Baffled at BBC news report "limit red meat to reduce obesity"

[GoldenKelpie]

I think it is linked to that recent ridiculous EAT Lancet report funded by billionnaire donors who want everyone to turn vegan .

I personally found that limiting carbohydrates, particularly all processed carbohydrates, sugar, starch and grains, enabled me to finally kick obesity to the kerb three years ago. For good, i.e. I am maintaining a 100lb fat loss as a result of doing this. Other side effects include great digestion now, no bloating, and no sleepiness after meals, and even better, normal stable insulin levels.

That meant increasing animal proteins and fats and the side effect from doing this was I naturally began eating less (didn't need to break my fast until lunchtime, for example, as not hungry) and didn't need to snack in between meals any more.

So, I have found that red meat (and fish and eggs) has helped me cure my obesity, not caused it. What is going on with demonising red meat, and lumping it in with "processed meat" whatever that is. I don't eat "processed meat" and prefer a nice juicy rare steak.

[2019Dancerz]

How many people can afford a nice steak on a daily basis? That’s not the meat usually eaten.

[Impicciona]

If everyone switched to almost carnivore diet we would fix the environment completely.

The density of calories in fat means that a juicy rib eye with eggs will keep you fuller for much longer ergo you eat less. We would need less land to feed people than if everyone was vegetarian.

Have you heard of Dr. Peter Ballerstedt OP?

[Rogueaccountant]

Which meat is the bad stuff that makes you fat then?

[itsallgravybaby]

It's not necessarily the meat, but the nitrates used to preserve the meat and keep it looking lovely and red.

I always check the packet and 9/10 times it contains nitrates - that's the stuff you have to limit.

You can buy nitrate-free, but it's pricey!

[Rogueaccountant]

Ok so you reckon nitrates make you obese?

[kikisparks]

@Impicciona that’s ridiculous. What would you be feeding the animals? And don’t say grass because you know there’s insufficient space to graze all the animals you’d need (plus chickens- for eggs- can’t just eat grass). And in any event even grass fed animals are a net contributor to climate change:

www.fcrn.org.uk/projects/grazed-and-confused

The idea that you’d feed more people because they’d feel fuller and eat less makes no sense either. We’d need to all maintain our daily calorie limit. Plus we’d be missing out on numerous vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Every study (even those not funded by the grain lobby, which I’m not sure if EAT Lancet was but I think that’s the criticism) has shown a plant based diet is best:

citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.511.7351&rep=rep1&type=pdf

www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/WWF_AppetiteForDestruction_Summary_Report_SignOff.pdf

[Impicciona]

Of course grass... Read something other than vegan propaganda.

Meet, beef particularly, is rich in vitamins and minerals IF the cows are fed a natural diet (not grain fed). There are 9 calories per gram of fat versus 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate therefore you eat less volume to get full eating more fat.

I've been keto 3 years, the volume of food I eat has been been quartered so I can afford to spend money on steak because I'm eating less overall.

[kikisparks]

link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10584-014-1169-1

[kikisparks]

@Impicciona it’s not vegan propaganda. If it was, they’d recommend a plant based diet, which all the research points to, but instead they just say “reduce”.

How much grazing land would be needed to ensure everyone gets enough calories on meat alone? And how are you feeding the chickens to get the eggs? And where do you get your vit C? Potassium? Folate? Fibre?

Also you have answered OP’s question- the reason a reduction in meat will reduce obesity is meat has more calories per gram.

[kikisparks]

If you can show me a study I’ll happily read it if you read those I posted and tell me how they are propaganda.

[anniehm]

Some red meat is fine but you need vegetables (in a variety of colours) to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. We eat too much, that's the main problem - average portions of meat have doubled in the last 25 years. Yes protein keeps you full but the higher fat content is storing up problems in your arteries.

The best diet is a healthy mixed one with portion control and lots of vegetables and very little processed foods as they are high in the bad things (often). I love a steak but eaten every day it's not healthy.

[Beerflavourednipples]

If everyone switched to almost carnivore diet we would fix the environment completely.

Can you back up this claim, because everything I have read says the opposite?

[Joinourclub]

If everyone switched to almost carnivore diet we would fix the environment completely.

What a ridiculous statement.

[SinceYouAskMe]

Impicciona your intake may have been quartered (on less calories) but having just helped DS with his ecology revision I’ve learned that you lose 90% of volume at each point in the food chain. Apart from small scale wild fishing and a very limited amount of wild pastured sheep and goats on areas unsuitable for agriculture the science is clear: the more meat we eat the less chance we have of feeding everyone successfully (and not destroying unique ecosystems).

[itsallgravybaby]

@Rogueaccountant
Sorry not woken up, for some reason I thought this was about it being carcinogenic. I'll excuse myself and have some coffee!!

[SinceYouAskMe]

And I hate to think what impicciona’s lack of fibre intake is doing to her digestive tract.

[greenelephantscarf]

op your diet sounds unhealthy and unsustainable.
glad you lost weight, but at what price to your health?

[Nothisispatrick]

I guess if we switched to a carnivore diet we would all die much younger, thus solving the overpopulation issue.

[Nothisispatrick]

How do you not know what processed meat is?

[HavelockVetinari]

We would need less land to feed people than if everyone was vegetarian.

Congratulations! You win the stupidest comment of the day (and it's only just after 8am)!

[SherlockSays]

Most ridiculous thread ever

It's very well known (and has been for a LONG time) that we should be reducing the amount of meat - particularly red meat that we consume.

Not only for us, but for the planet.

[RJnomore1]

It used to be well known that smoking was good for your health.

And that eggs increased your chance of a heart attack.

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong here as I'm not informed enough re land use but I do know our increased use of quinoa and avocado causes issues in land use and food price in the countries they are grown.

Nothing is ever as clear cut as we are fed it to be (see what I did there)

[GoldenKelpie]

Wow, lots of responses and a wide variety of opinions. Thanks.

What is processed meat? I'd like to know what the report meant by 'processed meat. It's not clear. I am concerned that 'red meat by which I mean raw meat cut straight of an animal and then cooked and eaten, is being lumped in with other processed foods. I've noticed this before, its disingenuous.

I'll pop back later, got to leave for work.

[DippyAvocado]

MN is obsessed with low-carbing.

[greenelephantscarf]

just leaving this here