I had an interesting exchange with a client on Friday.
After informing her that it’d be a good idea to put a fat on her vegetables so the vitamins would be absorbed better:
She: “So I should put a little bit of olive oil on it, right?”
Me: “Right, or butter, or whatever fat you prefer.”
She: “I think I’ll do the olive oil; I’m watching the calories after all.”
Hah?
Now I know what you’re thinking, and you’re correct: There is no difference in the number of calories in equivalent amounts of butter and olive oil, since they are both completely, totally, 100% fat.
So, you ask, why did my client assume that there were?
It’s not that she thought that there was a difference in calories; I think that the distinction in her mind was that she thought the olive oil was healthier than butter, so of course it has to have fewer calories.
It serves to reinforce the idea I blogged about previously about how media influences our thought patterns. It’s all too easy to start taking unproven or nonscientific assumptions for granted (”Fat is unhealthy”, “You need to stretch to prevent injury”, etc.) because they’ve been repeated so many times that you assume they have to be true.
Stay on guard and evaluate everything you read that pertains to your health with care.
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