[Closed] BBC - The truth about carbs. Rant.

Awaits I gave up carbs and got fitter post from person eating way too many carbs...

There is a formula based on bodyweight as to how much you can absorb g/kg being fully hydrated and empty. Anything else goes as fat

I know people are getting fatter and fatter but do we

I think you just answered your own question there, clearly you along with all us athletes on this forum don't, but many apparently do.

are we really at the level where people need to be (literally!) spoon fed this stuff?!?

Some of us are.

I know people are getting fatter and fatter but do we really need this condescending bollox being spoon fed to us at prime time on a Wednesday night?

Haven't you answered your own question in that very same sentence?

just eat everything in moderation

Define 'moderation' ?

So you didn’t listen that it varies in different people and that some carbs are fine?

But yes it’s incredible that sone people have no idea that all foods contain carbs and that some supposedly healthy ones are full of them.

Define ‘moderation’ ?

Well for carbs no more than you can store as glycogen unless you need to pack some reserves

In total carb intake not more than you expend

etc.

There is a formula based on bodyweight as to how much you can absorb g/kg being fully hydrated and empty. Anything else goes as fat

No.  That is the max amount of carbs you can absorb through your gut.  What happens to it after that depends on your muscle glycogen stores.  If they are low, then insulin encourages cells to take up glycogen.  If they are full, then the insulin encourages the laying down of fat.

In total carb intake not more than you expend

That's really easy to calculate for the average sedentary person, isn't it?

are we really at the level where people need to be (literally!) spoon fed this stuff?!?

Unfortunately, yes. Have you seen the obesity figures? I don't think this forum, being vaguely related to exercise, is representative of the general population.

I doubt that the people who need to be helped will be watching, or changing their lifestyles on the basis of one BBC fluff show though.

Hence the if empty part there molgrips.... The number is surprisingly low even for being fully emptied though and less then a lot of portions I've seen people tuck into as normal

the second one was auto correct and meant to be total calorie

17 years on drugs, 2 week diet and on the way to not being a diabetic.

That should spur some people on.

A good programme.

are we really at the level where people need to be (literally!) spoon fed this stuff?!?

Well yes.... The vast majority of the population have no idea that, for example,  rice had so much sugar in it!

The BBC should be applauded rather than being the target of ill thought out rants.

Not everyone is able to do loads of exercise due to age, work, family, whatever. Tackling the problem at the source is a better tactic.

As they say "you can't outrun a bad diet".

Yeah I realise that a growing portion (pun not intended!) of the population do need this information laid out as basically as possible.

In moderation, I think that's fairly self explanatory? 3 packs of Jaffa cakes isn't in moderation. The very definition of the word explains it 🙂

I notice how they were economical with some stats, like the swilling energy drink - he went 600m further when doing this, but 600 metres more over what distance? If we say 15mph average over 30 minutes, that's 12,000m - so an extra 600m is 0.05% performance improvement. Doesn't sound as good though, does it!!!

It's more the way they were giving out the information as incredible, amazing facts, but it's stuff that people have known for decades. Some was interesting (like the energy drink swilling thing) but otherwise it was basic common sense information.

See, the thing with programmes like this is that nobody who needs to see the message will be watching. Stuff like this is mostly watched by people that know this shit already - yes some chubby couch dwellers will watch. And in their next shop, they’ll buy brown rice and wholewheat pasta and maybe a bag of apples instead of a 56 pack of Müller Corners. They’ll then suck their tummies in around the water coolers as they tell the other IT contractors how awesome they’re feeling this week. And when they do their next shop, they’ll buy the wholewheat pasta again, but think “**** that brown rice shit, I’m treating myself to some white stuff and just an 8 pack of Müller Corners...I’ve worked so hard!” and just go back to how they’ve always been.

Eating the wrong stuff is just too easy, it’s ingrained into our culture and it’s going to cost the next generation a ****ing fortune to fix it  At least the smokers kinda paid for their treatment in advance and lung cancer generally got them quickly when it hit. We’ll be paying for obesity for generations as the tax take from fags goes down bit by bit

They could have gone further.

More could have been made of increasing protein consumption to help stop feelings of hunger. They pointed out substitutes that cut carb intake rather than just saying "just stop eating bread/rice/pasta/biscuits/potatoes and you may you'll lose weight and feel much better for it".

"Well for carbs no more than you can store as glycogen unless you need to pack some reserves

In total carb intake not more than you expend"

If there's a prolonged famine I'm gonna have the last laugh!

3 packs of Jaffa cakes isn’t in moderation

That’s fighting talk.

They could have gone further.

More could have been made of increasing protein consumption to help stop feeling of hunger. They pointed out substitutes that cut carb intake rather than just saying “just stop eating bread/rice/pasta/biscuits/potatoes and you may we’ll lose weight and feel much better for it”.

Protein will be next on the hitlist, you watch. Too much protein is bad for you. You heard it here first...

clearly you along with all us athletes on this forum

Too much fat is bad for you,
Too much sugar is bad for you
Too much protein is bad for you*

Too much is bad for you, eat less so you don't get fat?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/04/are-you-eating-too-much-protein

If we say 15mph average over 30 minutes, that’s 12,000m – so an extra 600m is 0.05% performance improvement. Doesn’t sound as good though, does it!!!

But if you do your sums right it sounds more impressive.

Inform, educate, entertain - thought it pretty much covered all three.

Only caught the last 5 mins. Were  they really  applauding the  2 doctors who came up with Idave diet 5 years too late?

Yes as they actually provided the diet and didn’t go on holiday.

The Turth About Maths is on next week Baron.

Too much fat is bad for you,
Too much sugar is bad for you
Too much protein is bad for you*

Too much is bad for you, eat less so you don’t get fat?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/04/are-you-eating-too-much-protein
/a>

And in today's shocking news, too much of something could be bad for you.

You can apply that to anything, can't you? Too much exercise is bad for you. Too much water is bad for you. Too much oxygen is bad for you! Too much death is apparently bad for you too, so I hear...

I agree that it got the point across, it's just the way it did it. Reminded me of children's TV shows.

"This is a jaffa cake. This is bad for you. This is an Apple. These are good for you! Can you guess which of these foods are bad for you? *points to a table of cake, cola, ice cream etc* Yes!! That's right! ALL of them!!"

mmmm carbs

Now the truth about that sort of carb is a program I'd enjoy watching. 🙂

Started watching that as the kids love doctors Chris and Xand. I did wonder if there'd be an 'experts' thread on here.....

Wait, Jaffa Cakes are now bad for you?

I notice how they were economical with some stats, like the swilling energy drink – he went 600m further when doing this, but 600 metres more over what distance? If we say 15mph average over 30 minutes, that’s 12,000m – so an extra 600m is 0.05% performance improvement. Doesn’t sound as good though, does it!!!

5% sounds reasonably good to me.

Surely the point was it’s about “type of carbs”?

Yeah my maths was wrong, not 0.05%, 5%! Doh! Although i swear I saw 17.8 on the bar graph he was showing so if that's KM then it's more like 3%, and it's miles then it's 2%.

Still, that part was quite interesting at least.

Slowmanold - yep, it was, but it was nothing that isn't already known if you do 5 minutes reading on the internet. Basically, people should eat more green veg, less sugary foods, and not so much starchy carbs. Which if you have a good diet, you're already doing, along with the protein and good fats.

It's sad that a good amount of people don't know what's in the food we eat every day and have to be told that green veg is good for you, brown bread is better for you than white bread, and to put down the jaffa cakes and eat an apple instead...

Carbs (along with protein and fat) are vital for our bodies to survive

Carbohydrates are on the only macronutrient the body can survive without

@brakes, that American stuff will make you fat. You need to follow a Mediterranean diet 

OP people go in about it here all the time ‘Ditching carbs they are bad’, ‘low carb diet’, ‘stopping eating bread’

Followed by ‘the weight is coming off’

So even people here appear unaware that if you eat too much you get fat

but it was nothing that isn’t already known if you do 5 minutes reading on the internet

It depends which 5 minutes.... within 5 minutes I can find carbs are good, bad or the earth is flat.

are we really at the level where people need to be (literally!) spoon fed this stuff?!?

We are way beyond that level ... years of advertising and paid info-mertials

Deliberate lies and selective truths .. and a focus that changes every week/month/year

This is a jaffa cake. This is bad for you. This is an Apple. These are good for you!

So the "lies for children" continue ... 1 jaffa cake is not really bad and 10 apples is...perhaps that's just too complicated for people who's dinner says 5 min at 800W?

It’s sad that a good amount of people don’t know what’s in the food we eat every day and have to be told that green veg is good for you, brown bread is better for you than white bread, and to put down the jaffa cakes and eat an apple instead…

I think the majority of people would actually know that jaffa cakes are not the healthiest food they could eat and don't really need to be told that.  The challenge is getting people to change their diets.

It has been very common knowledge for a long time that smoking is bad but a lot of people continue to smoke.

I know what food is healthy to eat and am pretty fit and healthy for my age but that doesn't stop me eating white bread, cakes, sweets etc,.  because I like them.  I should really cut them out of my diet but as I am fit, healthy and at a good weight then I don't bother.

Jaffa cakes seem to be getting a raw deal on here. Back off! Surely because they reduced the packs from 12 to 10 we can now eat a whole packet and not worry? My only concern though is with the 2 fewer cakes in a pack, do I get enough orange in the 10 to still be one of my 5 a day?

are we really at the level where people need to be (literally!) spoon fed this stuff?!?

Never watched it, but going purely from the shocking approach we have to food in this country, I'd say we need spoon fed something.

I know people are getting fatter and fatter but do we really need this condescending bollox being spoon fed to us at prime time on a Wednesday night?

Pffft. Only the old and the stupid watch TV now. Sounds like a perfect program.

are we really at the level where people need to be (literally!) spoon fed this stuff?!?

George Carlin has the answer to your question,

I spent the first 20 mins trying to figure out why he called himself Xand and not Chris. I honestly even said to my wife this Doctor's never off the telly, he was the guy we watched last week about the no drug treatment.....

Anyway, while I agree it was mainly "How to eat well for dummies", I was thinking about why this isn't being taught at school. It may well be, but looking at the parents and kids I see the message isn't getting through. Back in the 70s and 80s when I was at primary school we had the odd porky kid, but I don't recall seeing as many as we do now. Schooling and parenting seem to be the answer. Kids need to be told not just about healthy eating, but about the joys of exercise and the outdoors. Treats should be that, a treat, not a daily occurrence but still called a treat.

DeadlyDarcy - whats with the dig at IT contractors!?! Harsh man.

So the “lies for children” continue … 1 jaffa cake is not really bad and 10 apples is…perhaps that’s just too complicated for people who’s dinner says 5 min at 800W?

My daughter's not an idiot by any stretch, but needed this explained. They are continually told during F&N about the pyramid of foods, healthy foods, treats are OK but only as treats and in moderation, etc.

And she thinks fruit is healthy, and it contains lots of vitamins and the like. So if an apple is good, two apples is twice as good, surely.  A glass of orange juice - surely the whole carton must be better?  And you know what - if I squint, and put aside what I *personally* know - I can see the logic in her assumption, in the absence of someone telling her otherwise.

We won't change the food habits of most of the older population now, but we have to do a better job with our kids and just because it's obvious to a (relatively) well educated group of people on a website that is (broadly) aligned to a healthy pursuit (haha, I know) doesn't mean it's obvious to the next generation.

So whether it's blindingly obvious to us athletes on here, or catering to the lowest common denominator on the BBC, it's a message that has to be reiterated time and again.

Anyway, while I agree it was mainly “How to eat well for dummies”, I was thinking about why this isn’t being taught at school. It may well be, but looking at the parents and kids I see the message isn’t getting through. Back in the 70s and 80s when I was at primary school we had the odd porky kid, but I don’t recall seeing as many as we do now.

Most kids can't recognise a vegetable....

It’s sad that a good amount of people don’t know what’s in the food we eat every day and have to be told that green veg is good for you, brown bread is better for you than white bread, and to put down the jaffa cakes and eat an apple instead…

Most kids can't recognise a vegetable....  they have even less idea what goes into bread or jaffa cakes or a micro meal.  Listing a series of ingredients like "carrot" doesn't help because they have no idea what a carrot actually looks like out of the ground.

and to put down the jaffa cakes and eat an apple instead…

See the "lies for children" continue ... swap one sugary treat for another because if they said eat a carrot or a broccoli sprout instead the kids wouldn't know what it is and if they did wouldn't eat it anyway.

What a rosy outlook you have Steve...

It a bit OT but this sounds like the hour I wasted watching Dan Snow & Alice Roberts arguing that the terracotta warriors must have been designed by Europeans because the Chinese couldn’t possibly have made their own technological jumps and implying that the Silk Road was a physical object rather than a loosely defined trading route.

The bit about eating the seemingly healthy breakfast and, OMG, loads of carbs and look at the blood sugar level! … yeah, but now go do some exercise.

Bit interviewing two people (doctors? I missed the intro) who were urging caution about calling this and that a diet and carbs aren't all bad, differs per person, some who are not at risk don't need to be cutting out all/most carbs, all about moderation etc. Then immediately the programme goes on about "low carb diets" and "carbs are bad m'kay".

Problem with programmes like this is people will just see the carbs = bad bit and eat fatty stuff instead. While current attitude is fat isn't as bad as thought, that's only in relation to getting fat. We're ignoring the risks from saturated fat (and yeah, some have been saying they're not so bad, but a lot have countered that as bullshit based on evidence). Besides sugars/carbs is just the easy way to get fat. Fatty food can get you fat also. Both are energy sources and if you don't burn it off, you'll get fat.

Same as always, moderation, avoid the really crappy stuff, exercise.

Most kids can’t recognise a vegetable….

What a load of crap.

Problem with programmes like this is people will just see the carbs = bad bit and eat fatty stuff instead

This. I heard about a diabetic lady who was struggling with her blood sugars, basically she was snacking on carby stuff, so told to try carb free snacks

Couple of years later she had a massive heart attack, from all the cheese she’d switched to...

Maybe we should stop the emphasis on 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods and concentrate the message on too much of anything makes you fat.

Look at the pics of people in times of food crisis, eg rationing, famine etc. Virtually no one is fat. At the end of the day it comes down to quantity.

Then there's the myth of "fat but fit" usually promoted by people who can't walk uphill without puffing.

Look at the pics of people in times of food crisis, eg rationing, famine etc. Virtually no one is fat.

They also tend not to be healthy. I think we also need to end the myth skinny is fit.

What a load of crap.

There is some basis behind it and research was run on a group of 8 - 11 year olds.  Might be worth looking it up before calling it a load of crap...

Look at the pics of people in times of food crisis, eg rationing, famine etc. Virtually no one is fat. At the end of the day it comes down to quantity.

They might not be fat but they are potentially less healthy that someone who is overweight but get the point.

Most kids can’t recognise a vegetable….

Sorry, but that's rubbish.  Every kid at every school gets food and nutrition lessons and 'knows' about healthy eating (although as per earlier post, there are still I'm sure some misconceptions)

Trouble is that most kids don't choose their own meals they are given what their parents cook (or indeed, microwave) for them and so the cycle continues. Add to that the fact that high carb, sugary, 'unhealthy' foods like chocolate bars and sweets and crisps are to a child more tasty than a handful of carrot sticks or an apple, of course if that's what a parent feeds their child that's what the child will grow to love and crave, with the same effects.

Both my kids (12 and 14) are healthily body conscious, plus their mum and I wobble our bellies at them (child cruelty?) and tell them that if they get to adult life with one of these then it gets ever harder to get rid of it - so don't grow one in the first place. And they're old and savvy enough now to request that we have fruit and healthy snacks around the house rather than chocolate bars, so while they still eat what we give them, they ask that we give them healthier food anyway. But a 6 year old can't do that.

There is some basis behind it and research was run on a group of 8 – 11 year olds.  Might be worth looking it up before calling it a load of crap…

Might be worth linking your claim.

Couple of years later she had a massive heart attack, from all the cheese she’d switched to…

Bit of a stretch to put that down to 2 years of eating cheese.  She would have probably had the heart attack anyway.

Drac

Most kids can’t recognise a vegetable….

What a load of crap.

Indeed. They're all aware of the aubergine emoji because of all the sexting.

Might be worth looking it up before calling it a load of crap…

are you new here?

 I think we also need to end the myth skinny is fit.

Very true, but it shoudln't come at the expense of understanding that carrying extra weight around is not good for you in a number of ways.

There is some basis behind it and research was run on a group of 8 – 11 year olds.  Might be worth looking it up before calling it a load of crap…

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/fruit-vegetable-uk-identify-british-people-healthy-food-eating-study-a8198926.html

Lies, damn lies and statistics.

There's a difference between being able to differentiate between similar looking 'exotic' fruits or vegetables and being able to identify it is a fruit / vegetable.

Mangoes do look a bit like apples. But they both look like fruit, as opposed to a Twix.

I don't think i could identify a mulberry on sight, but i could tell it's a type of berry rather than a bag of crisps.

Mangoes do look a bit like apples. But they both look like fruit, as opposed to a Twix.

WWWHHAAAAAAA????!??!?!??

Very, very big funny shaped apples.

WWWHHAAAAAAA????!??!?!??

But you (deliberately) miss the point - an eight year old being unable to tell these apart does not equate to 'unable to identify fruit' generically.

I don’t think i could identify a mulberry on sight, but i could tell it’s a type of berry rather than a bag of crisps.

A packet of crisps (above)

If you were to take a packet of crisps and reassemble them so they were once again a potato, would that make them a vegetable? I think it probably would.

a potato might botanically be a vegetable but nutritionally (food pyramid) it is a starchy carbohydrate.

so even if you could, it's still not a vegetable for the purposes of this conversation.

Cheese and onion though - surely some credit for the onion?

Yes but eat them for more than 2 years, heart attack dead, it happens you know it’s the cheese.

Slowmanold – yep, it was, but it was nothing that isn’t already known if you do 5 minutes reading on the internet.

Maybe the program was aimed at people who don't read about diet on the interent but sit on the sofa watching Corrie whilst snacking. I like to think I know a thing or two about what constitutes healthy eating but now an then stating the bleeding obvious does no harm. I thought it was quite a good programme.

Sorry, but that’s rubbish.  Every kid at every school gets food and nutrition lessons and ‘knows’ about healthy eating (although as per earlier post, there are still I’m sure some misconceptions)

Perhaps can't recognise a vegetable is a bit strong but a huge number have no idea what a parsnip looks like or that's "parsnip" on a label is a vegetable.  The kids get taken to Morrisons which have a decent selection but very few can identify most them... and by the week later the link between a potato and a chip has been swapped for which pokemon can do what.

Trouble is that most kids don’t choose their own meals they are given what their parents cook (or indeed, microwave) for them and so the cycle continues.

The problem and reason for the above is that when they got home and say they saw sprouts or fresh beans or whatever their parents have no idea, beans come in tins don't they not from beanstalks ... flour doesn't come from wheat?  .

Perhaps it's not different to when my 8yr old tells me pokemon stuff... but then I'm not sticking pokemon in my body.... the point is its very quickly forgotten as for many the parents have no idea either.

There’s a difference between being able to differentiate between similar looking ‘exotic’ fruits or vegetables and being able to identify it is a fruit / vegetable.

Mangoes do look a bit like apples. But they both look like fruit, as opposed to a Twix.

I don’t think i could identify a mulberry on sight, but i could tell it’s a type of berry rather than a bag of crisps.

As above... but take beans... or take peas... tell the ids to go and find the fresh peas and they are looking for round things... (at best) ... but the point is they don't have these "exotic" vegetables (like onions or beans) at home in a non processed state....

You can show em an onion... and at best its a label on the side of a ready meal.

Give em a tulip or daffodil on a table of mixed food and garden plants and they don't recognise it as a non-food... for example.

This is really the underlying problem.... the bag of crisps contains vegetables.... and vegetables are good...

Ready meals contain vegetables... but non of this really goes back to "reality" ... for example recognising an apple tree (or that they come from trees) or a carrot top etc.  or that field of wheat is the stuff ground up labelled flour....

I think you are doing the F&N teachers of the country a disservice, but that is based on a semi-self selecting sample of my kids and their peer group which I'll freely admit, is not an inner city / minimum wage type of sample, so you may be right.

Parsnips are shit whether kids can identify them or not.

Jonv, I was expressing my, somewhat sarcastic, shock and disappointment that a mango/apple is not the same as a twix

In the same way that The Archers was originally created as a public information radio series to educate people in self-sufficiency after the war, why can't popular soaps like Corrie and some of those hospital dramas be used to convey the message to the great overweight public?

There’s very strange kids where Stevexc lives.

 The vast majority of the population have no idea that, for example,  rice had so much sugar in it!

I'm clearly part of that section of the population and part of the problem then as I never knew that 😀

Sugar, or sugars? Rice is high carb and carbohydrate is just a polymeric chain of repeating sugar, so rice is low in sugar but high in 'sugars'

Unless you mean rice pudding? Nomnom

Might be worth linking your claim.

Not my claim, but I was aware of it as heard about it a year or so ago.  A quick Google will find it for you.  As you are calling it a load of crap you must have some counter evidence?

I think you are doing the F&N teachers of the country a disservice, but that is based on a semi-self selecting sample of my kids and their peer group which I’ll freely admit, is not an inner city / minimum wage type of sample, so you may be right.

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">I don't blame the teachers ... and the OH is one so better not... but there is a big split on the kids... and its generational as ell.  </span>

Parsnips are shit whether kids can identify them or not.

Well depends ... roasted with celery???

There’s very strange kids where Stevexc lives.

Its a pretty big school and wide slice across all income levels....

In general the immigrants and kids of do far better in that their parents were more likely to have fresh prepared food at home...

The real issue faced is parents who themselves have no vegetables at home... and of these many didn't as kids either.

Other than the size of the school I think this is played out in most regions... and income group has less effect than might be expected.  Plenty of parents in decent income bands (or driving cars suggesting they are) seem to do the shopping at M&S-BP etc.  or when in supermarkets their trolley at checkout is full of packed and pre-prepared food.  It might be more expensive pre-prepared food but it's still pre-prapred in packets...

The kid who speaks knowledgeably about their trip to Florida or Bali isn't necessarily the kid that can identify wheat in a field and knows that is where flour comes from....

Regardless I bet only a small percent actually go into the garden and pick the food.... (which is what we do mostly over summer)

A quick Google will find it for you.  As you are calling it a load of crap you must have some counter evidence?

I couldn’t find anything. I think I’d struggle to find an article on “Kid recognises parsnip” it’s not even something the Daily Mail would print.

I bet you can’t find any evidence that it’s true.

Now that makes a bit more sense SteveXTC but I would still say it’s a small percentage and not most kids.

edit: cannae be bovvad

Now that makes a bit more sense SteveXTC but I would still say it’s a small percentage and not most kids.

Consider it this way ... take a ready meal and send the kid to the supermarket to but the ingredients. (Without the label)

I have a perspective that I have to read labels on anything packaged I eat... but I'm no longer amazed when the parents of these kids say "but why can't you eat pizza" when I explain I can't have wheat or sometimes they make some long lost association ...

A large part of this is probably disassociation .... some know academically that a plant in a field is wheat that gets ground to make flour and flour gets used to make dough and dough rises and gets cooked to be a pizza base... and that gets toppings... (or perhaps they miss a stage or two)

What seems largely missing is an accociation of a pizza with wheat in a field and tomatoes on a vine and the difference between a water buffalo and a cow...  or even that bush in the garden when they moved in is rosemary  or that pig is where bacon comes from...

Many kids can see pictures of veg... even touch the real thing but it's not what they "see as food" as in stuff they put in their mouths.  Food for them comes in a packet or a takeaway.... the stuff they learned is academic and forgotten.  Most kids would know there is something called a beanstalk for example... but a beanstalk is something jack climbs as opposed to where beans come from.

Lots of my kids friends come over for play...  it's amazing the number that have no idea they are playing amongst  vegetables... they simply don't recognise a pea stalk or carrot tops, courgette flower etc. if they saw one raw at all the peas were shelled and the carrot topped... they never saw a tomato plant or any of the other veg we grow...