You probably already know Dr. Mike from Tiktok. Instagram. He is a board-certified physician who is skilled at creating educational videos (which often go viral!).
Now he’s partnered with MyFitnessPal to quiz strangers on the street about their nutritional knowledge. You know, basic things like how much protein, sugar, and calories are in your everyday food.
What are the results? Well, watch out for yourself:
Gaps in Nutrition Knowledge
Dr. Mike’s video isn’t the only evidence that the general public lacks basic nutritional knowledge.
A recent MyFitnessPal survey found that a majority of respondents underestimate how many grams of fat foods like fish tacos, Caesar salad, and avocado contain. In fact, these foods contain almost twice as much fat as survey respondents guessed.
What’s even more surprising is that 88% of respondents said they had no idea how much protein, fiber, carbohydrates, sugar and salt they consumed each day.
“Whatever your health goals are, it’s important to have a general idea of how much you’re consuming in at least the macro nutrient categories,” says Katherine Basbaum, a registered dietitian at MyFitnessPal. “Even for the average healthy adult, consuming too much of some nutrients and not enough of others can affect whether or not you achieve your goals.”
For example: Improve your gut health And for your microbiome, it’s important to know whether you’re eating enough fiber to support healthy bacteria in your gut. It’s also good to know how much sugar you’re eating. Excessive sugar quickly worsen intestinal health.
Calorie Confusion
If you watch Dr. Mike’s videos, people aren’t even very good at counting calories. Most people in the video overestimated the number of calories in peanut butter. Their answers ranged from 100 to 800 calories (spoiler: 180 calories!).
“Overestimating the calorie content of food can have a negative impact on your overall health for a number of reasons. Some foods contain lighter or healthier-looking ingredients that we might think of as being lower in calories. sound richer and “Calorie-dense foods actually have fewer calories than healthy foods,” says Basbaum. “For example, a recent MyFitnessPal survey found that many respondents guessed that one cheeseburger contains more calories than two fish tacos. In fact, a cheeseburger typically contains about 380 calories, while two fish tacos can contain up to about 490 calories.”
That’s why it’s always a good idea to check calories from a trusted source. Calorie counting may not be the right way to track what you eat, but overestimating or underestimating calories can slow or delay reaching your goals.
“There is no universal number of calories everyone needs to maintain a healthy weight,” adds Basbaum. “It varies from person to person and depends on a variety of factors including age, gender, weight, height and activity level.”
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How to Improve Your Nutrition IQ
So how do you know what nutrition you need? Where do I find information about what is actually in my food?
Don’t worry. Reviewing your nutrition knowledge is easier than you think. There are so many ways to increase your nutritional IQ. One way to do this is to simply check the label.
“The images and health claims on the front of the package provide little information about the nutrition and quality of the food inside,” says Basbaum. “It is a marketing tool to sell products.” If you really want to increase your nutritional IQ, read the nutritional information label on the back of the package.
It’s not just packaged foods that provide nutritional information. “It’s the same with restaurant food. If you are a chain restaurant with more than 20 stores essential We post nutritional information on our website and in our locations.”
If you want a database that includes these foods and more, use MyFitnessPal. “Whether it’s packaged food, restaurant food, or fresh food like meat or produce, we can provide nutritional information for almost anything in one convenient place,” says Basbaum.
Second, our members agree that being able to accurately log what they eat helps them keep track of their food/calorie intake, with 87% of respondents according to a recent MyFitnessPal survey.
No matter what you choose, learning about the nutrition of food can help you make better choices, achieve your goals, and feel like a better version of yourself. And if Dr. Mike approaches you on the street to challenge your nutritional IQ, you’ll be ready.
The post Dr. Mike Tests Strangers’ Nutritional IQ in New Video appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog
