Do you agree with the statement you are what you eat

Alexa, well done!

Good health is clearly multi factorial and it is sobering to see that the UK comes only 19th in the list of healthiest nations.
It is interesting that Spain comes top, despite the fact that they smoke and drink plenty, but their mediterraneum diet is obviously important. Another factor is apparently good record of reducing preventable diseases nationally, and the fact that many of them walk to work!

I'm not as stupid as I'm cabbage looking. My personality has more layers than an onion. I sometimes know my oats. I am not sugary and like to salt a conversation with facts. I am not as spicy as when I was younger. I have not been anyone's Honey for a long long time.

DH put his diabetes in reverse after about a month on the 5:2. That was 4 years ago and it hasn't come back.

He is still overweight and inactive, but he eats a healthy diet at mealtimes. It is cheese and, sometimes, alcohol, between meals that are his downfall.

Nanna58 I have sent you a PM

No, my condition plus the medication makes it difficult to maintain a low weight. I do try to eat healthy, which is about as much as I can do. Even my GP has said it is difficult.

There has been much very encouraging research recently about how type 2 diabetes can be reversed by going on a very low calorie diet for a short while.

Dr. Michael Moseley has written books and newspaper articles about this and the results are astounding.

Of course determination and willpower are required but to be able to reverse such a potentially serious disease just by diet is astonishing isn’t it?

I honestly don’t know why ALL doctors don’t strongly urge their patients to follow it.

I am only talking about type 2 of course.

My bloke, who is beyond skinny, looking a bit emaciated these days, shovels food away. He claims to have a small appetite but eats a big meal, dessert and then a couple of hours later is back for a snack. Frequently finishes my food. Yet it's me that is fat. He is also a lifelong smoker (well over 50 years) yet it was me that had cancer years ago (hereditary, but still...). NOT that I am wishing it on him.

Up to a point, we are, perhaps, what we eat. However, poor diet alone doesn't necessarily cause ill health - many factors can come into play including environment, how active we are, genetic factors and so on. It's not so clear cut that diet alone affects our health though a healthy diet is important, and it is well documented that fast foods, sugary foods, convenience foods, etc are not good for us if eaten regularly, coupled with a more sedentary lifestyle from an early age, (which is more common now than used to be the case, as we tend to drive or be driven to places more frequently, less hard manual work is done than used to be the case, and so on). I would say that it is balance in what we eat that is important, along with quantity. If we partake more calories regularly than we can burn off, then weight gain is likely.
As other posters have pointed out, it's much more complex than diet alone.

Skin on face that is , obvs given previous post skin on body another matter!

Do try to stick to the Dr Perriconi diet for my skin, it does work, skin best it’s ever looked better now at 61 than at 16! Wish he had a diet for everything else!

Pamelaj1 I have psoriasis, what was that diet please?

glammagran whatever are genetic inheritance and the possibility that the genes we inherit or which mutate could increase our probability of getting various diseases, that probability is always lower for those who eat a good balanced diet, keep their weight down and take exercise.

JenniferEccles - The obesity epidemic hasn't been caused by people eating too much - it's because we've been given wrong health advice over the years. We were wrongly told to avoid fat, therefore too much carbohydrates have been eaten, particularly sugar and processed food.

I've ended up with high blood sugar, I'm pre-diabetic. I'm now eating low carb, have lost weight and hope to reduce my blood sugar.

Sorry again, I can’t read the words.
The shark is wondering whether to go for the full fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed.

Sorry forgot the photo?

I do think that you are responsible for eating whatever food you choose. If you choose to eat too much or the ‘wrong’ food then it will impact on your weight and how you feel and look.

I’m a bit obsessed with gut bacteria and making sure that I eat a healthy and varied diet. That means I eat full fat everything, never eat or drink low calorie foods or drinks.

I had a very bad patch with my psoriasis, went on a very strict diet and felt I really did deserve the skin I got. I also lost a bit of weight but that wasn’t the point.
Now I basically keep to the principal of the diet but have lots of treats.
I’ve included a photo of the cards my sisters sent me for my birthday. They chose individually!

Maybe I’ve mentioned gut bacteria and real food once too often??

Yes we are what we eat since our food fuels the brain, so poor quality food must mean poor quality thinking!

My son had a head injury and was told his weight gain might be due to this. I know others who have health problems and can't lose weight.
Perhaps there are other factors, not just food.

Not sure I can agree with “you are what you eat” entirely. More and more cancers are shown to be caused by mutated genes (which all of us have to a greater or lesser degree) and you can’t do anything about your genetic makeup.

I believe it is impossible for anyone on a low calorie diet (say 500cal) who is moderately active not to lose weight.
My grandmother while hospitalised was put on a low calorie diet and lost a pile of weight but once home, despite swearing that she was still only eating exactly the same amount, couldn’t lose even 1lb. Clearly she was kidding herself.

I recollect, as a child, being sent for a 'forpit' of potatoes which I believe is a quarter of a stone.

Oh dear, Saggi I hope you feel better soon.
Not the best way to lost weight.

Dyou know I think we are what we eat ...2 weeks ago I had an accident and sustained a displaced shoulder and a broken jaw. Well as a consequence I am on a very restricted diet of soups...mash...scrambled egg... rice pud in fact anything that does not have to be chewed....all fruits are getting ‘blitzed’ and drunk through a straw. I’ve lost 2 lbs in weight and I’m on this diet for at least another 4-6 weeks. That’s could be a nice weight loss of about 6 more pounds...gotta look on the bright side ...that’ll bring me down to 9.5 stones . Not a good way to lose weight ,but hey-ho I’ll take it!?

It’s not about how fat you are but how healthy. And nothing is a guarantee.

All you can do is eat and drink as best as you can and hope it pays off. If you deliberately over eat and constantly binge on junk food then that’s your choice.