> In the US at least, the word "diet" always implies some kind of calorie reduction and specific food choices. In other words... exactly what the article recom

> In the US at least, the word "diet" always implies some kind of calorie reduction and specific food choices. In other words... exactly what the article recommends. Cutting out processed and fried foods eliminates a lot of the standard diet the average American eats. It might sound moderate to just suggest those two things, but it's really not. Reducing or eliminating processed foods means little to no pancakes, breakfast cereals of any kind, toast, frozen meals, pop tarts, chips, granola bars, sodas, shelf-stable juices, Starbucks lattes, mac 'n cheese, cured meats, energy bars, and on and on and on. Likewise, for fried foods that would mean little to no french fries, curly fries, onion rings, potato chips, fried chicken, fish and chips, corn dogs, doughnuts, churros, etc. Maybe to those on HN would find it easy to cut out those foods, but a large amount of Americans eat a substantial amount of those things every day due to their availability, affordability, and addictive qualities. What we end up with when aiming "to cut out junk like processed and fried foods" really isn't that far off from low carb diets, paleo, vegan, "Mediterranean", keto, or even carnivore. They all restrict or eliminate the things the author of the article suggests cutting out in such few words. > The term "dieting" is associated with being in a caloric deficit, ostensibly to lose weight. Do you mean to tell me that vegans aren't eating a diet unless they're trying to lose weight? What about those eating low carb for possible longevity reasons rather than calorie restriction or weight loss? Honestly, as someone who has lived in the US their entire lives, I've never heard of this strange parallel definition of what it means to be on a diet. People can be on diets for any number of reasons, whether it's for longevity, inflammation, athletic performance, or weight loss. It's contextual. If a person's intent is to be on some kind of specific diet (and as I went over already, a no-processed-no-fried diet is actually quite specific), then they are on a diet.