What is it with food fear-mongering?

[Adam Jensen]

There's a loading screen tip in WoW that I like: Remember to take all things in moderation (even World of Warcraft!)

And this is true with, pretty much everything. White bread is not as healthy as whole grain (and not as tasty) but it won't kill you. Just don''t eat too much. These foods are fine, in certain amounts.

And how do I take these articles? As anyone should: with a grain of salt and a healthy dose of skepticism.

[IIamaKing]

Looks like they typical earth first, GMOs are bad, organic for life rhetoric. Yes eating fresh and making home food is better for you but No, eating the convenience foods will not kill you.

As if food companys would exist if they killed all their customers. Pretty sure we would be hearing reports of people dying from bread poisoning left and right.

[Deleted]

I see that stuff as "toxic" too even though I occasionally eat potato chips and pizzas. I'm not sure if it's actually poisonous, probably not. I'm pretty sure humans have evolved to eat all sorts of garbage in a pinch, food wasn't exactly plentiful during most of human history so I don't think the digestive systems get confused about it. However they're just empty calories and arent very filling either so it's easy to get fat eating them.

[Djuntas]

One day you can't eat this...the next day something else is good for you.

I say fuck it all, and eat JUST WHATEVER you wan't, but don't eat more than you need, and exercise regulary...easy

[Seme]

I pretty much lose respect for anyone who suggests that organic food tastes better or that fast food is inherently worse for you than any other type of food. They've been proven wrong several times. Don't even get me started on preachy vegans.

I'm gonna eat what I want and ignore anyone who suggests otherwise when not substantiated by anything concrete.

Pretty much spot on. Organic food proponents annoy the fuck out of me, the vast majority of their claims are not only unsubstantiated but there is a weight of evidence to the contrary. And whats worse is that they've someone managed to brainwash most of us into thinking that Organic foods are fantastic while GM an evil abomination.

We need more people in this world like Norman Borlaug and less Greenpeace following ideology idiots.

/rant

[Spectral]

How do you guys feel about these kind of articles? Do you research the "facts" yourself, or do you repeat them to your friends and coworkers? Do you regularly share these on social sites like Facebook or do you debunk them instead?

I'm burdened by the sheer quantity of stupid shit that I see in a day posted on forums and social media platforms, there's no possible way that I have the time for solid refutations, and most of the people posting these memes simply aren't interested in anything resembling factual explanations. The folks that post these sorts of things are engaging in massive confirmation bias, and experiencing the pleasure that comes with engaging in a form of social signaling that displays their righteousness to others; the last thing they're going to be affected by is me telling them that they're wrong.

On a personal level, I basically eat what I like. Most of it isn't particularly bad for me; some of it is. On balance, I'll do fine.

The one thing I'd like to call out is for one of these assholes to ever actually be able to describe the chemical structure and biological mechanism of action of even a single "toxin".

[Darsithis]

Sure, in proper moderation, you're right, there's no reason to be alarmed.

However, what happens is something like this:

"hurr, who are these guys to tell me I shouldn't go to mcdonalds 6 days a week? Fuck them and their fear-mongering, I does what I wantz!!!!!11"

There is a thing as fearmongering, I agree, and this is probably one of those cases, but there's also a thing as incentivating people to eat healthy. Often, people don't differentiate between them

I don't think anyone is saying that at all. I'm all for an article that points out the dangers of fast food, bleached flours, nitrates, and the like, but points out that you need to eat those things excessively to really hurt yourself. This article didn't say that, this article made it sound like if you even eat ONE microwavable popcorn box you're going to destroy your lungs. If you eat one frozen meal, you're eating a "disease-in-a-box". That's fear-mongering.

Pretty much spot on. Organic food proponents annoy the fuck out of me, the vast majority of their claims are not only unsubstantiated but there is a weight of evidence to the contrary. And whats worse is that they've someone managed to brainwash most of us into thinking that Organic foods are fantastic while GM an evil abomination.

We need more people in this world like Norman Borlaug and less Greenpeace following ideology idiots.

/rant

Oh god, the same. My boss is a huge anti-meat nut who watched that Forks whatever documentary, and calling it a documentary is stretching things. It was so full of outright lies about meat and the meat industry that I couldn't finish watching it with a straight face.

[Knight Gil]

I don't think anyone is saying that at all. I'm all for an article that points out the dangers of fast food, bleached flours, nitrates, and the like, but points out that you need to eat those things excessively to really hurt yourself. This article didn't say that, this article made it sound like if you even eat ONE microwavable popcorn box you're going to destroy your lungs. If you eat one frozen meal, you're eating a "disease-in-a-box". That's fear-mongering.

I know. I agree with that

[Grummgug]

The truth is both the political left and right seek social controls. the right do it with issues like religion and marriage. The left do it with issues like guns and food.

The difference between the two parties is that the left want a strong central government, while the right want to weaken government. social freedom comes from economic freedom. by that we mean that a government can pass social control laws, but if the government doesnt have the ECONOMIC power, they become unenforceable.

The logical conclusion is that, if you want social freedoms, you vote right / tory / republican. they might ban gay marriage, but if you leave them in charge theyll also dismantle government to the point where they cannot enforce that law. if you democrat, theyll ban foods they deem "bad" AND grow government to make sure they can enforce it, too.

[Grummgug]

Another way to look at voting on social issues is that....youre not voting on the issues hemselves...youre voting on the odds they will be able to ENFORCE. the gop is much less likely to enforce their social control laws compared to democrats.

[apepi]

There's a loading screen tip in WoW that I like: Remember to take all things in moderation (even World of Warcraft!)

Remember to take all things in moderation (even moderation!!)

Also, don't eat apples! They have arsenic in them!

[Arkenaw]

I wouldn't trust something from a website that can't even spell pharmacy.

[Darsithis]

I wouldn't trust something from a website that can't even spell pharmacy.

Spelling mistakes concern me much less than the content of the message

[Arkenaw]

Spelling mistakes concern me much less than the content of the message

oh wait, now I see, it's a pun. Cause it's a food website. Oh, well, still terrible article.

[Cairhiin]

This is a frequent excuse for those who are celiac by choice...or what I like to call "glutards".

I hate it when people avoid gluten just because it's hip instead of real medical reasons.

Not necessarily true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_Carbohydrate_Diet

[Deleted]

While his wording and reasoning might not be spot on, he is still correct that you really shouldn´t eat that stuff. But those 7 things were really common knowledge anyways. Everyone knows that bread is just empty carbs and calories and really should be avoided. The rest just boils down to fresh food > processed food, wich isn´t really news either.

[Deleted]

Since when did something lacking any particular nutritional value actually become toxic? When did something lacking vitamins suddenly become something the body isn't able to digest and lead to disease?

Well, if food lacks any nutritional value then it isn't actually helpful for your body in any way. I'm not sure what they consider toxic, you probably seem to think something that is hurtful to your body. But maybe their definition is a bit wider, maybe if something doesn't hold any nutritional value it is automatically toxic, as there is stuff coming into your body that your body doesn't need. It might be very slightly hurtful because your body still needs to process it and dispose of it.

- - - Updated - - -

Everyone knows that bread is just empty carbs and calories and really should be avoided.

Should be avoided? Humanity pretty much made their biggest advancement because of bread.

[Koraak]

My roommate will believe anything he reads, as long as it was written in a professional manner. For example, he read that as soon as 5 minutes after opening a bottle of water, it will be festered with bacteria. So he wont drink bottled water if it's been opened for 5 minutes. He wastes so much of it, it pisses me off. We buy bottled water since our tap tastes funny, he will open a bottle, take two sips, put the cap back on, put it down, forget he had it for 10 minutes and when he get's back to it, he dumps it out and grabs a new one.

[The Small Hours]

While reading the op I finished a packet of crisps and two chocolate twinkies and a 200ml coke. I almost had microwave popcorn as well. Saved.

[Darsithis]

While his wording and reasoning might not be spot on, he is still correct that you really shouldn´t eat that stuff. But those 7 things were really common knowledge anyways. Everyone knows that bread is just empty carbs and calories and really should be avoided. The rest just boils down to fresh food > processed food, wich isn´t really news either.

You shouldn't eat it regularly and as a substitute for healthier food. In moderation, though, it won't have the effects he's purporting it will in his article.

Well, if food lacks any nutritional value then it isn't actually helpful for your body in any way. I'm not sure what they consider toxic, you probably seem to think something that is hurtful to your body. But maybe their definition is a bit wider, maybe if something doesn't hold any nutritional value it is automatically toxic, as there is stuff coming into your body that your body doesn't need. It might be very slightly hurtful because your body still needs to process it and dispose of it.

Then they need to define that at the start of their article because the definition of toxic is "containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation".

While reading the op I finished a packet of crisps and two chocolate twinkies and a 200ml coke. I almost had microwave popcorn as well. Saved.

Now I know you lie! Twinkies are dead!