Programme on BBC 3 last night

noblehead

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Just watched this programme and have to say it was a complete disaster from start to finish, who on earth advised Zoe that a low-fat diet is eating over-priced processed food? Was it any wonder she was hungry, lethargic and put on weight after eating this junk for 4 weeks, most of the food she was eating was high in sugar and salt, artificial bulking agents and were lacking any fibre, how she lasted 4 weeks on this type of diet is bewildering.

The 60 minutes would have been better spent explaining the importance of fat in our diet and should have gone on to explain the difference between the good fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats) and the bad fats (saturated, trans fats) and where these fats are obtained, the conclusion of the programme was that low-fat processed ready meals and cereal bars are a waste of money and unhealthy............well I think we could have told them this and saved the BBC their time and money! :roll:

Nigel
 

Etty

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I know most of us here don't eat much processed food, but there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands who do eat this overpriced cr*p regularly, and I hope some them watched this. I thought it was interesting because it's the first time I've seen a programme by the bbc critical of low-fat which has usually been portrayed as the "good" way to eat. A sign of the times?
 

cugila

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Low Fat.....the trouble is whenever anybody does anything about this subject they automatically seem to pair it with High Carbs ? Which I think most would agree is not healthy ? The opinion in some places is that if you eat Low Fat you must be eating HIGH Carbs.......NOT true.

However, when Low Fat is paired with Low or reduced Carbs then for many of us that do it works extremely well and allows Bg levels to be controlled and all Lipids and Triglycerides to also be well controlled.

So I wouldn't rush to say Low Fat is something to avoid.......high carbs is the culprit as far as I am concerned.
 

Synonym

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cugila said:
......I wouldn't rush to say Low Fat is something to avoid.......high carbs is the culprit as far as I am concerned.

Absolutely :!:
 

ally5555

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Ken that is the problem - alot of so called low fat foods are high in carbs/sugar - they remove the fat and add sugar and for any diabetics that is a disaster. But alot of people and that includes diabetics do not realise that - many of my pts think they are doing good by eating them !!!

They do not taste good either!

Allyx
 

cugila

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Ally
The thing is I am VERY careful eating low fat foods when I do have them. I check out EVERY bit of nutritional info and avoid anything that is also high carbs. You have to be careful but that's my experience......in any case what do you call high carbs. If my Bg levels are good eating low fat and avoiding the carbs why is that wrong ? I don't eat any of the rubbish that was portrayed in this programme.......

Ken
 

Bluenosesol

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We have differing views as to whether we should exclude low fats or exclude high fats. In the same way as I do post prandial bg checks I also do lipid checks and then make a judgement call as to whether I am pro or anti fat A or fat B. The one thing I believe we do agree on is that high carbs are our biggest dietary danger and whatever the composition of what you eat you absolutely must restirct carb intake. To what level is subject to self determination.

All the best - Steve
 

noblehead

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A healthy low-fat diet doesn't resemble any of the foods featured in this programme (processed microwave meals, cereal bars) which made it a pointless exercise, I suppose there will be those who believe this is the way and clever marketing by the likes of WW does nothing to change that view.

Nigel
 

anniep

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Surely the point is to show up the con in the 'low fat' industry. Which is marketed as healthy eating, anything labeled as low fat is seen by most poeple as healthy food.

Most peopel have no knowledge of how to read the ingredients on a package and rely on the idea that anything low fat is better for them.
 

nirishdaisy

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anniep said:
Surely the point is to show up the con in the 'low fat' industry. Which is marketed as healthy eating, anything labeled as low fat is seen by most poeple as healthy food.

anniep - that is exactly what the programme was about, and a lot of people seem to be missing that point. I for one have to be careful of the fats that I eat as I need to keep my cholesterol in control and it can be a nightmare reading labels not only for low carb but low/lower fat as well.
 

anniep

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I used to work in an office full of young women watching their weight/figure and some of them would live on these meals, convinced they were eating healthily! And couldn't or wouldn't understand, the type of fat/sugar side of the debate, they had understood eating healthily to mean 'I must keep my fat intake as low as possible.' They had no knowledge of the cr*p in processed foods and thought that they were doing the right thing.

Even more scarily, an older colleague diagnosed with high blood pressure and told to watch her diet by the doc, went straight out and bought a freezer full of these meals convinced this was the healthy way to eat.

This sort of programme, with a female they know trying it out, is exaclty what many of them would need to make them think again.
 

anniep

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I saw two young teenagers in tesco's last week taking a very long time to buy a yogurt, they were laboriously reading the ingredients. The only criteria they were using - how much fat was in it, no discussion or notice taken of anything else apart form total fat content.
 

AndyS

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I think we are kind of lucky in that respect. Ok ending up with Diabetes T1 or T2 is not lucky it sucks I know.
But on the positive side since I was diagnosed I am now completely aware of everything that I eat.
In fact I sometimes shudder thinking of what I used to eat. Don't get me wrong I wasn't entirely un healthy but it wasn't great.

Now I finally reduced my insulin levels down I too am losing weight. Only need to drop around 8KG to be ideal though I also want to drop by Cholesterol, am border line at the moment for a Diabetic but ok for a "normal" person.

I still eat more or less what I like though I just don't east very much of it, a ton more fresh veggies and I am slowly but surely losing weight. Turns out the secret is eat less food, who'd of thunk it? :)

/A