You don’t wanna be “that guy”.

He’s so annoying. Why does he judge everybody? Why is he such a know-it-all? Why can’t he just relax and enjoy life.

My area of interest is in the health and wellness space. In that area, the general public is already well trained (rightly or wrongly). And if anyone IS open to learning, there is still going to be bias, an expectation that what is being learned falls under a certain dogma. If what is being shared / taught is different, usually, they don’t wanna hear it. In short, a large segment of the population is just fine with what they already know.

Is it actually that simple? Probably not. Habits are powerful. Marketing is powerful. Being inundated with information for decades is powerful. I get it. After all, if one is not a medical doctor, why should anybody listen to what they have to say when it comes to anything to do with health and wellness? Important to note: Medical doctors aren’t actually in charge of creating healthy humans. They are in charge of treating illness. They are too busy in this day and age to work with people regularly / long-term on building health. Truthfully, many don’t have the nutritional training either. Doctors are amazing people with high education, great intentions, and wisdom to share. But they’re slammed with back to back to back 10-20 minute appointments all day every day. Many physicians are starting to embrace the fact, that there is a lot of information out there since the advent of the internet. There are very good researchers, scientists, and PhDs who are not medical doctors. That doesn’t mean they don’t have good and important information to help build healthy humans.

Where does that leave “that guy”. It’s a bit of a paradox. In general, people are interested. They want to know what the latest research says. How they can apply it to their own health. Most people have the best of intentions when the conversation begins. Some people want to start the conversation, simply to prove they can debunk a position. Prove you wrong. Share what they know. That’s okay, though it would preferable if that intention was stated at the outset. Here’s the thing. I AM “that guy”, and I’m happy to share. Excited to share. However, the truth is, I’m not in the business of caring what you decide to do with the information. That’s not to say I don’t care that you’re unhealthy, and in some cases affecting others as well. It’s only to say, I’m not judging you, and I understand you can have a different position.

There are so many different styles of eating, and so many different lifestyle practices, and guess what? I believe what I know and practice to be the best way. Imagine that! There are some points that are factual, science-based, and difficult to argue. Then, there are philosophical positions that can be debated all day long. And to confuse things even more, there can be different interpretations to studies. For example, a study COULD conclude to indicate that meat causes cancer. Somebody questioning that study COULD ask why preparation method wasn’t considered. Why other aspects of diet wasn’t considered. Another view could question the correlation of oils that are almost certainly used with the meat consumption. So much is nuanced, but in 2020, it’s about headlines and clicks. And for the record, there is no evidence at all that suggests meat on it’s causes cancer. That was an example of a common discussion.

I keep getting off topic. The topic is, what’s it like to be “that guy”.

Well, I’m learning to embrace it. I’m getting better at not offering so much unsolicited information. The information that’s out there fascinates me. From how my body absorbs a nutrient, to what foods increase my insulin levels more, to reversing my own autoimmune disease, to the all encompassing true cost of food. (Check out ‘Food Fix’ by Dr. Mark Hyman for lots on the true cost of food). I’m learning, that just because it fascinates me, doesn’t mean the next person finds it interesting at all. Worse than that, sharing health information can easily come across as judging. Most people have a certain amount of barrier up when it comes to being judged.

I think, when it comes down to it, most people are a little bit happier to remain blissfully unaware. There are catch phrases that drive me crazy. And the blissfully unaware love to share them. “It’s about calories in calories out” … “Everything in moderation” … “You should have a cheat day” … “I exercise so I can eat whatever I want”. None of those things are accurate, but if people want to believe them, there’s little I can do to change their mind. As hinted at above, I think what it comes down to in a lot of ways, is people don’t understand the true cost of unhealthy food.

So, the more I learn, the less I see room for “moderation”. I don’t want to be sick. I don’t want to support a terrible and broken system. I don’t want the exponential growth of obesity, diabetes, mental health issues, and autoimmune disease to continue.

I guess I can embrace being “that guy”.