South American Slimmer 20 November, 2009

Here are my guesses:

1. Yes, more or less. Depends on the fruits.
2. No. This used to be a hard and fast rule, but I think most doctors now think that people´s water needs differ and it´s OK to just drink as and when you´re thirsty, unless you´re doing a lot of strenuous exercise.
3. I think there is some evidence to suggest that low-fat dairy can help weight loss, but it´s far from conclusive, so yes and no.
4. No.
5. Not sure about this one, but I would guess that they are probably hungrier, since it takes more calories to sustain weight when you are heavier.
6. Dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa solids) is definitely healthier than milk chocolate and contains antioxidants, but with the sugar that is added I wouldn’t say it was exactly a health food.

Exercise:
1. No. Both are important, but I would think food intake is the more crucial of the two.
2. No.
3. I suppose it can be, since it burns calories and may build muscle which can increase metabolism. So, indirectly, it could cause fat loss.
4. No. Muscle is heavier than fat so you could have low body fat but still weigh a lot.
5. Partially true. If you´re good at the exercise you´re more likely to stick with it and if you exercise regularly you´re more likely to lose weight.
6. Not sure. I would think they could.

South American Slimmer 20 November, 2009

Incidentally, it´s interesting how many of these questions don´t really have a clear-cut answer. I wonder if they factored that in when they were looking at the results?

Arwen from Hoglet K 21 November, 2009

Nutrition 1 T, 2 T, 3 F, 4 F, 5 T, 6 F
Exercise 1 T, 2 F, 3 F, 4 F, 5 T, 6 T

My brainstrust wanted to put qualifiers on every one of the answers, so I’ll be interested to see how we go.

Wendy 21 November, 2009

Nutrition statements
1. True
2. False
3. True (I think a little cheese is VERY satisfying)
4. False
5. False. Don’t really know but wonder if someone is used to eating more then physcologically perhaps they feel hungry more often?
6. Trick question? Dark chocolate is healthIER but actually “healthy”?
Exercise statements
1. True.
2. False.
3. True.
4. False
5. False
6. True if you are talking BMI “obese”

C 22 November, 2009

Nutrition statements

1. True. 2. False 3. True. 4. False 5. False 6. False. It’s the better option by way of chocolate though? Especially if it’s organic because this makes it more certain that the antioxidants remain intact.

Exercise statements

1. False. Definitely important but the most efficient weight control comes from diet. People probably overestimate the kJ they burn as well. I am guilty of this! 2. False 3. True. If we’re talking body fat percentages at least, rather than mass. 4. False. 5. False. 6. True. If you’re using the BMI to define obesity. I bet some pro football players illustrate this point pretty finely.

Not telling in case I'm wildly wrong 22 November, 2009

Nutrition
1. probably
2. false (doesn’t have to be water)
3. in what way? maybe if they’re low fat?
4. false
5. true
6. in very tiny amounts
Exercise
1. depends on the the exercise and the diet – should do both
2. false
3. true
4. false
5. false
6. I’ve heard this, but can’t see how it can be true!

renee 22 November, 2009

Ditto some previous comments – i wanted to answer ‘true and false’ to many of these statements because I believe a lot depends on individual factors and context… but have forced myself to make a call one way or the other… here goes:

Nutrition statements

Fruit juice is about as fattening as beer – False (although calories could equate depending on brand etc)

Humans need eight glasses of water per day – True

Dairy products can help weight loss – False (not specifically, but yes if part of a well balanced diet)

A low protein diet is best for weight loss – False

Fat people don’t get more hungry than lean people – False

Chocolate is healthy provided it’s dark – True (in very modest quantities)

Exercise statements

Exercise is better than dieting for weight loss – False (if talking specifically weight loss, you need to address energy imbalance – of which exercise helps but I think changes to diet have been shown to be essential)

Swimming is better than walking for weight loss – False – I suspect both walking and swimming are ‘moderate’ exercise although depends on intensity and duration, plus individual preference.

Weight lifting is good for fat loss – True – builds more lean muscle

The best measure of body fat is body mass index – False

You lose more weight doing exercise you are good at – True – more likely to build a regular habit if you enjoy the activity you’re doing

An obese person can be fit and healthy – True

I’m looking forward to the answers being posted soon!

kathryn 22 November, 2009

Okay time to post the answers. Some of the answers are slightly controversial, but they’re based on the current best nutrition knowledge. I’ve included the authors commentary on each point. And you can download the full article from here.

I should also say that in the original survey, the GPs did not perform significantly better than the truckies and tradies. How did you go?

Fruit juice is about as fattening as beer – True

“In terms of kilojoule content, equivalent servings of fruit juice and beer are similar. But as alcohol cannot be stored in the body, and is never directly converted to fat, any fattening effect of alcohol is dependent on other factors, particularly accompanying energy intake. So the often-quoted ‘’beer belly’’ is really more of a ‘’beer plus food and drink’’ belly. Fruit juice is as potentially fattening as beer in equivalent amounts.”

Humans need eight glasses of water a day – False

“The physiologist Heinz Valtin tried to track the basis of this belief, which he claims may be responsible for the excessive intake of high-calorie fluids in the modern diet. Valtin showed a person’s fluid needs depended on age, gender, activity level and state of health – as well as the weather – and varied from 500 millilitres (about three glasses) to four litres (24 glasses) a day. Despite the popularity of the eight glasses ’’rule’’, international guidelines on fluid intake, now under development, suggest it is arbitrary and meaningless.”

Dairy products can help weight loss – True

“The accuracy of this statement remains controversial. Because of the fat content of most natural dairy products, a common belief exists that all dairy products cause weight gain. But recent research – both across communities and in dietary experiments with individuals – suggests eating low-fat dairy is linked to weight loss. There are indications that certain dairy ingredients, such as whey protein, and combinations of ingredients, such as protein and calcium, can increase feelings of fullness, and increase the calories lost in the faeces – both of which may assist weight loss.”

Chocolate is healthy provided it is dark – False

“There has been more than a decade of research on the health benefits of dark chocolate since the antioxidant effects of cocoa were discovered. Cocoa is high in bitter-tasting flavinoids, which are the prime source of such antioxidants but which many chocolate manufacturers extract to improve taste. However, there are no labelling requirements to inform the consumer of this. Sugar, which can lessen the benefits of cocoa, is also often added to improve palatability. Hence, while genuine dark chocolate has health benefits, chocolate that is simply labelled ’’dark’’ does not necessarily have these benefits.”

Exercise is better than dieting for weight loss – False

“It is easier to reduce energy intake by a given amount than to increase energy expenditure by the same amount. Reducing intake by 1000 calories a day, for example, is the equivalent of walking an extra 15 kilometres daily. For this reason, dieting is more likely to be successful in the early stages of a weight-loss program. But exercise is important in weight loss and it may be more important than dieting in the maintenance stage, after effective weight loss. And both psychological and physiological factors must be considered, in which case neither exercise nor dieting is better than the other.”

A low-protein diet is best for weight loss – False

“The success of a weight-loss diet depends mainly on the total calories. Specific nutrients generally make little difference but some have advantages. Protein can increase the sensation of fullness, particularly in comparison to sugary, starchy carbohydrate foods. In the context of the modern high-calorie diet, a reasonable intake of protein is likely to be better for weight loss than a low-protein diet. The present protein intake of about 13 to 15 per cent of total energy is well below the estimated 25 to 30 per cent often proposed for weight loss and a healthy diet.”

Fat people don’t get more hungry than lean people – True

“It is difficult to evaluate a subjective feeling such as hunger among individuals, but research indicates hunger is not a distinguishing factor in obesity. Much overeating has a psychological and environmental, rather than physiological, basis and hence there is little reason to believe in a difference in genuine hunger – as distinct from psychologically conditioned ‘appetite’ – between slim and overweight people.”

Swimming is better than walking for weight loss – False

“In general, the best exercises for weight loss are those that are weight-bearing, such as walking or jogging. Up to 30 per cent less energy is used in activities such as swimming or cycling, which support weight and can be carried out at a more leisurely pace. Because fat floats, an obese individual is likely to use relatively less energy while swimming, particularly if that person is an experienced swimmer. This does not negate the benefits of swimming as an exercise but reduces its relative effectiveness for fat loss compared with walking.”

Weight lifting is good for fat loss – True

“In general, any form of exercise involving energy expenditure has benefit for weight loss. Resistance training is often underrated and considered only for the development of strength or size. However, where large muscles or muscle groups are used – or in resistance training using light weights at high repetitions – weight lifting can be effective for weight loss as well as muscle strengthening.”

The best measure of body fat is body mass index – False

“Body mass index – a ratio of weight to height – does not correlate well with fatness in individuals. Body mass index is less accurate in people with a more muscular body type, some ethnic groups such as Pacific Islanders, and the elderly, whose height shrinks with age. This can lead to unrealistic goal weights. Waist circumference and some other body measures, or bioimpedance analysis, provide better estimates of body fat.”

You lose more weight doing exercise you are good at – False

“Individuals become more efficient and expend less energy as they become experienced with a particular form of exercise. A fit, experienced runner, for example, requires less energy to cover a set distance than an unfit individual of the same weight, age and gender. Weight loss requires excess energy expenditure, which comes more from activities with which an individual is not so familiar.”

An obese person can be fit and healthy – True

“While fitness and fatness are usually inversely linked, studies have shown that many active individuals can maintain good health irrespective of body weight. There is also accumulating evidence that a significant proportion of obese individuals do not suffer the damaging metabolic effects from their extra weight that might be expected, while a significant proportion of lean individuals do suffer such health problems. This has led to new questions about the effects of obesity as a marker, rather than a cause, of disease.”

So how did you do?

renee 23 November, 2009

Well – initially I thought I did quite well at this… WRONG! Especially the nutrition information! It really is a complex area – thanks for clarifying many food myths and also getting me to really think about some of these very common claims!

Caitlin 23 November, 2009

Here are my answers. Some of my answers needed to be heavily qualified.

1. Fruit juice is about as fattening as beer – TRUE

Or at least the statement ‘fruit juice has about as many calories per 100ml as beer’ is true. I’m not sure calories is the ONLY factor in whether something is fattening though

2. Humans need eight glasses of water per day – FALSE

This is often stated but it’s an over-simplification. It’s based on how much water is needed in the human body but the water can come in the form of high-water foods such as vegetables, not just in the form of a ‘glass of water’. It also depends on the size of the person and how much water they lose through heat and activity. However, 8 glasses of water is a moderate and healthy amount so there’s no harm in it.

3. Dairy products can help weight loss – TRUE
It depends – they can also hinder it if you eat the wrong kind!

4. A low protein diet is best for weight loss – FALSE High protein diets provide more protein than is really needed but it can help you to feel full for longer and therefore eat less. 5. Fat people don’t get more hungry than lean people – FALSE

The more you weigh, the more calories you need to maintain weight. You get hungry when you eat fewer calories than you need.

6. Chocolate is healthy provided it’s dark – TRUE

In moderation.

Exercise statements

1. Exercise is better than dieting for weight loss – FALSE
Exercise is good for you regardless of weight loss. It does burn calories (as long as you don’t compensate by eating more) and it does boost your metabolism but it’s diet that makes the biggest difference.

2. Swimming is better than walking for weight loss – FALSE

Really it depends – my heart rate is higher when I’m swimming than when I’m walking, so for me swimming and/or running are better than walking for the same period of time. Most people are pretty efficient at walking but a brisk walk will get the heart rate up for most. I think this depends on the person. I read somewhere that you get hungrier after a swim than after a walk or run though.

3. Weight lifting is good for fat loss – FALSE
Weight lifting doesn’t directly cause fat loss. However, it helps build muscle and having muscle helps burn fat, so indirectly it helps.

4. The best measure of body fat is body mass index – FALSE
It’s a flawed measure anyway but it doesn’t measure body fat at all.

5. You lose more weight doing exercise you are good at – FALSE
If you’re good at it, then you get quite efficient and therefore burn fewer calories. That’s why cross-training is good to avoid reaching a plateau.

6. An obese person can be fit and healthy – TRUE