Imagine you walk into a shoe store that sells Reebok and the salesperson says, "Reebok shoes are the one and only shoes that are good. All other shoes are garbage and will harm you and if anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying and it's a conspiracy between the government and Nike." I'm sure you've had some Nike shoes you like and you know this salesperson is full of it. So you tell the salesman in a calm manner, "I don't think that's true, I've had some good Nikes." And the salesman starts yelling at you! Claiming you are a shill for Big Nike and the evil government. You obviously falsified your shoe research. Sounds pretty crazy, right? Yet this happens all the time online within the comments sections of diet discussions. If only the salesman had properly given both sides of the story, you would have likely purchased some Reeboks. Instead, you leave and they lost their credibility. What makes a nutrition stance or person credible online? Diets like paleo, keto, gluten-free, etc, they tend to become strong belief systems for some people. When their system is challenged with literature or research opposing their beliefs, they may get hostile because they are unaware of the other side of the story. Credible experts know both sides of the argument, hear the objections, and then come back with a rebuttal. One of the best ways to tell if a diet proponent is lying or is blindly convinced of their diet's superiority is if they only ever tell you the miraculous results. Or say they have the secret or there is a conspiracy keeping you from knowing the truth! If they try to tell you it is the absolute best diet for ALL people, then you immediately know they are full of sh**. Check their facebook... oh look it leads to a website. Surprise surprise, they are selling an ebook or diet program. Weird! Trust those who are willing to discuss and want to know both sides of the story. Not the ones who only know their side and refuse to acknowledge anything else.
