Support NeoGAF

[XiaNaphryz]

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ere-americans-and-nutritionists-disagree.html

The Food and Drug Administration recently agreed to review its standards for what foods can be called “healthy,” a move that highlights how much of our nutritional knowledge has changed in recent years – and how much remains unknown.

With the Morning Consult, a media and polling firm, we surveyed hundreds of nutritionists – members of the American Society for Nutrition – asking them whether they thought certain food items (about 50) were healthy. The Morning Consult also surveyed a representative sample of the American electorate, asking the same thing.

The results suggest a surprising diversity of opinion, even among experts. Yes, some foods, like kale, apples and oatmeal, are considered “healthy” by nearly everyone. And some, like soda, french fries and chocolate chip cookies, are not. But in between, some foods appear to benefit from a positive public perception, while others befuddle the public and experts alike. (We’re looking at you, butter.)

“Twenty years ago, I think we knew about 10 percent of what we need to know” about nutrition, said Dariush Mozaffarian, the dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. “And now we know about 40 or 50 percent.”

Here’s what we found.

We weren’t surprised to find areas in which both ordinary Americans and experts disagreed.

We expect researchers to be better informed about current research, and everyday consumers to be more susceptible to the health claims of food marketers, even if the claims are somewhat dubious.

But some of the foods in our survey split both the public and our panel of experts.

Four of the foods listed above – steak, cheddar cheese, whole milk and pork chops – tend to have a lot of fat. And fat is a topic few experts can agree on. Years ago, the nutritional consensus was that fat, and particularly the saturated fat found in dairy and red meat, was bad for your heart. Newer studies are less clear, and many of the fights among nutritionists tend to be about the right amount of protein and fat in a healthy diet.

The uncertainty about these foods, as expressed both by experts and ordinary Americans, reflects the haziness of the nutritional evidence about them. (If you’re a steak lover and you find this news discouraging, our colleague Aaron Carroll has written that red meat is probably fine in moderation.)

Where does this leave a well-meaning but occasionally confused shopper? Reassured, perhaps: Nutrition science is sometimes murky even to experts.

Your overall diet probably matters a lot more than whether you follow rigid rules or eat just one “good” or “bad” food. Our colleague Aaron Carroll has published a list of common-sense rules for healthful eating, which represents a good start.

We also asked our experts whether they considered their own diet healthful, and how they described it. Ninety-nine percent of nutritionists said their diet was very or somewhat healthy. The most popular special diet type was “Mediteranean”; 25 percent of our nutritionists picked it. But the most common answer, even for experts, was “no special rules or restrictions.”

 

[BronsonLee]

I'll eat what I want you goddamn hippie vegan bastards *munches on buffalo leg*

 

[XenodudeX]

Why would anyone have mixed feelings about Pork Chops, Cheddar Cheese, Milk, and steak? Thats totally good for you. The only iffy thing is popcorn

 

[G.ZZZ]

White bread and pizza unhealty , 2nd longest life expetancy on heart and 2nd thinnest in europe country chuckled.

 

[old manatee]

I bet they don't even bulk

 

[John Kowalski]

I'll eat what I want you goddamn hippie vegan bastards *munches on buffalo leg*

animal killer

 

[BlueTsunami]

What's the deal with nutritionists and coconut oil? Fat content? (Pure fat). Everything else on the specific list are sugary, carb laden and ones just processed shit.

 

[Cromwell]

Granola bars are as healthy as pizza? What in the fuck?

 

[BlueTsunami]

Why would anyone have mixed feelings about Pork Chops, Cheddar Cheese, Milk, and steak? Thats totally good for you. The only iffy thing is popcorn

Nutritionists still have a hard on for low fat diets. Also the fall of red meats.

 

[BruinsMtB]

White bread and pizza unhealty , 2nd longest life expetancy on heart and 2nd thinnest in europe country chuckled.

There's a massive difference between a neapolitan pizza and the stuff we generally think of as pizza here, haha.

 

[Anoregon]

I'm surprised peanut butter is considered that healthy, given how calorie-dense it is. I mean it's great for people who need lots of calories, but most Americans have the opposite problem.

 

[Yaboosh]

6% of nutritionists think chocolate chip cookies are healthy?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Why would anyone have mixed feelings about Pork Chops, Cheddar Cheese, Milk, and steak? Thats totally good for you. The only iffy thing is popcorn

It's even bolded for you to read in the OP.

Four of the foods listed above – steak, cheddar cheese, whole milk and pork chops – tend to have a lot of fat. And fat is a topic few experts can agree on. Years ago, the nutritional consensus was that fat, and particularly the saturated fat found in dairy and red meat, was bad for your heart. Newer studies are less clear, and many of the fights among nutritionists tend to be about the right amount of protein and fat in a healthy diet.

 

[clav]

What's the deal with nutritionists and coconut oil? Fat content? (Pure fat). Everything else on the specific list are sugary, carb laden and ones just processed shit.

Effect on LDL cholesterol.

Some committees like the American Heart Association recommend watching palm oil intake.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

It's easy to think a granola bar would be healthy but man are they loaded with sugar

 

[Langdon Alger]

Why would anyone have mixed feelings about Pork Chops, Cheddar Cheese, Milk, and steak? Thats totally good for you. The only iffy thing is popcorn

Apparently a lot of nutritionists disagree with you.

 

[HStallion]

6% of nutritionists think chocolate chip cookies are healthy?

In moderation yeah they aren't bad for you. Eating a whole box or plate of them is not so good.

 

[whatsinaname]

I do find it interesting that the article couches the results as "Americans disagreeing with nutritionists" as opposed to "survey respondents not as knowledgeable as experts". Just goes to show how much distrust exists for current nutrition science.

 

[jmdajr]

I used to think Frozen Yogurt, Granola, and juice was good for me.

What a dummy I was!

edit: lol! those fucking Kind bars!

Wow. The new food label! Easier to detect poison now!

 

[JoJoShabadoo]

Wait, why are things like pizza, hamburgers and beer even on 20-30% ? Shouldn't that be on 0% at least for the nutritionists?

 

[clav]

Wait, why are things like pizza, hamburgers and beer even on 20-30% ? Shouldn't that be on 0% at least for the nutritionists?

There's also orange juice, milk, and wine up there.

Seems confusing who's classified as nutritionist.

 

[Matt]

Wait, why are things like pizza, hamburgers and beer even on 20-30% ? Shouldn't that be on 0% at least for the nutritionists?

Because there is little inherently that wrong with burgers or pizza, it depends what you do with them that makes the difference.

Beer I don't know, that seems to have no positives.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

I used to think Frozen Yogurt, Granola, and juice was good for me.

What a dummy I was!

edit: lol! those fucking Kind bars!

The Kind nut and spice bars are pretty good. Some have around 4g of sugar and 6g of fiber.

 

[Gigglepoo]

As with every nutrition-related study, the takeaway is that we know very little about the health benefits of the food we eat. This is quote is very telling: “Twenty years ago, I think we knew about 10 percent of what we need to know” about nutrition, said Dariush Mozaffarian, the dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. “And now we know about 40 or 50 percent.”

 

[Shaanyboi]

Wait, why are things like pizza, hamburgers and beer even on 20-30% ? Shouldn't that be on 0% at least for the nutritionists?

Because pizza/burgers can vary wildly depending on ingredients and preparation.

 

[Regiruler]

Wait, why are things like pizza, hamburgers and beer even on 20-30% ? Shouldn't that be on 0% at least for the nutritionists?

How unhealthy pizza and hamburgers are depend on how their made and the style. That's just my guess though.

 

[Tacitus_]

So the food triangle taught to me in school was basically correct. The only major difference is eggs, which I can't eat anyway so whatevs.

 

[adamantypants]

I had a green smoothie for breakfast; with kale, spinach, avocado, almond milk, and vanilla protein. Revel in my healthy glory you fat bastards

Spoiler

I came to work and ate 3 donuts

 

[entremet]

Olive Oil won't give you a heart attack, but if you wanna lose weight, you should severely limit it. Same with all refined oils.

Oils are the most calorie dense food around and they're the source of many hidden calories.

Unless you're doing a ketosis diet.

 

[demon]

I'm surprised peanut butter is considered that healthy, given how calorie-dense it is. I mean it's great for people who need lots of calories, but most Americans have the opposite problem.

That doesn't make it inherently unhealthy. You can eat too many calories of almost anything.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Nutritional experts once again holding onto dubious scientific claims about fat, especially saturated fat, when science says things are more nuanced than that.

Coconut oil, an oil rich in anti-inflammatory medium chain triglycerides, is seen as being "bad" by nutritional experts (SMH).

 

[entremet]

That doesn't make it inherently unhealthy. You can eat too many calories of almost anything.

While I agree, it's much harder with some foods. Leafy greens vegetables for one. 2 cups of spinach is 25 calories. The added fiber also helps with satiety.

 

[Somnid]

I think it's also hard because the goals of eating can be different but we want to label things "good" or "bad". People have all sorts of conditions from allergies, lactose intolerance, Celiac's, high cholesterol, obesity, FODMAP sensitivity, autoimmune response etc; moral issues like vegetarianism and veganism; desires like feeling less sick, losing weight or bulking up. Of course many of these go in different opposing directions and color people's attitudes toward food. It seems especially bad in America where a traditional diet doesn't exist, and there's no genetic stability, so people instead adopt different diets to suite the need and identities grow based on what they choose to eat.

 

[Coriolanus]

...how the heck is diet soda ranking so low when freaking orange juice gets 60%?

...sigh.

 

[adamantypants]

Nutritional experts once again holding onto dubious scientific claims about fat, especially saturated fat, when science says things are more nuanced than that.

Coconut oil, an oil rich in anti-inflammatory medium chain triglycerides, is seen as being "bad" by nutritional experts (SMH).

One benefit of coconut oil, yes. But just because beer has fiber it doesn't make it healthy

How unhealthy pizza and hamburgers are depend on how their made and the style. That's just my guess though.

Hey, pizza's a vegetable in America, did you forget already?

 

[Aureon]

What i learned, really, was that nutritionists don't agree on jack shit.
Except apples and oranges, apparently.

 

[Giolon]

...how the heck is diet soda ranking so low when freaking orange juice gets 60%?

...sigh.

It's poll about perception, not absolute healthiness.

 

[Gigglepoo]

What i learned, really, was that nutritionists don't agree on jack shit.
Except apples and oranges, apparently.

I'd love to hear the argument from the 1% of nutritionists against oranges and apples.

 

[Chuck Norris]

I used to think Frozen Yogurt, Granola, and juice was good for me.

What a dummy I was!

edit: lol! those fucking Kind bars!

Wow. The new food label! Easier to detect poison now!

10g of sugar is considered 20% of a healthy days diet? I don't think 50g of sugar would be healthy for anything

That is 10 teaspoons

 

[Beer Monkey]

Should have asked dietitians, not fucking nutritionists, but of course the general public is completely stupid about what's "healthy". What Americans need more of than anything is fewer total calories consumed each day.

 

[FStop7]

The fact orange juice gets 60% from nutritionists says you should print this thing out and throw it into the trash.

 

[Joeys_Rattata]

Nutritional experts once again holding onto dubious scientific claims about fat, especially saturated fat, when science says things are more nuanced than that.

Coconut oil, an oil rich in anti-inflammatory medium chain triglycerides, is seen as being "bad" by nutritional experts (SMH).

tbh ever since my sister (a registered dietitian) told me that essentially anyone can call themselves a Nutritionist while Dietitians have to go to college and actually learn the science behind food and then have to pass a government approved test, I've taken stuff I've heard from nutritionists with a grain of salt until I ask my sister.

 

[jmdajr]

10g of sugar is considered 20% of a healthy days diet? I don't think 50g of sugar would be healthy for anything

That is 10 teaspoons

I don't agree either but we are so fucked up we have to start somewhere.
But I think the recommended is 6-7 teaspoons.

edit: scary thing this probably doesn't apply to juice!

oh well.........

 

[Fury451]

Oils is where I lose my mind trying to keep track of what you should and shouldn't use.

Coconut is the best, coconut is bad. Canola is good, canola is bad. Vegetable is good, no now it gives you cancer. Just tell me what I can cook with!

Also, there's a stark difference in qualifications from a nutritionist versus a dietician. Nutritionists always strike me as more dubious, even though a lot of recommendations are common sense.

The whole "fat is all bad" thing is what led to the problem we have now with sugar being in literally everything.

 

[Joni]

That seems quite close, which is quite good. It is only the hyped superfoods like granola and coconut oil that are outliers.

 

[Ashby]

How come Steak is healthy but Hamburgers ain't?

 

[Gigglepoo]

Should have asked dietitians, not fucking nutritionists, but of course the general public is completely stupid about what's "healthy". What Americans need more of than anything is fewer total calories consumed each day.

It's hard to be smart about a subject where there are so many conflicting reports about what food is healthy. Even people who do proper research won't always know what foods they should or should not be eating.

 

[entremet]

Should have asked dietitians, not fucking nutritionists, but of course the general public is completely stupid about what's "healthy". What Americans need more of than anything is fewer total calories consumed each day.

Yep.

Problem is most processed stuff is much more calorie dense than whole foods.

Refined carbs--sugars
Refined fats--oils

All very calorie dense and all in most processed foods.

 

[jmdajr]

Oils is where I lose my mind trying to keep track of what you should and shouldn't use.

Coconut is the best, coconut is bad. Canola is good, canola is bad. Vegetable is good, no now it gives you cancer. Just tell me what I can cook with!

Also, there's a stark difference in qualifications from a nutritionist versus a dietician. Nutritionists always strike me as more dubious, even though a lot of recommendations are common sense.

The whole "fat is all bad" thing is what led to the problem we have now with sugar being in literally everything.

Beats me man. I think as long as it's not fried you are mostly ok.

saying that....I LOOOVE corn chips.

 

[GHG]

How come Steak is healthy but Hamburgers ain't?

Is this a serious question?