To think there's a growing amount of people who think food can fix everything?

[StructuredChaos]

Was listening to some ZOE podcasts, and love eating healthy foods myself, so it isn't a criticism of nutrition awareness. I'm a bit of a cooking nerd so love all of this stuff and finding new recipes, but I am noticing more and more people who seem to believe that eating low upf and fresh fruit and veg can add 'decades' to a human lifespan.

It certainly won't shorten it!
Surely this is an oversimplification, though?

I have always eaten in a kind of 'ZOE' way, and whilst I don't have any metabolic disease, weight problems or other issues, I am not so confident that I am going to outlive my peers due to this. It's something I can control, yes, and that's great, but I think it's deceptive to think we won't ever get cancer, heart disease, dementia or auto immune diseases if we eat in a 'clean' or ideal way.

Not to mention the 'ideal' keeps bloody changing!

I don't think life is that simple at all, even though I do champion healthy, fresh diets.
I see people who claim their spots, headaches, IBS, brain fog, joint aches and other issues immediately cease when they start eating fresh fruit and veg, or low histamine, or low inflammatory diets...... What puzzles me, as someone who has always enjoyed high fibre and fresh foods, is how nebulous those symptoms are, and not very well understood by GP's.
It allows for all manner of snake oil claims online, since the placebo effect is strong.

Just saw a vid with Tim Spector claiming that eating the ZOE way will certainly add 10 extra healthy years to your life. So if we use myself as an example of this, it doesn't take into account my familial heart disease, stroke risk, potential genetic cancers, and a world of non food related risks, of which there are countless examples.

It reminds me of those people who think they will never get ill because they don't smoke. Neither did my parents, but they died before their time (sepsis and vascular dementia).

I’ve seen a few articles recently about this (not CH specifically). Extreme amounts of exercise is a huge stress on the body and isn’t a way to extend lifespan. As with most things, moderation is better.

I don't know about 'most people' but I do sneak a look at other people's trolleys in the supermarket and there is an awful lot of rubbish in them. I also see all the fast food places on the High Street and the amount of associated litter at the side of the road. I have to conclude that a lot of people do eat a lot of crap food.

Same. I can’t believe how badly some people eat with everything that we know these days! We shop at Lidl and just buy real food and cook from scratch. It’s not expensive.

I do exactly the same - but at Aldi!

On the subject of 'other people's trolleys' I am often surprised how good the things are, as MN set me up to find horrors of upf spilling out of everyone's checkout belt
No matter their class, weight or financial situation, most I see buy a good amount of fresh veg and fruit.

As for ZOE and my earlier posts, I actually carried on watching more of their videos.
And even though I agree that the biome research is extremely exciting, I do feel like I am being played by the hosts. These are very wealthy entrepreneurs and extremely slick about it, and as usual their target purchaser is the middle aged female (75% members are women) with complex dieting backgrounds.

These members finance the research, which isn't surprising to an extent, but test subjects are often reimbursed, not scraped for cash.
Aren't' they clever? lol.

I am not sure where I read about it now, but I was also informed that they sell the personal health data to private health insurance companies in the US. I can't confirm if this is legitimate info but worth looking into if you are a member.

I just feel that there is something every so slightly off with ZOE.
And whilst I love their tips about health and gut science, I can't quite put my finger on why I feel like I am being either patronised or grifted.

This doesn't mean their advice is 'wrong', though.

I'm wondering which supermarkets you go to? I see trolleys full of bread, burgers, crisps, cakes, cereals, biscuits, fizzy drinks... And that seems much the same wherever I shop - although admittedly it's a bit better in Sainsbury's and I don't shop at Waitrose.

Oh please. You see full trolleys with no fresh produce? As the poster above said it’s totally normal for people to move around the supermarket getting their fresh fruit and veg, meat, dairy, frozen and then moving onto dried goods.

It’s bizarre to pretend that “most” people do not purchase fresh goods or outrageous levels of junk through your observations alone. Fresh foods are literally 1/3 of any supermarket. Why would the supermarket sell them if only the tiny and perfect population of Mumsnet eat well and the rest survive on rustlers burgers and skips?! 🤨

I didn't say 'most' people and yes, I see trolleys with very little fresh produce. I wasn't presuming that my observations were representative either. And I'm certainly not perfect. I do wonder how you know that fresh foods 'are literally 1/3 of any supermarket'. Is that by volume, area, weight? And how much is wasted (thrown away by the supermarket)?

You probably don’t see trolleys with very little produce, you just want to. Even so, it does not represent the way the majority of people shop

I frequently see trolleys full to the brim with Frosties, Peperami, Fanta, Pop Tarts, and packets of Haribo. And nothing else.

🙄

I dunno about Zoe ive never heard of it but I find this whole thing about UPFs a bit over the top. I follow one person on instagram who talks about them so therefore loads of similar influencers come up on my feed. Yes people shouldn’t be over relying on upfs and especially heavily processed ones but they are not all equal. It’s like an obsession to the point of ridiculousness. Nothing wrong with a few frozen chips or fish fingers in moderation I say.

Yeah, I imagine all the fresh products they sell rots so they just throw it all out at closing time 😭

Have a look at the latest results of the Diet and Nutrition Survey if you're interested in seeing their most recent data re dietary habits and nutrient intake in the UK. In brief, the UK consumes:

Far below the recommended 5 a day target.
Far too much sugar
Far too much sat fat
Far too much salt
Far too little fibre

The report was published on data gathered between 2019 and 2023. The recent cost of living crisis has caused further degradation of people's eating habits as more people are opting for cheaper, less nutritious and processed foods.

That has no relation to a trolley full of junk food, and does nothing to prove the existence of it.

So if people are consuming too much fat, salt and sugar, and not eating enough fibre or fruit and veg, then what do you suppose they are buying? What is your definition of 'junk' food?

so do you think, based on what you’ve written there- (love the authority of “the latest diet and nutrition survey as though it’s the DSM-5 btw) that most people in the supermarket buy no fresh food?

you don’t, do you?

I posted details of the Diet and Nutrition Survey as I thought it would help to provide useful insight into what people are, and are not eating. The survey is commissioned by both The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) -part of the Department of Health and Social Care, and The Food Standards Agency (FSA).
You don't have to accept their findings, but I'm not sure where you could find more relevent and up to date data? Feel free to post it if you can; I'd be interested to see it.

As I said in the comment you quoted, my experience ISN'T representative! And it's not that I don't want to see trolleys full of fresh food! I'm struggling to understand why you've replied to my comment in the way you did. There is an obesity crisis. Companies have a vested interest in making a profit out of us so they make cheap and addictive foods. Every High Street is full of fast food places, cafés and restaurants. Now tell me that everybody is eating a healthy diet.

So where are these people getting their unhealthy diet from? The cognitive dissonance here is off the scale. Why are people trying to claim that most people are filling their trolleys with fresh fruit and vegetables and eating healthy diets, and yet there's an obesity crisis and so many people on, or wanting, weight loss medication?

Well, quite.

ill use myself as an example shall I?!

today I have eaten

all bran
coffee
bagel
cheese
3 plums
Quiche
peas
carrots

Today I have not eaten my 5 a day ☹️ I have hit my fibre targets ( there not much fibre in fruit and veg FYI) and I have eaten a mix of fresh and processed food

NO WONDER WE HAVE AN OBESITY CRISIS - I am not obese or overweight and never have been.

how do you reckon my weekly trolley looks?! And what can you tell about my health by it?

Tbf trollies arent the whole diet. I get my fruit and veg delivered by Oddbox or Abel and Cole so you wouldn’t see it in my trolley.

What on earth has your trolley or your diet got to do with it? Your example is one single person. I was talking about the population in general (who have an obesity crisis, which is well evidenced and acknowledged by the government.) I didn't say YOU are obese or unhealthy. But you are not representative of the general population.

Also, there is loads of fibre in fruit and vegetables so you're wrong there.

No, you are backing up a poster who says most people eat crap because she looks at their trollies (adding you conclude from your own trolly observations people eat a lot of crap) and you don’t seem to recognise how bonkers you sound. Trollies in supermarkets? You’re having a laugh.