‘The diet our ancestors ate did not increase obesity’

 ‘The diet our ancestors ate did not increase obesity’

Currently, social media is flooded with health, weight loss tips, and diet-related content.

‘The diet our ancestors ate did not increase obesity’

Nutritionist Modnath Poudel mentioned that weight loss alone is not an indicator of health, but a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and a healthy lifestyle should be the main priority.

Rather than following the propaganda in the name of weight loss on social media, he said that attention should be paid to expert advice and a diet based on scientific evidence.

Nowadays, healthy lifestyle, weight control, and diet-related topics are widely discussed from social media to households. Many people are following various diet plans, supplements, slim teas, and online advice with the aim of losing or gaining weight.

What is really needed to stay healthy? Is weight loss the main indicator of health? Is all the advice given on social media trustworthy? Focusing on these topics, online journalist Sumitra Luitel spoke to nutritionist Modnath Poudel. Here is an edited excerpt from the conversation with Poudel:

Is weight loss the main indicator of health?

A person should first aim to become ‘healthy’, not ‘fat’ or ‘thin’. The attitude towards the body has been changing in society over time. While obesity was once considered a sign of wealth, now there is a growing tendency to view obesity as a disease or weakness. However, health is more important than body size.

If a person is healthy, his or her weight, height, and physical structure are more likely to be naturally balanced. Therefore, before losing or gaining weight, one should adopt a diet and lifestyle that keeps the body healthy.

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The food eaten by previous generations did not cause obesity or malnutrition. But now, as food options increase, people are becoming more confused. With the introduction of new food items, processed foods, and genetically modified (GMO) foods in the market, confusion about what to eat and what not to eat has increased.

For lunch and dinner, you should prioritize your traditional and body-accepted food as much as possible. Breakfast should be adequate, nutritious, and balanced. If breakfast and main meals are organized, some weaknesses in snacks in between will not have a big impact.

Is the same diet suitable for everyone?

Everyone's body is different. Even among members living in the same family and eating the same food, some gain weight while others lose.

The main reason for this is the difference in the body's metabolism, digestive process, health condition, age, hormones and lifestyle. For example, metabolism may be slow in people with thyroid. But metabolism may also be slow in people without thyroid for various reasons.

Therefore, it is not scientifically correct to cut down on food or adopt someone else's weight loss method just because you have gained weight. First of all, it is necessary to find out the root cause of weight gain or loss.

What is the concept of 'Food is Medicine'?

'Food is Medicine' is the concept of 'using food as medicine'. Its main message is not to depend on medicine only after getting sick, but to prevent disease and promote health through proper nutrition in daily life.

According to the World Health Organization, many non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, etc., are directly related to diet and lifestyle.

For example, antioxidants found in fruits and green vegetables help fight free radicals that damage the body. Fish, chia seeds, and walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, can help improve heart health.

A healthy diet can help control many health problems. But that doesn’t mean making food a substitute for medicine. For example, eggs are an excellent source of protein. But not everyone’s body digests eggs the same way. You may need to change your eating habits if you’re sick. So just because a food doesn’t work for someone doesn’t mean it’s bad for everyone.

Diet advice on social media: How much should you trust?

Social media is flooded with health, weight loss, and diet-related content. While some content is scientifically based, most content is created for personal experience, business gain, or popularity.

When looking at any health-related material, the first thing to do is to evaluate who the person is presenting it to, what their expertise is, and whether the information they provide is based on scientific evidence.

A cardiologist can give advice on heart issues, a hormone specialist can talk about hormone issues. Similarly, a dietitian can talk about nutrition. The role of a dietitian and nutritionist is important. Advice given by an expert in one field on another field should also be critically evaluated.

How true are the claims of Slim Tea, Garcinia Cambogia and miraculous weight loss?

Nowadays, products such as Garcinia Cambogia, Slim Tea, Slimming Coffee are being widely promoted on social media and in the market. These products claim to reduce weight quickly.

But no single food or drink can make a person thin or fat. Body weight is the result of the overall lifestyle, diet, sleep, physical activity, mental health and biological state.

If someone starts to eat less by drinking Slim Tea, they may lose weight for a while. But that is not a healthy way. It can lead to nutritional deficiencies, weakness and other health problems in the long run.

A balanced diet, adequate sleep, regular physical activity and a healthy lifestyle are the only sustainable ways to control weight. No ‘magic’ product or ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution can provide a long-term solution.

Do doctors and dietitians play different roles?

Both doctors and dietitians aim to improve the health of patients, but their scope of work is different. While doctors diagnose, test, and administer medications, dietitians help improve health and manage diseases through nutrition. Therefore, it is not appropriate for a dietitian to try to stop medication or replace a doctor's treatment regimen.

Similarly, it is more effective for a doctor to collaborate with a dietitian when necessary rather than providing detailed nutritional advice. Multidisciplinary collaboration is necessary for the patient's well-being.

What should be done to get rid of the misconceptions spread in the name of losing weight and improving health?

The biggest challenge today is the growing confusion among people. Due to social media, advertising, and incomplete information, people sometimes try to completely avoid a certain food, and sometimes they consider a certain food to be a miracle solution.

In fact, the basis of health is a balanced diet, adequate sleep, regular physical activity, stress management, and eating according to individual needs. Not one diet, one medicine, or one solution is suitable for everyone.

Therefore, there is an increased need to prioritize scientific evidence, qualified expert advice, and the needs of one's body over the myths spread in the name of weight loss or health improvement.

How did mega concerts and tours become a money-printing machine?

 How did mega concerts and tours become a money-printing machine?

Taylor Swift's 'The Era' mega concert has grossed over $2 billion in two years, performing in 189 venues.

K-pop artists have adopted new strategies to connect with fans and make concert tours successful by using social media and technology.

As album sales have declined due to the development of digital technology, artists have made concert tours their main source of income.

Taylor Swift's mega concert 'The Era' ended in December 2024. A mega concert is a concert held in multiple venues under one banner. Taylor performed in 189 venues around the world for two years.

The tour also became the highest-grossing music event of all time. During that period, the tour grossed over $2 billion. No previous mega tour had grossed even half of that.

Nine months later, pop band Coldplay wrapped up their ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour. Coldplay’s mega tour grossed over $1.5 billion.

This raises the question of how music’s mega concerts and tours are becoming a platform for generating more revenue.

Large fan base

How do musicians grow their fan base? How do they keep their fan base growing? We can look to K-pop artists to understand this.

K-pop is a blend of Korean and Western music styles. Their melodies and lyrics have energetic and swinging beats. And with that, dancing is also included. Not only that, K-pop artists are using social media and technology to connect with their fans.

Regarding their success, Kevin Kim, Asia head of Seoul-based music distribution company Root Notes, says, “One of the big differences between Western artists and Korean artists is that Korean K-pop artists are always online. They have a strong presence on YouTube. Many artists also chat directly with their fans through the ‘Bubble’ app.”

‘Bubble’ is a South Korean social networking platform. Through it, fans can communicate directly with their music stars.

Similarly, through the same app, K-pop artists also know how many fans they have. And, based on that, they plan their concert tours.

K-pop fans are also very emotional about the artists. Because some fans travel to distant cities and even other countries just to see an artist’s concert.

Concerts are often a new experience for K-pop fans. At the concert, fans carry a ‘light stick’, the color of which indicates which region they are from. Also, the organizers of the concert control the light of the light stick during the event. So that its color changes with different melodies of the music.

According to Kevin Kim, the light stick is made of very advanced technology. This makes the musical atmosphere at the concert different.

This makes the concert experience for fans very ‘dynamic’. They feel like they are part of the music. However, K-pop artists sell not only light sticks, but also other goods.

‘Korean artists sell many things such as posters, T-shirts and key chains with their pictures. T-shirts and key chains with new pictures are made and released for each concert,’ says Kevin Kim, ‘Their fans buy these things with great interest. And, collect them.’

These strategies have made concert tours more profitable than ever. But, the question arises, how was such a huge success possible? How did the old ways of making money by selling albums or CDs change?

Digital change

According to Serona Elton, a professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in the US, pop music bands used to use concert tours to promote their new music albums or CDs. However, now these music bands are making a direct profit from concert tours.

According to her, one of the main reasons for this is the change in digital technology in the last 20 years. Earlier, people used to go to music stores to buy an artist's album. However, now their songs can be easily downloaded from the Internet.

'Earlier, young people used to buy most music records or CDs. Now they use digital technology. This has changed the equation of the music industry, says Serena Elton, “When artists saw their music record sales gradually decreasing, they also started to make money through concert tours.”

During such concert tours, the internet streaming of artists’ music also increases. Because as soon as the concert is announced, fans start buying albums online. Although it does not benefit much. The main focus of artists is to perform grand concerts and sell all the tickets as much as possible. Again, to perform a grandiose concert requires a corresponding investment.

The grandeur of the concert

Often, such concerts are held in huge stadiums, where thousands of fans come. Fans sitting two or three rows behind the stage do not see the artists performing on the stage clearly. In such a case, large video screens must be installed in the stadium. So that the artists can be seen clearly and up close.

Similarly, the light and sound are also of the same level. And the same time and manpower are required to build the stage, dismantle it and move it to a new place. That's why it is essential to make a profit when doing such a big mega concert.

Social media also plays an equal role in making a concert tour successful. Usually, when performing at any place, the ratio of fans and purchasing power are considered a lot.

The economics of the tour

According to Adam Behr, head of the music department at Newcastle University in the UK, the work of pop music artists was not like it is now. They used to go to the studio. They would record an album. Then they would start promoting it. Music labels would help organize the tour. But in the digital age, this equation has changed.

'There is no limit to the online streaming of albums. But tickets for tour concerts are limited. The fun of live music is different. It makes the experience special,' says Adam Behr, 'that's why tour concerts are a hugely profitable business.'

According to Poppy Reid, music journalist and founder of Sydney-based 'Curious Media', concert tours are not for all artists. Only artists with millions of fans can do such a concert.

According to him, even if there is money in this business, the profit margin is low. Because the investment is high. However, it is not enough for the organizers of such mega concerts. The local community is also benefiting equally.

Because the number of days these artists stay in a city, they stay with great enthusiasm. That is why some governments appeal to bands like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Coldplay to come to their cities.

The then Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, President of Brazil, Lula, and the heads of state of Chile and Thailand had requested Taylor Swift to tour their countries. This shows how important this mega tour is economically.

In the case of some artists, they earn income even after the mega concert. Taylor is an example of this. Taylor made a 6-part documentary in collaboration with Disney Plus on her ‘The Era’ tour.

According to Poppy Reed, organizing such tours involves huge expenses, which artists have no choice but to recover and make a profit. However, the bigger the concert, the more money it brings in. On the other hand, fans themselves believe that this is the reason why mega tours are so successful.