We will be the first to admit that trends in nutrition and fitness affect our bottom line. But that's not to say that we favour any one trend over another. Our job is to simply respond to what consumers want by filling our vending machines with the right kinds of products. As such, we pay close attention to public opinion as it relates to fitness nutrition.
One of the more recent trends we have been watching is something that fitness activists have dubbed 'nutrichondria'. According to the Joe.co.uk website, nutrichondria is defined as a scenario in which a person has self-identified as having food allergies or intolerances even though their claims have not been medically confirmed. Whether or not you consider nutrichondria an actual health condition is not really important for the sake of this discussion.
What is important is that people who diagnose their own food allergies or intolerances are very likely to allow their decisions about food choices to be clouded by those diagnoses. They are going to avoid certain foods based on what they believe are allergies or intolerances, whether real or imagined.
A Legitimate Eating Disorder?
For the record, nutrichondria is recognised by some nutrition experts as a legitimate eating disorder. The official definition of the disorder – if it really is one – is 'the propensity to self-diagnose food intolerances or allergies based on supposition or flawed evidence', according to Joe.co.uk.
Let's just say nutrichondria is a legitimate eating disorder. What would that mean to us? Well, we believe any and all eating disorders need to be treated by medical professionals. But the fact that some people self-diagnose food allergies or intolerances doesn't affect our view of fitness nutrition.
Fitness nutrition remains a valid and legitimate form of nutrition among people who take their eating habits seriously. People who follow the main tenets of fitness nutrition make their food choices based on how those choices will affect their overall fitness. These are also individuals who tend to get regular exercise. Some of them even compete at either the amateur or professional level. Nutrition is important to them.
Can We Use Common Sense?
It seems that the best way to address nutrichondria is to simply use common sense about what we eat. Most of us could stand a little improvement in our dietary choices, whether we get regular exercise or not. We could stand to eat less sugar and processed foods in favour of more nutritional alternatives.
When it comes to vending, common sense dictates that we skip the chocolates and crisps in favour of more healthy choices. Common sense dictates that we choose things like protein bars and energy drinks after exercise instead of something laden with sugar and fat.
Fitness nutrition doesn't need to be negatively impacted by nutrichondria. Thankfully, we haven't seen any negative impacts thus far. Let's hope science can settle whether nutrichondria is a legitimate eating disorder or not. And if it is, let's do something about it.
Sources:
Joe.co.uk – https://www.joe.co.uk/fitness-health/nutrichondria-the-newest-problem-in-fitness-182571
