This week, I asked the social medias for a topic and I got 2 responses. First up is “Fad Diets.” Questions are from Chad (ChatGPT) and Bart (Gemini nee Bard), and some other guy. I was not sure where the questions would go for this, but I think they turned out well enough.
Onto the questions
1. Have you ever been tempted to try a fad diet? Which one and why?
One of the super-faddy of fad diets have ever caught my interest. There are some “Fad” diets out there that seem more like just diets packaged as trendy though. Those might work.
2. How do you distinguish between a legitimate dietary trend and a passing fad diet?
The reliance on branded and exclusive components to the diet are a big thing. If the diet requires some money to a specific corporation to work, it is most likely a cash grab.
3. Do you think the obsession with quick-fix diets undermines the importance of long-term lifestyle changes?
Of course. The only real change in someone’s life is a change in your life. Some diet are lifestyle changes. If the dieter actually changes their lifestyle, it will work, because it is no longer a temporary adjustment.
4. Can you share your thoughts on the cultural and societal pressures that contribute to the proliferation of fad diets?
There is a societal pressure to be thin, regardless of health. One can be healthy and not thin.
5. What advice would you offer to someone who is considering trying a fad diet?
Expend more calories than you take in.
6. Are juice cleanses a magic detox potion or glorified sugar water? Discuss.
I have actually done a 6 day juice cleanse. It was pretty amazing. I think it did a great job of temporarily detoxing my body. But it did not create any sort of lasting change. I saw the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and felt like I should give it a whirl. The lemon blueberry juice is honestly amazing.
7. What's the fad diet from history that makes you scratch your head the most?
Honestly the grapefruit thing from the 70’s/80’s. That one makes no sense. Grapefruits are one of the most acidic of the citrus fruits and constant cinsumnotion of acid does not do the body good.
8. Do you think fad diets have a place in a healthy lifestyle, or are they all hype?
I think they could be used as a kickstart to healthy lifestyle change, but they are not a panacea of societal and health issues.
9. What are some sustainable and realistic ways to achieve your health goals, beyond fad diets?
Expend more calories than you take in.
10. Do you think social media influencers pushing fad diets are helpful or harmful?
Harmful. Most influencers are just that, influencers. They do not have the expertise to credibly recommend anything, they just have social media clout. Bonus points if anyone remembers “Clout.”
11. Is weight watchers a fad diet?
Not the original version of it. The original version was about variety and portion control… the new version has products to buy… seems more dubious.
12. Write a haiku about the fleeting glory of a fad diet.
Okay… haiku… 5-7-5, right?!?
Grapefruit Diets are
Really bizarre due to the
Intense acid… ouch
13. What does our obsession with fad diets reveal about our relationship with food and our bodies?
I think it underlines the idea of quick fixes and wanting a magic bullet. Ozempic is a perfect example of this. It is a “magic pill” to make people lose weight without any effort of the person.
14. Are fad diets a symptom of a larger societal issue around quick fixes and instant gratification?
Isn’t that what I have said in a few of these questions? It is a quick fix to a problem that needs systemic change.
15. Can we redefine healthy eating to be less about deprivation and more about enjoyment?
In some ways, yes, but in otters. No. Allowing yourself to eat all the foods you typically do, but adding boatloads of vegetables and fruit to your diet is one way of reduce the intake of the less good things, but our bodies are designed to crave salt, fat, and sugar, because in the wild those are relatively rare high caloric foods, that could help us survive through the winter. We are in a post scarce society and therefore the biological need for salt, fat, and sweet is now detrimental to our lives. The drive for salt, fat, and sweet is a survival mechanism.
16. What if the ultimate fad diet was simply listening to your body and eating intuitively? Crazy, right?
There have been studies on toddlers and their eating practices indicating that if you let the toddler intuitively choose their own diet it evens out relatively healthy relatively quickly. Once the kids overstated on sweets, they gravitated to healthy food since they did not feel great.
17. In a world overflowing with diet advice, what's the most important thing to remember about your own health journey?
There is no destination for this journey. It is corny as hell, but it really is about the journey and the friends you made along the way
18. Is there any combination of fad and diet that you think might work?
Like Funko-Pop collecting and stirfry? I would imagine swing dancing and reasonable portion control?
19. You love cheesecake, could cheesecake be a fad diet?
An all cheesecake diet would kill me… and not in a pretty way.
20. Would you trust a historical figure to recommend a fad diet? Who and why?
Not Socrates… that did not go well for him.
To recap:
The LLM’s had an issue with this topic
I love calling ChatGPT, Chad
And I love calling Gemini, Bart
They just are not really that good at trying to be creative
I miss getting questions from real humans
They are much more clever
The LLM’s do not understand humor
Although Gemini did give it a good college try with this question (that I clearly did not use)
If your pet could be on a fad diet, what ridiculous trend would they follow? (Imagine a chihuahua on the Keto diet)
That’s Bart’s parenthetical, not mine… Chihuahua’s, as well as most dogs, could easily have a keto diet, Bart)
Next week’s topic is “Tulips”
Really unsure of how that one will get to a full on 20 Q’s
Get this drivel emailed to you
Stop clicking links like a barbarian
Still looking for a job, so if you know of someone looking for a remote UX Designer… send them my way
Even if they only need one temporarily
Contract work is good work
That Francis Scott Key Bridge thing is brutal
Also, most of my TikTok feed is all about “Quiet on the Set” right now…
That and Redit stories… I can’t quit Redit stories
I HAVE TO KNOIW WHAT YOU DID NEXT AFTER YOUR MOM DISOWNED YOU!!!
WHERE THE HELL IS PART 3!!!!
Seriously, where is Part 3
Have agreat week everyone