Bill Nye Saves the World Series Debunked Part 8 of 13: Season 1, Episode 8 - This Diet is Bananas

By: Shawn Alli
Posted: May 31, 2017 (on http://www.shawnalli.com/)

This episode is about criticizing fad diets. And yes, I agree that many diets are fads that have no basis in objective science. But that doesn't prevent people from claiming that it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Karlie Kloss (a member of Nye's team) explores fad diets. One guy says that his friends went on a sniff diet where they just sniff the food but don't eat it but still feel content. I'm not even sure what to say to that.

But losing weight isn't rocket science. The influences are genetics, epigenetics, autoimmune conditions, endocrine disrupters. But the cause of obesity is excess calories and bad parenting. It's not rocket science (see The Obesity Industry in Philosophy Reborn Part IV: Naturally Unhealthy Big Pharma & Big Media).

Nye convenes his panel: Sara Benincasa (a comedian), Traci Mann (a fitness trainer), Jennifer Widerstrom (a professor of psychology). Nye asks how much of your weight is genetic. Widerstrom says almost 70% is heritable/genetic. Sorry, but that's completely false.

And it's ludicrous to ask a psychologist how much weight is genetic when the discipline of psychology is unfalsifiable. Mann says that there's a predisposition to your weight. Sorry, but that's false as well.

Both of your parents can be obese, but if you don't eat like them, you won't become obese (see The Obesity Industry in Philosophy Reborn Part IV: Naturally Unhealthy Big Pharma & Big Media). Benincasa says that the problem is psychological. Yes, but a strong character and purpose will enable you to lose any amount of weight even with the garbage 70% genetics claim.

Nye asks the panel whether you can train yourself to lose body weight. Mann says that you're battling a tough foe, biology. I'm sure that if Mann visits Venezuela, she'll understand that her beliefs are complete nonsense. But then again, psychologists (like many others in unfalsifiable disciplines) tend to live in their own ideological bubbles.

Nye ends the episode with a corny kids musical, which is good for kids, but not for adults.

And if you're struggling to resist junk food, you lack character and purpose in your life. If you don't have a strong reason, a strong "why," you won't be able to resist junk food. While Mann doesn't believe that willpower is the key, in reality it is. And it's shaped by your character and purpose (see The Obesity Industry in Philosophy Reborn Part IV: Naturally Unhealthy Big Pharma & Big Media).