The Evolution of Dietary Fears: From “Fat is Bad” to “Seed Oils Will Kill You”

Welcome back to Nacho Fitness Coach—where fitness is fun, food fads are funny, and bathroom soap is… optional? In this episode, Sara and Caleigh dive into a hilarious (and slightly horrifying) history of diet trends and nutrition fears that have swept the nation over the last few decades.

But first, a public service announcement: wash your hands, folks. Even if it means being called “vagina hands” by a bathroom attendant.

Now let’s get into the meat (or no-meat, depending on your diet era) of the episode.

🚨 Flashback: A Timeline of Dietary Fads and Fears

Fitness expert Sara breaks down a viral social media post shared by researcher Alan Aragon (shoutout to Mike Howard of @leanminded for the original content) chronicling the most iconic dietary fears from 1991 to today.

🗓️ Here's the breakdown:

1991: Fat is the enemy

• The “low-fat everything” era begins
• Fat-free cookies, fat-free dressings… and flavor-free food
• Food companies start pumping in sugar to make up for lost taste

2002: Enter the Carbs Villain Era

• Atkins Diet takes center stage—hello steak and goodbye bread
• "Carbs are bad" becomes the new fat fear
• Bars, books, and marketing galore

2005-2007: South Beach and Sugar Shifts

• Carbs are selectively bad now (depends on the city diet trend!)
• South Beach Diet gains popularity
• Sara dabbles in it post-athletic life, adjusting to a 40-hour desk job

2009: Weight Loss Pills & Water Pills

• The rise of over-the-counter fat burners like "Alli"
• Side effects? Uh, let’s just say keep a spare pair of pants handy
• Water pills and crash diets pre-wedding… not the best plan, Caleigh

2010: The “Skinny Bitch” Movement

• Meat becomes the next villain
• Real Housewives, skinny cocktails, and confusing nutrition messages

2011: Paleo Power

• “If a caveman didn’t eat it, neither should you”
• Goodbye grains, dairy, and legumes
• Hello CrossFit + Paleo culture (yes, even potatoes were off-limits… rude)

2013: Gluten is Plotting Against You

• Fear of gluten peaks
• Celiac disease is real, but mass gluten hysteria hits mainstream

2015: Fasting Frenzy

• Intermittent fasting becomes the hot trend
• “Breakfast is for chumps,” apparently

2016–2018: Keto Craze & Butter Obsession

• Keto hits hard with high-fat, low-carb love
• Bulletproof coffee becomes a thing (yes, that’s butter in your coffee)
• Whole30 rises: a “clean” eating plan or… a socially acceptable eating disorder?

2018–2020: Carnivore Comeback

• Veggies? Nope. Just meat.
• Carnivore diet goes full primal
• Everything circles back to protein

Present Day: The Seed Oil Scare

• Canola, soybean, and sunflower oils are now “Satan’s urine” (according to the internet)
• Fear of omega-6s and arachidonic acids (try saying that 3 times fast)
• Reality check: most restaurants use these oils… and we’re probably fine

🎙️ Real Talk with Sara & Caleigh

Throughout the episode, Sara shares her journey from trying South Beach to experimenting with CrossFit, while Caleigh pokes fun at the absurdity of all these food rules—especially when they start sounding like cults.

“One of my biggest fears—other than not being funny—is accidentally joining a cult.”

Relatable.

They also shout out researcher Alan Aragon, a great resource for evidence-based nutrition info, and his research review site that breaks down dense science into digestible bites for fitness pros.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Diet trends come and go—what’s vilified today might be praised tomorrow.
• Fat, carbs, meat, gluten, seed oils—everything’s been labeled “bad” at some point.
• Context matters. There’s no one-size-fits-all diet.
• Whole foods are great—but restriction isn’t always healthy.
• Question trendy fear-mongering before tossing out your potatoes or olive oil.

🥑 Final Thoughts

From fat to seed oils, the world of diet culture has thrown just about everything under the bus at one point. But maybe the real takeaway is this:

✨ Eat what makes you feel good. Be skeptical of extremes. And for the love of all things holy—wash your hands. ✨