[Michael G.]

Why is every food group (listed below) so bad in our senior years when we've been eating them all our lives?

Don't preach to me why you think they're bad now, preach to me why they haven't killed most of us yet.

Lunch meat,
Pizza,
White bread,
White rice,
Soda,
Microwave popcorn,
Can soup,
Breakfast Cereal,
Fruit in a Can,
Coffee creamer.

[Topspinmo]

My guess? didn’t over indulge or gorge. Too much anything not good And you forgot fried foods.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Why is every food group (listed below) so bad in our senior years when we've been eating them all our lives?

Don't preach to me why you think they're bad now, preach to me why they haven't killed most of us yet.

Lunch meat,
Pizza,
White bread,
White rice,
Soda,
Microwave popcorn,
Can soup,
Breakfast Cereal,
Fruit in a Can,
Coffee creamer.

You forgot SPAM!!!!!

[retiredguy123]

In my opinion, genetics has a lot more to do with it than what you choose to eat. Weight is very important but a lot of people will gain weight regardless of how disciplined they try to be with their diet. Also, certain diseases are determined by your genetic chemistry. You can try to force yourself to develop healthy habits, but it usually doesn't work.

[Michael G.]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

In my opinion, genetics has a lot more to do with it than what you choose to eat. Weight is very important but a lot of people will gain weight regardless of how disciplined they try to be with their diet. Also, certain diseases are determined by your genetic chemistry. You can try to force yourself to develop healthy habits, but it usually doesn't work.

One thing I notice there is more younger people watching and paying
attention to what they eat.

Also, any older villages people remember eating lard sandwiches?
Or raw beef and onions?
How about can beef or pigs knuckles.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

In my opinion, genetics has a lot more to do with it than what you choose to eat. Weight is very important but a lot of people will gain weight regardless of how disciplined they try to be with their diet. Also, certain diseases are determined by your genetic chemistry. You can try to force yourself to develop healthy habits, but it usually doesn't work.

A few years ago during my annual physicals my doctor started to ask me how long my parents had lived. Apparently genetics is the greatest longevity factor assuming one does not die in an accident, get murdered, smoke cigarettes, become an alcoholic, meth addict or otherwise lead an unusually dangerous or unhealthy lifestyle.

I eat what I want for the most part and do not worry about it. I no longer consume much fried food or large quantities of red meat but I no longer crave them. I have never been drawn to salty or very sweet foods (I never liked cakes).

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Why is every food group (listed below) so bad in our senior years when we've been eating them all our lives?

Don't preach to me why you think they're bad now, preach to me why they haven't killed most of us yet.

Lunch meat,
Pizza,
White bread,
White rice,
Soda,
Microwave popcorn,
Can soup,
Breakfast Cereal,
Fruit in a Can,
Coffee creamer.

They haven't killed anyone who's still living yet. But a diet consisting primarily of the above list certainly has contributed to the deaths of many people who are dead. And it's not the fact that the popcorn comes from the microwave. It's the artificial flavoring, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and salt that makes it unhealthy. Canned fruit *in heavy syrup* is a culprit. Canned soup *with high sodium levels* is less than healthy. *Sugar-coated* breakfast cereal is a trigger. Coffee creamer is more partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, with artificial flavoring and chemical emulsifiers. Lunch meat = sodium, nitrates, nitrites, and other potentially dangerous chemical additives. There's nothing wrong with pizza in moderation.

I'd say there's really nothing wrong with ANY of the above, as long as it's not your primary source of food. Ask everyone who died from the *combination* of obesity, diabetes, and heart failure, whether these foods are what killed them. Oh wait - you can't. Because they're dead.

[melpetezrinski]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Why is every food group (listed below) so bad in our senior years when we've been eating them all our lives?

Don't preach to me why you think they're bad now, preach to me why they haven't killed most of us yet.

Lunch meat,
Pizza,
White bread,
White rice,
Soda,
Microwave popcorn,
Can soup,
Breakfast Cereal,
Fruit in a Can,
Coffee creamer.

Poor diets don't necessarily kill you all of a sudden. It could take on a long, painful, agonizing last decade of life. Can you still fit in the clothes from 10 years ago? Have you had any cavities? How is your blood pressure? Do you have any pain? Any depression? Can you go up and down a flight of stairs without being winded? Then there is also the advancement in medicine. As long as we have our beta blockers, statins and insulin, we will keep eating all these foods you mentioned.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

They haven't killed anyone who's still living yet. But a diet consisting primarily of the above list certainly has contributed to the deaths of many people who are dead.

You have to love survivorship bias It is the reason that most investment companies can show such good performance. All of their under-performing funds have been discontinued, so the remaining ones all show above average returns. If you included all of the funds that they have closed, their average performance would be considerably lower.

[EastCoastDawg]

"Living" is not always the same as "living well".

If we are overweight we may not be able to do everything that we could if we were lighter.

Also we may have to take numerous medications.

Eat what you enjoy, but in moderation or be prepared to accept the consequences.

[Pondboy]

It’s not that they’re bad for you in your senior years, they have always been bad for you. Food and nutrition was not really well understood, spoken of and taught. Now, it’s become more front and center.

Just because a food manufacturer makes something, don’t think it’s good for you. Buyer beware. Marketing is a powerful tool.

Modern medicine is helping your body offset your bad lifestyle choices (diet). That’s why everyone is on meds, overweight and stressed out. Your life span has decreased because of your diet.

[Keefelane66]

Stints, pacemakers, statins, blood thinners, CPAP

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by Pondboy

Modern medicine is helping your body offset your bad lifestyle choices (diet). That’s why everyone is on meds, overweight and stressed out. Your life span has decreased because of your diet.

While there is no question modern medicine is helpful not everyone is on meds, overweight and stressed out.

As for diet, Warren Buffett breakfasts at McDonald's, drinks several cokes a day, apparently never eats vegetables, is in his early nineties, drives himself to work every weekday, plays bridge in the evenings and retains adequate cognitive function to run BRK.

[GoPacers]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'd say there's really nothing wrong with ANY of the above, as long as it's not your primary source of food. Ask everyone who died from the *combination* of obesity, diabetes, and heart failure, whether these foods are what killed them. Oh wait - you can't. Because they're dead.

Why don't you ask all the people who are healthy, looking forward to enjoying a long, healthy life who suffer(ed) from dementia or Alzheimer's...oh wait, you can't because they suffer from a horribly debilitating disease and they lack the ability to answer you.

We are all going to leave this world at some point. Having seen first hand what dementia and Alzheimer's does to people, I pray that is not for me, or you.

I eat healthy, I exercise and I do what I can for myself but I don't judge other people. I've never walked in their shoes and they haven't walked in mine.

[Pugchief]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

They haven't killed anyone who's still living yet. But a diet consisting primarily of the above list certainly has contributed to the deaths of many people who are dead. And it's not the fact that the popcorn comes from the microwave. It's the artificial flavoring, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and salt that makes it unhealthy. Canned fruit *in heavy syrup* is a culprit. Canned soup *with high sodium levels* is less than healthy. *Sugar-coated* breakfast cereal is a trigger. Coffee creamer is more partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, with artificial flavoring and chemical emulsifiers. Lunch meat = sodium, nitrates, nitrites, and other potentially dangerous chemical additives. There's nothing wrong with pizza in moderation.

I'd say there's really nothing wrong with ANY of the above, as long as it's not your primary source of food. Ask everyone who died from the *combination* of obesity, diabetes, and heart failure, whether these foods are what killed them. Oh wait - you can't. Because they're dead.

Partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) were banned in the US several years ago and have been largely been replaced with Palm Oil, which is highly saturated and while better than trans fats is probably still not good for you. Commercial palm oil production is also bad for the environment.

That being said, I agree with your general assessment.