Ever read something online, shook your head, and thought,
“Seriously… who believes this stuff?”
Then you stop.
And realise at some point, you probably did too.
That’s exactly the feeling I had reading Danny Wallace’s Somebody Told Me. It’s a cracking book that dives headfirst into the weird, wacky, and genuinely worrying world of conspiracy theories. From 5G melting your brain to Elvis still being alive and working in a petrol station, Wallace explores why people believe nonsense — and more importantly, why they want to.
The book is funny, uncomfortable, and a bit too close to home at times. It shows how easily misinformation spreads, how comforting certainty can be when life feels chaotic, and how our brains are absolute suckers for simple answers.
And reading it made me realise something:
The fitness and nutrition industry is absolutely riddled with conspiracy thinking.
And most of it starts with the same three words:
“Somebody told me…”
Fitness Has Its Own Tinfoil Hat Club
Let’s play a quick round of Somebody Told Me — gym edition:
- “Carbs make you fat.”
- “Fruit is basically sugar, so it’s bad.”
- “Don’t eat after 6pm or your metabolism shuts down.”
- “Diet Coke will give you cancer.”
- “Weights make women bulky.”
- “You can’t lose fat unless you’re fasted / keto / carnivore / naked under a full moon.”
Sound familiar?
These myths float around social media like gym ghosts in Lycra. No nuance. No context. No evidence. Just loud statements delivered with absolute confidence.
And confidence, unfortunately, is often mistaken for credibility.
Before you know it, Susan from accounts is terrified of bananas, Dave’s scared to eat pasta, and someone’s convinced a single Diet Coke has shaved five years off their life expectancy.
Fear Sells — Especially on TV
Let’s not pretend this is just an Instagram problem.
We’ve had years of TV shows built entirely around scare-mongering food.
What Not To Eat, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, This Food Will Kill You (okay, I made that one up, but you get the point).
These programmes aren’t designed to create long-term behaviour change.
They’re designed to:
- Shock
- Scare
- Simplify
- Pull in viewing figures
If they actually helped people build a healthier relationship with food, we wouldn’t still be here 20 years later repeating the same cycle of guilt, fear, and “starting again Monday”.
Fear gets eyeballs.
Nuance does not.
Enter the Glucose Panic Brigade
Then you’ve got the newer wave of online nutrition influencers — people like the Glucose Goddess — pushing absolute certainty with very selective evidence.
Spikes are evil.
Smooth curves are good.
Eat food in this order or you’re basically broken.
Sounds sciencey. Looks convincing. Feels actionable.
But here’s the problem:
Most of these claims are not backed by robust research in free-living humans.
They ignore context like total diet, activity levels, muscle mass, energy balance, and — crucially — mental health.
What they do succeed at is:
- Making people anxious around food
- Turning eating into a maths exam
- Encouraging obsession disguised as “bio-hacking”
That doesn’t help people eat better.
It helps them fear food more efficiently.
And fear has never been a good foundation for long-term health.
But, It is great for certain peoples bank accounts.
Why We Keep Falling for This Stuff
Just like Wallace explains in Somebody Told Me, conspiracy-style thinking thrives because it offers:
- Simple answers to complex problems
- A villain to blame
- A sense of control in uncertainty
Struggling to lose fat?
→ Must be carbs.
Low energy?
→ Must be sugar spikes.
Not seeing progress?
→ Must be insulin, cortisol, inflammation, seed oils, or the alignment of the planets.
It’s easier to believe that than accept the less sexy truth:
Progress comes from boring consistency.
Eating well most of the time.
Moving your body.
Sleeping more.
Managing stress.
Repeating that for a long time.
That doesn’t sell programmes.
But it works.
Follow the Evidence — Not the Algorithm
We live in a time where information is everywhere — but being able to grasp and understand it is rare.
So, here’s a simple filter:
If someone says “never” or “always” — be wary.
If everything is framed as toxic, deadly, or broken — be wary.
If they don’t cite proper research — be wary. (Doing tests on yourself doesn’t count Tim Spector)
If fear is the main motivator — run.
Instead:
Look for qualified, evidence-based professionals
Ask “compared to what?”
Ask “in what context?”
Ask “does this actually help people long term?”
Science evolves — but it doesn’t rely on fear, absolutes, or banning entire food groups to function.
What We Do Instead at The Fox Den
We’re big on unf*cking your food. Which is why we set this up, Unf*ck your food story
That means:
- No demonising carbs
- No fearing fruit
- No pretending Diet Coke is the devil
- No turning eating into a stress response
If you want to lose fat, get strong, sleep better, and feel good in your skin — you don’t need another food villain.
You need:
- Better habits
- Better understanding
- Better questions
- Less bullshit
And that’s what we’re here for.
Final Ramblings
- Somebody Told Me shows how easily nonsense spreads.
- The fitness world is full of the same thinking.
- TV shows and influencers thrive on fear — not long-term change.
- Carbs aren’t evil. Fruit isn’t poison. Diet Coke isn’t killing you.
- Evidence beats scare-mongering every time.
If you’re confused about who to listen to — you’re not alone.
But, we’ve got you.
