to think some people overreact about fasting?

[HazelMember]

I was listening to Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast and he mentioned a few times that whenever he talks about fasting, there is always a bit of a backlash.

He does say quite clearly that it is not for everyone, and that people should do what works for them, but apparently every time he brings it up there is still a pushback and people getting quite upset about it. He didn't go into the reasons why people are reacting this way.

There is a lot of research now supporting the benefits of fasting. Many people of different faiths have been fasting for years so there is good evidence it is beneficial.

Obviously there are exceptions and it will not be suitable for everyone but that is true of most health approaches.

It just made me wonder why it seems to trigger such a strong reaction. No one is being forced to do it and he is not presenting it as a one size fits all solution.

I wonder whether people are getting offended as it may be a willpower issue.

AIBU to think the reaction is a bit over the top?

I don’t care if people fast or not but those who do often seem a bit smug about it.

I think a key problem is that advice to fast, if not properly delivered and understood, can encourage EDs in those who tend towards disordered eating.

I think that greedy people just can't get their heads around it

He didn't go into the reasons why people are reacting this way.

The thread's a bit pointless without this information though.

Some people overreact to everything, so without knowing why they're doing it, I wouldn't give them another thought 🤷‍♂️

I thought he was an advocate of intermittent fasting. It’s hardly controversial or ‘backlash’ worthy.

I don’t call it fasting, but I always have at least 16 hours in a 24 hour period where I don’t eat. It’s only because I never eat breakfast 🤷‍♀️

But if people want to do it they can, why does the subject need to come up for anyone to be offended, as you call it?

Are they asking you about it? Why are people so obsessed with food and diet and weight, offended no but incredibly bored with it all but am curious why you think people are offended ?

It is like people who have discovered giving up smoking no one cares but the smoker

I don't have any interest in diets or weight loss culture, and "intermittent fasting" always seemed to me to be one of those bonkers borderline-unhealthy things that those people do. The phrase sounds quite extreme. Turns out I occasionally do it accidentally - I can't eat before I go running otherwise I get stomach cramps, so if I don't run until midday I guess I've "intermittently fasted" without realising? I wouldn't do it for its own sake though.

Crack on if you want to to do it, but don’t tell me about it. I have a friend who texts me at the start of every fast day, so dull.

There may be some truth in this!

Same.

I've been 'fasting' since I stopped eating breakfast around the age of 11.

I don't eat breakfast because I can't, due to never being hungry in the mornings.

So I eat dinner at 6pm and lunch the next day at 12pm.

Apparently this means I 'fast' for 18 hours 🤷‍♂️

As long as the faster doesn't expect non-fasters to not eat around them and doesn't go on about it then surely we can all just keep out of each others eating habits.

I see both sides. I personally find fasting immensely helpful (I do 16/8 method).

It has really helped me lose weight and for my health. I am very pro fasting.

However, I joined a fasting group on Facebook and promptly left because it was utterly batshit and very dysfunctional. People were handwringing because they'd had a hot water with lemon and self flagellating because there might be calories in the lemon and maybe they'd have to start their fast all over again and OMG how awful of me, I feel so guilty about it etc. Then some people would come on to tell them they werent taking it seriously and how dare they have lemon in their water and to fuck off if they werent going to do it properly etc

It was really balmy and made me think that fasting does tend to attract people who are a bit all or nothing. So, I do it, but I stay well away from groups like that because they can be very dysfunctional and evangelistic.

One Man’s fasting is another man’s disordered starvation periods. If a teenage girl suddenly wouldn’t eat for whole days at a time and said she was fasting everyone would say she had an ED. But if a grown man or woman does it suddenly it’s just discipline?

Constructive. 🙄

I don’t see 16/8 as fasting. That’s just having breakfast late and dinner early.

Fasting is fantastic. I do a 3 day fast now and again for autophagy.

I do mine differently - I eat between 8am- 4pm. Never eat after 4, (often I stop around 2-3pm) Its transformed my sleep quality completely and I sleep so well now

Then you just eat early, to me fasting would be going an entire day or more without calories intentionally. Hence why yours is called intermittent fasting not just fasting.

Why are you arguing when she's said it works for her?

I mean, OK, I am not sure why that meaningfully changes anything or why you seem so pedantic/picky about it.

It's still a helpful method for people that maybe can't realistically or medically do entire days without eating. 🤷‍♀️

Oh God, you are on that Facebook group arent you? 😂

Because the question is why do people react badly to fasting. The answer is because it is starvation which is a disordered eating behaviour, however not eating for one evening isn’t starvation… so the definition of fasting specifically explains why some see it as a tool and others see it as dangerous.

Because the question is why do people react badly to fasting not does it help with weight loss/stabilisation…

anorexics also think their tactics ‘work for them’ fyi.

Fasting just means not eating for a period of time. It’s not defined by how extreme it is or whether it’s common. 16/8 is usually classed as time-restricted eating, which sits at the mild end of intermittent fasting. Plenty of people might do something similar naturally, but doing it deliberately as a structure is still a method.

By that logic, walking isn’t legit exercise because people do it anyway in the course of their day. 16/8 is just the mild end of intermittent fasting, it being common doesnt mean its not a good method to use.