Post by Alena on Dec 27, 2006 13:04:08 GMT -5
From www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/features/dietmyths.htm:
Myth 1
Cholesterol is bad for you, low or zero-fat diets are good for you.
Fact
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made mostly by the liver.
Myth 2
Crash dieting or fasting makes you lose weight.
Fact
This can be true in the short term but as Claire MacEvilly, nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation, explains it can have negative side effects on cholesterol levels.
Myth 3
Food eaten late at night is more fattening.
Fact
Many diets tell you not to eat after a certain time in the evening in the belief that the body will store more fat because it is not burned off with any activity.
Myth 4
Vegetarians can't build muscle.
Fact
Vegetarians can be equally as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein from vegetable products like nuts, pulses and grains.
Side note from Alena: vegans and vegetarians can be found in the athletic world too!
Myth 5
A slow metabolism prevents weight loss.
Fact
This is a common myth among overweight people trying to manage their weight. Studies have shown that resting metabolism, which is the number of calories used by the body at rest, increases rather than decreases as people become fatter.
Myth 6
Fattening foods make for rapid weight gain.
Fact
Believe it or not, true weight gain is a slow process.
Myth 7
Low-fat milk has less calcium than full-fat milk.
Fact
Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk actually have more calcium, says Harley Street nutritionist Alison Sullivan, because the calcium is in the watery part, not the creamy part.
Myth 8
Low-fat foods help you lose weight.
Fact
'Low-fat' or 'fat-free' doesn't necessarily mean low calorie or calorie-free, warns Lyndel Costain.
Myth 9
You always gain weight when you stop smoking.
Fact
When people stop smoking, some gain weight, some lose and some stay the same.
Myth 10
Bananas are fattening.
Fact
They are actually low in fat. There is only half a gram of fat and 95 calories in a banana.
Myth 1
Cholesterol is bad for you, low or zero-fat diets are good for you.
Fact
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made mostly by the liver.
Myth 2
Crash dieting or fasting makes you lose weight.
Fact
This can be true in the short term but as Claire MacEvilly, nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation, explains it can have negative side effects on cholesterol levels.
Myth 3
Food eaten late at night is more fattening.
Fact
Many diets tell you not to eat after a certain time in the evening in the belief that the body will store more fat because it is not burned off with any activity.
Myth 4
Vegetarians can't build muscle.
Fact
Vegetarians can be equally as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein from vegetable products like nuts, pulses and grains.
Side note from Alena: vegans and vegetarians can be found in the athletic world too!
Myth 5
A slow metabolism prevents weight loss.
Fact
This is a common myth among overweight people trying to manage their weight. Studies have shown that resting metabolism, which is the number of calories used by the body at rest, increases rather than decreases as people become fatter.
Myth 6
Fattening foods make for rapid weight gain.
Fact
Believe it or not, true weight gain is a slow process.
Myth 7
Low-fat milk has less calcium than full-fat milk.
Fact
Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk actually have more calcium, says Harley Street nutritionist Alison Sullivan, because the calcium is in the watery part, not the creamy part.
Myth 8
Low-fat foods help you lose weight.
Fact
'Low-fat' or 'fat-free' doesn't necessarily mean low calorie or calorie-free, warns Lyndel Costain.
Myth 9
You always gain weight when you stop smoking.
Fact
When people stop smoking, some gain weight, some lose and some stay the same.
Myth 10
Bananas are fattening.
Fact
They are actually low in fat. There is only half a gram of fat and 95 calories in a banana.