WTF???

I wasn't going to mention this, but, dagnabbit...

While gathering the ingredients to cook up a HUGE serving of spaghetti bolognese last Saturday at the supermarket, I noticed that people are now trying to sell "low-carb" spaghetti. Does anyone get the feeling this whole "Carbs are evil" obsession is reaching new levels of stupidity? Ladies and gentlemen, what is spaghetti (indeed, what is any form of pasta) without carbs? I really hope this fad doesn't catch on in restaurants -- can you imagine pedalling over three mountain passes in Tasmania, hauling a full touring load, finally finding somewhere you could get pasta, and only being able to obtain the low-carb variety? Granted, that's an extreme scenario, but I just can't imagine pasta without carbs.

It's bad enough to read all the "I tried the new (insert name of "doctor" here) diet which recommended reducing my intake of carbs and lost 20kg in five weeks but felt lethargic" posts on various cycling forums (and I'm sure plenty of other forums too). It's bad enough to sift through all the abusive posts these people direct at anyone who has the audacity to suggest that the diet may be responsible for their lethargy, but now* it's going even further.

When are people going to realise that the "eat no calories, burn no calories" method of losing weight is not something that is going to benefit their health? It's nothing more than a glorified method of starving one's self, which, in the long run, will only serve to cause one's metabolism to slow, probably meaning that when their health requires them to return to a normal diet, they will probably put on any kilos they lost, with a few reinforcements. The proper way to go about losing weight is to eat a balanced diet, and actually do a bit of exercise. Then it might actually deliver a benefit to one's health.

I've said for some time that the "low carb" diets will go the same way as the "no salt" diets of the '80s, or the "no fat" diets of the '90s. Sadly, in this age of demanding instant gratification for the least amount of effort with no consideration of any long term implications, it seems to be taking longer than expected. I guess if people really want to believe something works, no amount of proof (anecdotal or otherwise) is going to change their mind.