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The real reasons diets fail - Part 2.2 - Keep Them Confused with Conflicting Information

The real reasons diets fail - Part 2.2 - Keep Them Confused with Conflicting Information

Confusion ingrained in our society is another example of how this nation is built to fail when it comes to dieting and living healthy.

Too much information makes some people feel empowered but realistically discourages most others when they become confused.  The definition of living healthy seems to be subjective making confusion inevitable.  That is why it is hard to keep on a diet or to live a healthy lifestyle. Either the food, science or philosophy of a diet will come into question discouraging people to continue it or keep them rolling into spending on different solutions to feed the greed machine.

Eventually, many will not see the results they want and give up. Others will feel that they cannot trust any diet approach and will take no action at all.  Worst yet... some will not CARE about losing weight in a healthy way, where individuals will blindly follow whatever they are sold, even if it has high risks. That is dangerous for obvious reasons.  

Look at what we are up against...

Studies, studies and more studies

Every turn we take we see a news broadcast, an article in the paper, email, blog, documentary, newsletter, textbook, notification, commercial, drawing in the sand and smoke signals sent from up on high about a new study for this or that.  Before we can absorb the information, we learn of a contradictory study that supports the opposite. Do we cut down on salt or not.  Are eggs good for you or not. Does eating this or that cause cancer. Confusing!

You see a commercial telling you that 9 out of 10 doctors support a certain diet pill or plan. And then you see another commercial for a competing product that says the same thing? Which one do the doctors really support? Confusing!

Perhaps you see a report that one particular ingredient in foods, with an extremely obscure name is bad for you... yet it is in almost everything you eat... Now what do you do for your diet... do you have the time to read every label on the shelf when you're shopping? Confusing!

The news station just informed you that many foods labeled "organic" may still be a GMO (genetically modified organism). Or that other labeling is deceptive such as the overuse of the word "whole" with foods.  Now what do you do? Confusing!

Information overload with a lack of a trusted "big picture"

We live in a granular "information age" and the ability to mix in miss-information makes it easy for everyone to become confused. There are no truly trusted independent organizations, free of politics or agenda that can paint the big picture and say with authority what is good or what is bad for you. 

It is hard to live healthy, if you cannot clearly define what it means to live healthy, because of some corrupted slant by business, politics or authority. Without a trusted big picture we are immersed into a mess of granular information that we cannot effectively filter. We constantly question what information is reliable.

Confusion for commercialism

Be a little skeptical when seeing the the "credible" commercial for health related products. 

Marketing companies exploit specific studies or selective information to add perceived credibility to a product. They are rarely backed by a comprehensive review. The tactic is to present a confusing sales pitch to consumers and then restate the pitch in a more familiar way to increase acceptance. Our desire to understand or “need for cognitive closure" helps push us into the sale. After all we dislike being confused. Fulfilling this need for closure by restating the sales pitch more simply breaks down our resistance, making us more easily persuaded.  

My "confused" conclusion

If you find it hard to choose or stick to a diet because of conflicting information you are not alone! 

All of the conflicting information is NOT there to inform you but to make you feel informed to be easily sold on a product.  Find a trusted filter.

Consult a trusted physician who is balanced and not biased towards any one particular approach. One who is willing to work WITH a nutritionist to find the right solution for you.  Many doctors only will treat symptoms and do not work with nutritionists to combine healthy living with medicine.  Find one who cares about your general health and not one that pushes pills or procedures to take care of every symptom. Use them to filter the mass of information.

Get out of that state of constant confusion. You will waste too much time trying to figure out what to do, what to change or give up altogether than stick to the diet and lifestyle change you started. Most of society and big business wants you to remain confused. Resist it.

Back on the wagon. My weigh-in update.
I'm Doing Another Challenge!

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Friday, March 29, 2024

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