Aug 27 2009
Staying healthy: the science, secrets and scams
By Fiona MacDonald
A few weeks ago my friend complained she was struggling to lose weight. “All I eat or drink is Boost Juice three times a day!” she whined. When I explained fruit juice is low in fat but is also full of sugar, she was horrified. It was then I started to wonder if a science degree was necessary just to understand how to take care of our bodies.
Especially when people out there are making these creations!
We generally know not to trust advertising, but when it comes to “healthy” products it’s hard not to get sucked in.
Most of us (myself included) want to live longer, fitter and slimmer. But if you can’t make sense of nutritional information, where else can you turn for advice? There are literally hundreds of “health” and “diet” books out there, many with contradictory and confusing tips.
Obviously there’s a market for them. Last year Australians toppled the notoriously hefty Americans from their perch with a study showing more than 60% of Australians are overweight and every couple of months there’s some new report suggesting my chosen diet is going to give me cancer!
(Agreed. Terribly confusing. Soy: Carcinogen or cancer-fighting? Let alone the terrifying things they’re now saying about little ol’ strawberries! – ed)
A meat-eaters worst nightmare. Image: http://www.raw-living-food-success.com
Deep down I know better than to get sucked in, but it’s hard to resist a book that promises to fill me with antioxidants in three delicious meals a day (I later discovered this was just a better marketed version of the raw food diet).
I think the science of health and nutrition should be taught in high school (along with how to budget and do your taxes!) It’s not that I don’t think other subjects are important, but I rarely use my knowledge of Japanese history but do rely on biology daily to ascertain if my lunch has at least one natural ingredient.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that if everyone knew what was good for them we’d all be health freaks – there are plenty of doctors that smoke. But at least we’d make informed decisions if we did want to improve our health and nutrition habits.
Krispy Kreme Burgers. Yep, BURGERS. Image: ccaviness, provided by Flickr
There is hope on the scientific research front as well. Researchers recently discovered there is actually a type of fat that can help us burn calories – brown fat. As reported on Radio Australia, scientists hope they’ll be able to inject this into humans and it will help to prevent or reverse obesity. There is also evidence we only overeat to satisfy our protein needs. But it’s so hard to make this research applicable to everyday life.
On Friday 28th and Saturday 29th, UTS Lifestyle Expo is offering free health assessments, food samples and free fitness classes.
I like the idea of such events because they teach you about the science behind your body in a way that’s relevant to everyday life, and introduce you to healthy products that don’t taste like salty cardboard. OK so you’re probably not going to learn how to love raw carrots and make carob taste like chocolate (it just can’t be done!) but you’ll get a good idea why you should avoid any food listed on: www.thisiswhyyourefat.com.
The bacon roll and Krispy Kreme burgers are possibly the most disgusting food I’ve ever seen. Who invents these crazy heart-attack-in-a-meal combos?
I wish I could stop being lazy and lose some weight, but it’s very hard to change my lifestyle which involves sitting at my computer 24/7 studying for uni.
I’ve decided to start growing my own food in the garden, then I’ll be encouraged to eat food that’s nutritional and get some exercise by working hard to grow it!
Lauren, take a look at this post:
http://www.10daysofscience.com/the-new-wave-of-social-scientists
I came across LiveLocal while writing this piece. That’s the gang who filmed us talking about our seedlings! It’s a good way to connect yourself for the opps in your area for community gardens, etc. You can also create “experiments” and document them on the site. I guess your experiment could be your first garden?
Yes growing food at home or in a community garden is a great idea! I wish I had more time/patience to do it. I bought a little strawberry plant at the start of this year but it sadly passed on before producing fruit.
I love the idea of growing my own food, not only because it’s sustainable and healthy, but because you know exactly what you’re eating! I have a friend who works at a factory where they package lettuce for those ‘fresh’ salad bags that they sell in the supermarkets. After telling me how many chemicals they have to spray on them etc. to keep them fresh I just can’t stand to buy them! I’d much rather take some salad from my own garden. I must get motivated this year! Perhaps it’ll be my New Year’s revolution.