maintain a health weight. I think the list would be extremely good for obese and overweight people, however, most would not follow it!!!!
My lifestyle changes; in food and exercise, has resulted in slow but sustained change - I have lost over 20kg in 4 years. It's been important to me that my changes and improvements are sustainable and enduring, as I have seen too many fad/crash changes that have resulted in short-term improvements then immediate losses of these gains after the will power to maintain the programme fades.
In my programme, I have not given up a single thing (not McDonalds, KFC, wine, or pancakes with streaky bacon and maple syrup), but I have changed the frequency that I consume the 'less than ideal' items and also the volumes that I consume. Education is more important than banning food types, although a black list may mean people stop to think a bit more. I pay a lot of attention to the nutritional information when in the supermarket and would love to see more people doing so.
Banning food types is not useful as even the healthiest food can be damaging if you continue to pile too much of it onto your plate at meal times, or use too much mayonnaise dressing or have poor food preparation and cooking techniques.
This is a great article and I think that the NZ herald should publish it.
I was outraged by the article with 49 'fat foods' and although in the content of the article it briefly mentioned that it was a guide for obesity, that part was easily overlooked.
When I read the paper, I skim it, usually on a quick coffee break, and read the bold, highlighted and main parts. I imagine that a lot of people do the same. In doing so in this instance this article is easily misinterpreted, probably as the author hoped, to create a sensationalised article.
I had to read very closely to notice the 'recommendations for obesity' part and being the that it was a national newspaper front page headline I believe that the NZ Herald has a public responsibility to not be as misleading.
Thank you to this article. I hope everyone who read or saw the NZ Herald article also see this, and fear not, that your biscuit or honey as part of a balanced lifestyle and diet is OK.
Maybe this would help some people. I've always struggled with obesity, and yet never eaten the way TV shows and this list would have it. After a gastric bypass, my calorie intake is around 1000 cals a day, with the Healthy Food guide as my bible, 4 days at the gym, 2 aquarobics and regular long walks, and I still struggle to lose any weight.
I am actually fed up with the assumption that all obese people eat like pigs and sit around doing nothing. From my experience, that is not true. Everyone is different. Everyone's experience is different. Thin people shouldn't assume that fat people should just eat less and move more. It's not true for everyone. What works for some people does NOT work for others. However, if people DO eat like this - then yes - the list would be a good guide for them - whether they are fat or thin. It's not good for thin people to eat like this either.
After reading the article in the Herald, the credibility of the "list" went out with the window as soon as they suggest replacing drinks with diet soft drinks and unfortunately that was the first item on the list. I think there would be a lot more value in spending money on encouraging people to start eating more naturally than encouraging them to buy more processed foods which are supposed to be better just because they are lower in fat or sugar. They are still processed and do not benefit the body. Eat food that is like nature intended - fruit, vegetables,unprocessed meats (not salami, sausages etc) and drink water. If people started adding these things into their diets, then they wouldn't need to have all this processed food. Straight away, this changes your energy levels as the food you're eating has some intelligence and your body recognises this as real food. Not all calories are created equial - there's a big difference between 500calories of fruit or vegetables and 500 calories of hamburger or bread. Your body can digest and process natural food so much easier. I also think the article was framed in a confronting manner - it doesn't help. Most obese people have huge self-esteem issues - they need to WANT to eat well, not be handed the long list of restrictions where they again feel like someone else is tellig them what they can and can't do. So, I think encouragement is needed to get people eating more naturally - find out what they really like in nature first and save some of the more processed food for treats.
Amazing how the simple and well meaning act of providing information to our over anxious society blows out of proportion so quickly.
We as individuals just need to be aware that there are good and bad choices out there when it comes to fueling our bodies. I refer to it as fuel, because that is in fact what it is.
We spend far too much time relying on food as some kind of emotional prop instead of addressing the REAL issues in our lives. An is why we come unstuck.We make bad choices. The quality of a lot what passes for "food" is tantamount to filling the fuel tank of a Ferrari with 91 octane instead of 98. This has a two fold effect: for one there is a higher energy value (which adds the bad fat) then on top of that, the low nutritional value (octane) means we are less able to move. Less moving means the fat stays and accumulates. Good education is the key not sensationalism from the air headed media...
People like structure. The problem is that people like being provided with structure because busy lives and ambiguity doesn’t make life any easier – we just need to look at the world wide success of Les Mills fitness classes and Crossfit to see an example of this. These group fitness sessions utilise the basic training principles that fitness instructors have literally been using for years, but the difference being is that structure and continuity have been applied to them (plus great marketing!). Similarly we see the same thing in the popularity of diets that tell you want you can and can’t eat (Paleo being the most recent example of this). People love lists because it means they don’t have to spend time thinking or trying to fully understand the reasons behind their choices, so yes a list for obese people may be very helpful. However we do run the risk of it getting out of hand and those individuals that just want to “lose a few kgs” may start adopting it and cutting out otherwise beneficial foods. Didn’t we see this when The Atkins diet came along? Originally developed (I believe) for morbidly obese clients who’s Doctor needed a quick fix for them to lose weight before they could perform a potentially life saving operation. The Atkins diet was then being adopted by generally healthy individuals who were swapping low fat carbohydrates for foods high in saturated fat and calories.
Unfortunately the media did their usual fantastic job of only taking one view - the food "blacklist" - which itself gives a negative connotation to the list and detracts from what it is trying to achieve. What did the husband of the woman who died from liver problems as a result of drinking 8 litres of coke a day say.... "I never thought about it. It's just a soft drink, just like drinking water. I didn't think a soft drink was going to kill her.'' With all the information out there already about healthy and unhealthy food and lifestyle, such a list may not make an ounce of difference to some people but it may be a flag to others. If the negative media spin has not detracted people from what the list was really about. At the end of the day, the equation for weight loss is simple - energy in must be less than energy out. I think that's the key message that needs to be reinforced repeatedly and it's simple to remember.
weight loss is possible, but one of the drawbacks of this is you are far more likely to put the weight back on after if the changes you make are only supposed to have been temporary.healthworldleader.com To experience rapid weight loss you have to do it healthily and in a way that you can maintain.
To lose weight quickly you need to change your lifestyle and you need to continue the good work. Simply changing what you eat won’t help you lose weight. You should combine this with regular exercise in order to start seeing results.
Needs . pitfalls when people look for fast weight loss is falling into the “fad diets” trap. Fad diets have been in existence for a long period and people are constantly picking out new ones that they claim will help you lose X amount in 7 days. These diets healthworldleader.com should be avoided. Usually most of these diets will be extremely hard to maintain and will not be giving your body all the nutrients and energy it needs.
Instead of following a very restrictive diet, what you need to do is maintain a healthy and balanced one. Stay away from processed foods and foods high in fat and salt. Whenever possible opt for fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. With dairy products,healthworldleader.com always ensure that they are low fat but try to keep the dairy to a minimum.