LogFAQs > #955159129

pinky0926 posted...

It's not a fallacy because it's absolutely true, the issue is that people misunderstand what it means. Calories in absolutely must equal calories out because that is a fundamental law of the universe, but this isn't to say you can eat 2000 calories a day of chicken and broccoli in week 1 and then 2000 calories a day of McDonalds cheeseburgers and fries in week 2 and expect the same result, nor does it mean that two people can eat exactly the same foods at the same quantities and expect the same results.

I know it sounds like I'm being nitpicky but while broscientists use the CICO thing to attack fat people you also see a lot of frustrate people arrive at the wrong conclusion that somehow the fundamental law of energy conservation is not true because they got fat on their mcdonalds diet, lol.

It's a fallacy of oversimplification. Even the concept and understanding of calories and how energy is stored is constantly changing. And when you say calories in, calories out, it doesn't take into account all the physiological and environmental conditions involved, such as when and where and in what form the energy is stored, and when and how and in what form it will be released. I agree with most everything in your post, but that over simplification does nothing to educate people and only leads to confusion and misinformation, hence it's a fallacy of oversimplification.

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