What got me cross with Radio 4 this morning...

NicoleC1971

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Enjoyed the shipping forecast and Farming Today then silly story from Public Health bahviioural experts which I think they could have saved for tomorrow when they aren't allowed to discuss the election:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50711652

This perpetuates the idea that the only important thing about food in relation to our weight is it's calorific value. What about nutrients and how processed it is.

If you saw a Mars bar with the label saying you had to run 22 minutes to burn it off would it put you off if you eat Mars bars. Even assuming you did not realise that muffins and Mars bars are not health foods, the amount of calories burnt during exercise is in accurate since a fair amount of those numbers you see racking up on a treadmill etc. (about 2/3) are what you would have burnt just sitting on the sofa anyway e.g. 30 minutes running to burn 300 calories means 100 extra calories burnt.
I really dislike this way of framing exercise!
 

Tophat1900

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It's the same old, same old. Eat less and move more rubbish.... no focus on those important points you mentioned, like nutrients and how processed a food is, which will suit the big food junk makers perfectly. Just eat the rubbish and you can walk it off, but really, who will do that?

IMO- You can't outrun a bad diet.
 

Brunneria

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Nor can they state that the calories burnt for a fit active muscley 6 foot person and a petite non-muscley 5 foot person are the same, even if they run the same distance in the same time.

Edited for typo
 
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JohnEGreen

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bulkbiker

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But then again the more info on a food label the better when it comes down to it.

But only if it is useful labelling surely?

This will simply encourage more "low fat" foods as they will have fewer "calories" to burn off and we all know how well that experiment has gone...
 
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Diakat

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It might make a difference to some, but in my personal case, if I want a Mars bar then I’ll probably have one. I’m more likely to be eating cheese anyway, are they going to label that too or are they only thinking of confectionery?
 

Redshank

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I think the unintended result might be that people think it is not worth going for a run then!
 

Daibell

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I heard a bit of it. To be fair measuring calories burnt is just a little bit more reliable than calories eaten which is useless. I get mad every time I see the word 'calorie' mentioned in any health or diet advice. The public have been conned since the 2nd world war when it was used as a rough measure to keep the population sensibly fed. It's now mainly used by diet companies to sell diet foods as it's an easy sell; same for the media. PHE are also guilty. As long as packaged food uses EU-backed front of package labelling listing sugar and calories instead of just carbs we are doomed. Increasingly I see articles talking about 'calories eaten' as if calories are a food; madness.
 

NicoleC1971

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Knowledge is power information is knowledge It will always be useful to someone even if it's not you. Or I.
I am having rouble thinking for whom the inaccurate information would be useful though....I would vote for a traffic light system going from red+ junk, amber - caution advised to green - 'real' food - eat your fill!
 

Mr_Pot

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I am having rouble thinking for whom the inaccurate information would be useful though....I would vote for a traffic light system going from red+ junk, amber - caution advised to green - 'real' food - eat your fill!
That would be excellent but there might be some resistance from manufacturers to labelling their products as junk :happy:
 

JohnEGreen

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I am having rouble thinking for whom the inaccurate information would be useful though....I would vote for a traffic light system going from red+ junk, amber - caution advised to green - 'real' food - eat your fill!
Well I suppose so mind you your blood sugar meter has only to be within +/- 15% food labels are not as accurate but do have to be within +/- 20% how useful have you found your meter.

Traffic light systems I think are woefully inadequate.
 

Tophat1900

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It might make a difference to some, but in my personal case, if I want a Mars bar then I’ll probably have one. I’m more likely to be eating cheese anyway, are they going to label that too or are they only thinking of confectionery?

Being we live in a world where the belief is you should eat low fat, then cheese could potentially be a red flag food. As ridiculous as that sounds. Just imagine how bacon would be labeled, high risk I'd assume. Low fat granola bar chocolate flavoured would get a smiley face and a big green tick regardless of the carb count.

However, in reality.... how many people (general public) actually read the labels on packaging anyway? People have their fave snack foods, chocolates, ice creams, so called health food bars and they have their fave brands of just about anything they buy. I don't think many would bother reading labels when it comes to their favorites.