Lose weight says government.

[Cloud]

There's a school of thought that calorie counts aren't that effective in restaurants but are quite bad for people with eating disorders.

I think Ben Goldacre makes a good point in that eating healthily isn't actually as complicated as people make out. It's largely a myth perpetuated to benefit the diet industry and unless you're an athlete or have specific dietary conditions simple clear advice like "eat more vegetables and fewer crisps" is all a lot of people need.

I think different things work for different people.  Left to my own devices to just sort of wing it on eating less, eating more healthy options and moving more, I tend to slip in "the occasional treat" (which is fine) which becomes gradually less occasional (which is not fine) and I absolutely cannot control weight that way.  Calories give something to measure, keep an eye on and adjust as needed

Maybe they could hide the calories under a little flap for people who can't cope without remaining ignorant of the energy going in :)

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Put the weight back on :(

[bgmnts]

Losing weight is overwhelmingly about diet rather than exercise. Even with no exercise, a normal person uses between 1800-2500 calories a day to just function without any exercise, so if you eat 500 calories less a day then you lose 1 pound per week. It is significantly harder at any weight to exercise 500 calories a day than to cut that 500 from your diet. The fatter you are, the more calories you use per day to function even without any exercise.

True but if you've hit that level of weight you've obviously inherited/developed a serious eating habit/addiction that is monstrously hard to change, I'd argue.

[thugler]

Losing weight is overwhelmingly about diet rather than exercise. Even with no exercise, a normal person uses between 1800-2500 calories a day to just function without any exercise, so if you eat 500 calories less a day then you lose 1 pound per week. It is significantly harder at any weight to exercise 500 calories a day than to cut that 500 from your diet. The fatter you are, the more calories you use per day to function even without any exercise.

It's not exactly hard to expend 500 calories on walking etc. I walk or run well over 5 miles a day (approx 500kcal) without really trying. The thing I don't understand is why these things are put in conflict, why not do both? exercise is a good and important thing to do regardless of whether it loses you weight.

[Bazooka]

They aren't in conflict at all, if you do high intensity exercise most days you can pretty much eat a lot more.  Cut out sugar(fructose is not evil like some will have you believe), eat complicated carbs for energy and lots of protein with exercise, is a universal success formulae across the globe.

[JamesTC]

It's not exactly hard to expend 500 calories on walking etc. I walk or run well over 5 miles a day (approx 500kcal) without really trying. The thing I don't understand is why these things are put in conflict, why not do both? exercise is a good and important thing to do regardless of whether it loses you weight.

I don't think they are completely in conflict. I ran 4 miles this morning after all. Just that diet is the bread and butter of losing weight and exercise is a nice extra in the process if you can get it. But I think in our society there is an unhealthy view that weight loss must come from the gym when I think the focus needs to be your diet.

Walking is a great way to burn some extra calories. I love eschewing the bus and walking an extra 10 miles. But not everybody has the time or ability to be walking an extra 90 minutes per day to burn off an extra pound per week.

[Bazooka]

Stomach bugs are more effective in the short term, free and you feel like a million bucks after a good soul cleanse.

[ZoyzaSorris]

Exercise is more about the beneficial hormonal and other positive changes to the system itself than the calories burnt per se in my understanding,  and high intensity gives you a lot more of those. Generally the more we exercise the more we eat to compensate, but do the right kind and it alters all sorts of internal calibrations for the better. Not getting into the old simplistic calories in / calories out model argument but suffice to say i have come to the overwhelming conclusion that it is superficially attractive  but nonsense.

[Leej88]

They put us in 3 lockdowns and we overeat then they tell us to lose weight the hypocrisy of it all.

[Shit Good Nose]

Tucking into an extra large chicken and lamb doner whilst watching a Joe Wicks vid, okay thanks

[Sebastian Cobb]

i lost five pound

on a sausage supper! get that up you borid!

[Kankurette]

They put us in 3 lockdowns and we overeat then they tell us to lose weight the hypocrisy of it all.

You can still exercise, you know?

[Jerzy Bondov]

I've put on a stone, I can feel it in my neck and my tits and my big belly. But I've still got thin legs and arms so I look like a horrible old chicken strutting around in my house pecking custard creams out of the tin because I'm bored. But here's the thing, Boris, I really don't give a fuck. I just love eating my treats.