This post was developed in partnership with Way.
Knowing what is fact and what is fiction is one of the first steps to properly nourishing your body.
Unfortunately, there’s a ton of nutritional misinformation out there and it’s hard to know what’s right and what’s not. When we believe the wrong things, it can lead to habits that can be physically and/or emotionally harmful.
Let’s debunk some of the most popular nutrition myths you may have come across.
Myth #1: Meal replacements work for weight loss.
You’ve seen the videos: someone tells their followers that instead of regular noodles, they can use hearts of palm noodles to cut calories and be “healthier.” Fruit instead of chocolate, lemon juice instead of olive oil in a salad, and fat-free Greek yogurt instead of sour cream are other common food substitutions.
Replacement foods or “meal swaps” can help reduce our calorie intake, but that’s not the end of the story. There are a few things to consider:
First, let’s define the word “work” in relation to weight loss.
Does something work if it results in weight loss? As a nutritionist, I think the bar is low. When determining whether a habit or action is effective for weight loss, I take it a step further: did the person lose weight and keep it off?
Is the exchange satisfactory? Egg white pizza crust may seem like a great option to cut calories, but will it actually taste good? Will you feel satisfied and full after eating it? What is the emotional and physical impact of eating this swap, versus eating the actual food in its original form? Will eating shirataki noodles instead of wheat pasta ruin the meaning of spaghetti night at your house? Will dollops of frozen yogurt really quell that chocolate craving you have?
Can we all agree that the above concoction isn’t even a Butterfinger?
As a dietitian, I have seen too many people try to “eat” their cravings, only to end up unsatisfied and end up eating the food they wanted in the first place. I advise clients to honor their cravings, not ignore them or try to replace them with another less desirable food.
It’s also important to set expectations around exchanges. Are you planning to use this exchange forever? Can you live happily ever after with a birthday cake made entirely of watermelon with coconut cream ‘frosting?’ Or, will you use exchanges in situations that are not as important to you?
Exchanges can be effective, depending on the situation, your intent, and your expectations. If the exchange leads to resentment and compensatory overeating, or if it has a negative effect on your mood or life in general, skip it.
Myth #2: Shaming yourself about your weight helps with “motivation.”
“Thin tastes better.”
“No pain, no gain.”
We have been programmed by the diet industry to believe that shame leads to motivation and “results,” but Research shows that shame used to lose weight has the opposite effect (and here).
Let’s face it: self-shame is awful, and these feelings can have ripple effects on our mental and physical health. When was the last time you were motivated to do something long-term because you felt bad about it?
If you wouldn’t tell your best friend or someone you love, you shouldn’t tell yourself.
Ads like the one above target women and imply that having a body that differs from the “thin ideal” is wrong. This is a harmful and embarrassing message that just doesn’t work in the long run (although it makes the companies a lot of money).
Bullying, whether self-inflicted or by someone else, is not motivating, it is destructive. It can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.
When trying to make changes to your physical and/or emotional health, lead with compassion. Self-compassion can be much more effective than self-criticism when trying to make health changes. leading to feelings of self-esteem and greater self-worth. Self-compassion begins with recognizing that perfection does not exist and that failure is a normal part of growth.
Myth #3: Everyone has an “ideal body weight” that can be determined from a chart or simple equation.
The truth is much more complicated! In 2024, we know that weight, as it relates to health, is much more complicated than a number.
About these charts and equations: they were never intended to assess ideal weight. probably them were developed by life insurance companies between 1885 and 1908 for the purpose of predicting mortality risk in large-scale populations, not individuals.
Frame size, muscle mass and other genetic variables are not taken into account in a simple calculation and can vary from person to person. For example, my ideal body weight is supposed to be 120 kg. I have literally never weighed it in my adult life. My weight is stable around 138kg, which is due to the fact that I have above average muscle mass. This is genetic! I couldn’t get to 120 pounds – and stay there – without engaging in unhealthy eating and exercise habits.
For my clients, I use the term “comfortable weight” to describe the weight a person can maintain while still living their best life. Essentially, our comfortable weight is where our weight falls when we nourish our bodies properly and move our bodies in a way that is joyful, not punishing.
Your comfortable weight may not be exactly the weight you want, but it is the weight your body is happiest at. When you’re trying to lose weight from your comfortable weight, you may find that your body keeps fighting you for it.
A recent study suggests that only 2% of the nutrition information we see on social media is accurate, meaning the vast majority of posts, Reels, TikTok videos and other social media content is either misleading or just plain wrong.
It helps to know who to follow, but also to remember a few tips to evaluate if the information you’re seeing is possibly legitimate:
Oversimplifying science, health and nutrition is a big red flag. Is the person making promises that seem impossible? If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. The “cure” for an ailment or disease probably isn’t going to be found in your kitchen, so be skeptical when someone claims a simple smoothie or meal will fix a health problem. By the same token, no food is a “miracle” cure or fatal injury, and the promise of a “quick fix” is suspect.
Is it the person selling a product? Not everyone who sells something is unreliable, but if their claims about a product cause fear and anxiety about food or just don’t add up, it’s a good idea to look into the research behind whatever they’re selling. A red flag phrase is anything about an “ancient secret” or something “doctors don’t know/won’t tell you.” Also watch out for undisclosed affiliate links. Anyone selling something for a company on social media is required by law to disclose their financial affiliation.
Do they use words like ‘toxic’, ‘real’, ‘pure’ or ‘chemically’? These are often used by people to promote a narrative that food is something to be feared. While some foods are more physically nutritious than others, it’s important to understand that black or white thinking around food is a huge red flag.
Is the person an expert in their field? Registered dietitians (RDs) are the only licensed health professionals in the field of nutrition. This means that our practice and content are overseen by a regulatory body and must meet specific guidelines.
Don’t go “all in” on a piece of content. Does this content appear to be repeated by legitimate health professionals? Seek consensus among experts. Look outside of social media – universities, medical centers and your own healthcare professionals are good places to start – to really get a true picture of whether this information is being discussed elsewhere.
At Way, we want you to get the clear facts about food and eating. At Way, we want you to get the clear facts about food and eating. The Way app helps you learn how to eat intuitively while respecting your body and developing compassion for it.
See more about it The Way app here!
