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My pet theory-without-evidence is that diets like keto or vegan succeed largely because they force people to radically reconsider every single thing they're eat

My pet theory-without-evidence is that diets like keto or vegan succeed largely because they force people to radically reconsider every single thing they're eating. When you impose harsh restrictions like "no animal products" you have to pay very close attention to everything you consume, which likely leads to more mindful eating and less passive consumption/overeating.

mumblemumble 7y ago
It's plenty easy to find vegan junk food. Pretty much any potato chip that doesn't have the name of a dairy product featured prominently on the label is going to be vegan. Go to most natural food stores, including Whole Foods, and you'll find far more shelf space being devoted to processed and junk foods than food that's actually healthy. Most of it with labels that work very hard to imply that sugar only has calories if it's made from something other than sugar cane. That said, you're not likely to find the vegan equivalent of Twinkies at your local bodega, and that is worth something. But I'm guessing that a bigger factor is that choosing to go vegan or low-carb or whatever is tantamount to deciding to join a food culture that places a much higher value on making better food choices, and there's nothing quite like peer pressure for changing one's behavior.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- 80386 7y ago
  > Most of it with labels that work very hard to imply that sugar only has calories if it's made from something other than sugar cane. I like the ingredient listings that say "cane juice".
  - 0xcde4c3db 7y ago
    There's a whole bunch of ingredients that are effectively just sugar, including such wholesome-sounding gems as "fruit juice concentrate".
    - collyw 7y ago
      Is that really just sugar? As I understand it most orange juice is concentrated before transport then rehydrated.
      - mumblemumble 7y ago
        It's not just sugar. There's the occasional vitamin in there, probably hunkered down in a bunker to hide from all the roving hordes of monosaccharides, like a sort of kindergarten health class film strip version of I Am Legend. But, as far as its culinary purpose goes, I suspect it ends to end up in processed foods because it's an additive you can use to sweeten the food while still being able to prominently claim "no sugar added" on the front of the box. I think legally you do have to cross your fingers behind your back while you do it, but it's not enforced. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a trick that even works well on people who like to hang out on the internet talking about how fructose is the devil.
      - 80386 7y ago
        Pear juice doesn't taste like much but sugar water, so it's often used as a sweetener in things that already contain fruit.
- collyw 7y ago
  True I have noticed a lot of girls who are vegetarian / vegan and still quite fat. I found it quite strange as I am a bit skinny and when I tried going vegetarian I lost weight. Turns out they eat a lot of chocolate and other crap food.

mumblemumble 7y ago

It's plenty easy to find vegan junk food. Pretty much any potato chip that doesn't have the name of a dairy product featured prominently on the label is going to be vegan. Go to most natural food stores, including Whole Foods, and you'll find far more shelf space being devoted to processed and junk foods than food that's actually healthy. Most of it with labels that work very hard to imply that sugar only has calories if it's made from something other than sugar cane. That said, you're not likely to find the vegan equivalent of Twinkies at your local bodega, and that is worth something. But I'm guessing that a bigger factor is that choosing to go vegan or low-carb or whatever is tantamount to deciding to join a food culture that places a much higher value on making better food choices, and there's nothing quite like peer pressure for changing one's behavior.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
80386 7y ago
> Most of it with labels that work very hard to imply that sugar only has calories if it's made from something other than sugar cane. I like the ingredient listings that say "cane juice".
- 0xcde4c3db 7y ago
  There's a whole bunch of ingredients that are effectively just sugar, including such wholesome-sounding gems as "fruit juice concentrate".
  - collyw 7y ago
    Is that really just sugar? As I understand it most orange juice is concentrated before transport then rehydrated.
    - mumblemumble 7y ago
      It's not just sugar. There's the occasional vitamin in there, probably hunkered down in a bunker to hide from all the roving hordes of monosaccharides, like a sort of kindergarten health class film strip version of I Am Legend. But, as far as its culinary purpose goes, I suspect it ends to end up in processed foods because it's an additive you can use to sweeten the food while still being able to prominently claim "no sugar added" on the front of the box. I think legally you do have to cross your fingers behind your back while you do it, but it's not enforced. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a trick that even works well on people who like to hang out on the internet talking about how fructose is the devil.
    - 80386 7y ago
      Pear juice doesn't taste like much but sugar water, so it's often used as a sweetener in things that already contain fruit.
collyw 7y ago
True I have noticed a lot of girls who are vegetarian / vegan and still quite fat. I found it quite strange as I am a bit skinny and when I tried going vegetarian I lost weight. Turns out they eat a lot of chocolate and other crap food.