If you’re confused about what diet you should eat, you’re not alone. For the past fifty years, a variety of special interest groups has been waging war against the public, putting out contradictory evidence that seems to negate received dietary wisdom.
What’s going on here is very similar to what happened with the tobacco industry. Companies in the food industry commission studies to provide headline findings that support the consumption of whatever food items they’re trying to sell, be it meat, sugar, candy, dairy products, or oils. While mainstream science discovered that many of these foods were bad for us when consumed in excess many years ago, the controversy rages on. The publication of industry-funded science gives the impression that there is some kind of debate as to whether certain foods are healthy when, in reality, the discussion is over.
Many fad diets are based on dubious science. Gurus take ideas from the literature and then use these to craft eating plans that purport to help people lose weight and get the bodies that they want. The problem is that a lot of the science is phony and not a reflection of reality. It’s just not true that you can eat fat and meat all day and be healthy.
If you’re confused about diet, check out the following infographic. It teaches you how to spot fad diets based on untrustworthy science and which diets scientists know for sure are healthy for most people, most of the time. As always, be sensible with what you put in your body.
Information by USC