"Diet and exercise talk" - Double jokers!

I just attended a so called "diet and exercise talk" recently. I told myself, I need to write and share with whoever reading this post today, about that talk which blew me away in a bad way. I had actually anticipated what would be presented and shared amongst the audience on that day itself, but, what can I say? The talk was purely about Law of thermodynamics and calorie counting. Boring, boring and very flawed theory and presentation.

Some of my clients were in the talk as well and of course, they asked some really basic questions about foods, diet and weight loss which the so called 'dietician' failed to answer correctly. Worst of all, she tried to avoid the questions and acted quite defensively. There are actually 2 sessions about health which was presented to the audience on that day itself. Exercise and foods for weight loss. Both turned out to be mediocrely absurb yet waste of time and most of the information presented were misleading and incorrect. The cute looking lady who presented on the exercise for weight loss is actually a physiotherapist! Since when physiotherapist qualify to give exercise on weight loss talk?

Anyhow, below are some of the questions thrown to the dietician and physiotherapist on both sessions.

Dietician (Miss Kong) Columbia Asia Hospital

Question 1

Audience:  As she was just beginning to explain and recommend the audience of what weight loss meal should consists(includes grains), one of my clients asked, "Isn't grains containing gluten unhealthy and causes health issues?" "Shouldn't we avoid it?"

Dietician: Oh, we are not talking about other health issues here today. We focus on weight loss. Only barley contains gluten and other grains are okay to consume.

Audience: In this case, which types of grains are safe and recommended to consume? 

Dietician: I did not recommend eating grains and gluten is just one of the nutrients in the grains. (You gotta be freakin kidding me big time!! She endorsed consuming grains for weight loss meal and now she said no? Make up your mind Miss dietician!) 

Question 2

Audience: Is soybean based foods safe to consume?

Dietician: Yes it is. (That's what happen when you enrolled in any dietician or typically nutritionist course or certification. American Dietician Association is funded by food industry! And she definitely is severely lack of knowledge and got tons of reading to do. Read your nutrition and medical journals Miss dietician!)

Question 3

Audience: Let's say if one eats 6-7 avocados a day, which each avocado contains about 350-370 calories, and total calories is around 2200-2500 daily, would soley eating avocado promotes weight gain as that person consume more calories then he or she normally does? Let's say that person consumes around 2000 calories daily and goal is weight loss.

Dietician: Not necessary can experience weight gain. May I know the purpose of eating so many avocado per day? Is it because of Omega?

Audience: Because your whole presentation of weight loss is all about counting calories and eat low fat and low calorie diet, this is why I'm asking if eating a high fat high calories diet would result in weight gain. The answer should be YES, because more calories consumed, but why did you say maybe no? 

Dietician: I need to know what that person previous diet plan first in order to determine if he or she can gain weight or not by eating that amount of avocados daily. (She sounded seriously dumb and doesn't know what she is even talking!)

** That question itself, by using avocado and a high fat higher calories foods, is to debunk her whole theory and recommendation of counting total calories consumed and lower fat intake. And guess what, she don't even know that this question is proving her wrong and the law of thermodynamics and calorie reduction is hugely flawed. 

Question 4

Audience: What is leptin? (She was presenting on leptin and some of the audience are curious)

Dietician: She gave some retarded answer which no one seem to understand. She was saying that leptin is a chemical developed in the brain. (Oh god, if someone who holds a MAsters degree in Dietitics and has this knowledge about human body or nutrition, what will our health status and future be for general population?) 

Miss Physiotherapist (Also work in Columbia Asia hospital)

Question 1

Audience: Can eat fast food and have weight loss?

Physio: Yes you can, as long as you exercise. (Well, did she know she has to mountain bike or run the boring treadmill for more then 2 hours to burn off that Big Mac each time she eats Big Mac? Promoting eating fast foods for audience, that's a joke! My grandma can be far better health advisor then her.) 

Question 2

Audience: Will poor sleeping patterns affect weight loss? 

Physio: No, it won't. (Does she even know why we have cravings for sugar when stay up late at night? Late night awake -> Cravings for sugar -> cortisol and insulin elevation -> blood sugar mobilization and fat storing -> insulin/leptin resistance -> weight gain and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Question 3

Audience: Is sit ups an effective and safe exercise? Will it burn abdominal fats?

Physio: Yes, it is safe and good exercise for the abs. It will not burn abdominal fats but will strengthen the abs muscles.

Audience: Then, why do I feel lower back pain when performing the exercise?

Physio: Did you do it on the hard surface?

Audience: No, normal surface with yoga mat.

Physio: Hmm..it shouldn't be the case. I'm not too sure.

** Of all people, a physiotherapist provided this answer. I'm out of words seriously. Doesn't she know about excessive flexion of rectus abdominus and huge stress of erector spinae and lumbar spine?  Imagine patients with back problem and she get these people to do sit ups? 

I apologize if I rant a bit too much today. I just need to get this off my chest. By recalling that diet and exercise talk I attended, I'm still confused and annoyed. Confused not because I have questions and unclear of what was presented and shared to the audience, but confused, because why such health professionals can survive in the industry, giving mislead and misfed health and diet information to the public. Don't these ladies know that calorie reduction doesn't work anymore as many people have attempted and the failed miserably? Wonder why more people are getting fatter and sicker? There you go, that's your answer!