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 think it’s unfair to suggest that sensible fasting encourages eating disorders. If you want to target eating disorders then it’s media portrayals of beauty standards you need to be going after, not fasting.

If fasting encourages eating disorders then so does the gym because many people with eating disorders exercise excessively as a way of trying desperately to lose weight. Should we ban gym memberships? What about weight loss injections? - there are people that abuse them too and lie online to get hold of them so let’s ban them too. They shouldn’t be talked about either.

I find it bizarre that people are focusing only on fasting but not other weight loss methods that people with EDs are known use to abuse

Fast or don't fast. It should be a private matter, the oversharing by some is inappropriate.

Many binge rather than fast anyway. Ramadan for example, a massive feast before dawn and a massive feast at dusk. Same calories over a 24hr period just done at different times. It's no hardship.

You could say that about anything WLI, keto and everything else people bang on about. Even politics.

The chap in question doesn't bang on about any one thing. He considers a range of different perspectives and then say do what works for you.

I think that some people will hide an ED behind this for sure.

It’s a racism issue.

That doesn't mean fasting itself is the issue. People with disordered eating can latch onto almost anything. Clean eating, cutting carbs, obsessively tracking calories, over-exercising, lying about having eaten.

The research shows it is hugely beneficial to health and longevity.

Those really long fasts you see mentioned are not what most people are doing day to day. Most people talking about fasting are doing something much more basic and structured.

Sitting at dinner with a glass of water could be a red flag in one context, but in another it’s just someone sticking to a plan they’ve chosen and then eating normally later. You can't make judgements for one snapshot.

The key difference is what’s going on overall. Are they eating properly outside of that window, are they physically okay, is there anxiety or secrecy around food. That is what separates fasting from disordered eating, not just the act of not eating for a period of time.

I think dieting is like religion or politics, you should only ever discuss it with people you are 100% sure are on the same page as you

For what it's worth I do intermittent fasting because it helps enormously with my ibs....I think l I've only ever discussed it with a GP though

I find it bizarre that people are focusing only on fasting but not other weight loss methods that people with EDs are known use to abuse

I think that is probably the reason for the backlash whenever Rangan mentions fasting. People jump to disordered eating when there are multiple ways people choose to hide disordered eating.

Huge benefits of fasting as detailed here:

https://www.bluezones.com/2018/10/fasting-for-health-and-longevity-nobel-prize-winning-research-on-cell-aging/

Plenty of people hide behind all sorts of things to hide an ED. That is nothing new. Anything can be abused.

It doesn't stop fasting being hugely beneficial to health.

I eat one meal a day.

I don’t go on about it, but I lost 16 stone and reversed a load of health issues, so people ask me.

It’s like I’ve told them I eat kittens.

I will definitely die from eating once a day. They said nothing when I was pushing 30 stone and cramming greggs into my face all day, but yes, eating one meal a day of unprocessed food is what going to end me.

And when I say they ask me, it’s usually becuase they are accusing me of WLS or jabs, and getting angry because I won’t “admit” to doing something I haven’t. So of course, I have to tell them it’s fasting. Then they tell me I will die or that I have an ED, I can’t fucking win.

Plenty of people fast for health reasons. They are not doing it for weight loss but for autophagy.

It is upto people what they share. It doesn't have to be kept private. We don't say to people don't talk about WLIs. People I know are very open about being on WLIs. Nobody says shut up, it's a private matter.

Many binge rather than fast anyway. Ramadan for example, a massive feast before dawn and a massive feast at dusk. Same calories over a 24hr period just done at different times. It's no hardship.

Some might but Ramadan fasting has great health benefits:

https://www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

Yes, I suspect this is mostly the reason. The very same people also go on and on about how fasting cures all ailments and abundantly cite research carried out on rodents. Do it if you like it, don't do it if you don't. Either way it's not some miracle or panacea it's often claimed to be.

has this issue now overtaken your “concern” regarding WLI @HazelMember

You seem to spend a lot of time thinking about people losing weight. Bit odd

We will have to be more precise here. What this research shows is that Ramadan MAY (small study, not enough statistical power for any strong conclusions) be beneficial for people with existing metabolic disorders. We can't extrapolate to healthy people. We can't even say with any degree of confidence that it is true. Which is why researches are looking to confirm the findings with RCT.
Reporting like this is very common and, unfortunately, overinflates the significance of the actual study. But, at least, it wasn't done on mice...

I think the attitude is not limited to intermittent fasting. People feel entitled to opinions on what and how people eat.

I've encountered it for fasting, low-sugar, WLIs etc. Heard people saying it's unhealthy etc. etc.

I have gone low sugar (as in cutting out added sugar) mainly to help with a chronic illness, although I do have some weight to lose. I've done it before, felt so much benefit for my joint pain but found it really, really difficult in social situations and it certainly contributed to me eating more sugar again. I would say that I wasn't having extra sugar, and would get back, oh but for how long? that's a bit miserable, surely you can have a drink or two, just a bit of cake won't hurt, isn't that a bit extreme ... and so on.

This time I'm just not saying anything about cutting out sugar - just that I'm full, I can't manage dessert, that I might have a bit of cake later etc. and am getting no pushback whatsoever this time.

i have seen posters on her on 72 hr + fasts. Some even for a week.
if gives those with disordered eating an “exuse” to not be eating. I know when I was in the thick of it a massive part was making sure others didn’t think you had a problem. Fasting gives someone a reason to be sitting at dinner with a glass of water with everyone else thinking you’re acting reasonably.

I've known of people abuse laxatives to lose weight, to abuse diabetes medication (insulin) to lose weight - there is literally a disorder called diabulimia where people abuse their insulin meds to lose weight, people develop exercise addictions etc That doesnt mean insulin or laxatives or exercise when used properly is harmful.

Also, people with eating disorders and also addicts are two groups of people who lie the most convincingly. Ive seen people with ED tell absolute whoppers about how theyve "just eaten" or "ate like a pig for lunch so are going to avoid dinner"- they dont need fasting to lie about their eating patterns, they know all the tricks

It triggers a strong reaction because a) people who do it constantly bang on about it and evangelise, b) it's just another way of reducing calorie intake, which you could do without fasting and c) making claims about fasting having health benefit is like catnip to people with eating disorders.

If you want to fast, that's fine. Just get on with it and stop feeling the need to promote it.

I think this attitude explains the backlash. And yes, I have fasted.
I just don't arrogantly think that only " greedy people" have an issue with it.
Seriously listen to yourself.

I couldn’t care less what people choose to do if it’s not hurting them or people around them.
What has been irritating, however, is people who are fasting and are in a shitty mood because of it (due to low sugar levels presumably) so then it does become everyone else’s problem once they are being unnecessarily rude or snappy.

You say no holier-than-thou undertones yet in your opening post you say it’s because people have no will power and later agree with a poster that it’s due to people being greedy. That’s pretty judgmental don’t you think?

Did I say it is because of willpower?

The words I used:

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

I used the word MAY.

To the second poster I said:

There may be some truth in this!

Again I used the word MAY.

Try reading.

Plenty of people can be a shitty mood because of dieting that is non fasting related.

My colleague at work doesn't fast but is hangry every few hours.

It obviously up to anyone what they share. Thr post is fasting is usually some spiritual religious thing in which case keep it private, between them and their god surely.

As I said they'll have had a massive feast for breakfast. Missing a sarnie at lunchtime is no biggie with all those calories already consumed.

making claims about fasting having health benefit is like catnip to people with eating disorders.

By that logic, you’d have to ban talking about pretty much every aspect of health. Calorie tracking, healthy eating, weight loss, exercise. All of it can be “catnip” to someone with an eating disorder. The issue is with the disorder not fasting.

Fasting isn’t something people with ED invented to avoid food. It’s been around for centuries in different cultures and religions, Most people who do it are not doing it in a disordered way.

https://www.bluezones.com/2018/10/fasting-for-health-and-longevity-nobel-prize-winning-research-on-cell-aging/

Amazing research on the benefits of fasting.