The realm of weight loss is one where beliefs and myths abound. It seems everyone from the public to expert dietitians have views and beliefs around the causes of obesity, with these not always being supported by good science. Coming from a firm scientific evidence footing, an eminent group of 20 respected obesity researchers scoured […]
Had your 8 glasses of water today? Time to bust this myth
If I had to nominate one pervasive myth in nutrition, it would be the popular advice that we should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Of course our bodies need water, otherwise we would die from dehydration. But the amount needed is extremely variable and depends on a person’s body size, physical […]
Gaining weight? Don’t blame your slow metabolism
Blaming weight gain on a slow metabolism is a common catch cry from many struggling to lose weight. Most people though would be better blaming the food they’re eating, or the exercise they’re not doing, as the real culprit. First, let’s consider the term ‘metabolism’. It means the process by which the body converts food […]
Hyperactive kids? Don’t blame sugar
The connection between sugar and hyperactivity is one of the most popular food-behaviour myths going around, yet it is one that has been well and truly busted by science. Where there’s sugar, there must be hyperactive kids – or so says conventional wisdom. Science says otherwise. Any parent would tell you that seeing children fuelling […]
Superfoods: more like a supermyth
‘Superfoods’ is a widely used catch-all phrase used in the marketing of exotic (and normally expensive) fruits and vegetables. But just what exactly makes a food ‘super’? ‘Superfood’ has no meaning among nutrition scientists – the people that know the most about the science of food. The word has no legal definition, so anyone can […]