Diet culture can be toxic. More than a concern for actual health and overall wellness, influencers in this space sometimes seem to be preying on people’s insecurities and selling shame. Being more concerned about numbers on a scale than a person’s mental health and self-worth is a dangerous game.
But in a world that is overly weight conscious, it can be hard for people to see the dark nature of one of the country’s leading industries. Recently though, one health influencer was taken to task after he criticized the food being served at a children’s hospital.
Paul Saladino, MD, says, 'Western medicine doesn’t care what they feed patients.'
Saladino, who goes by Carnivoremd2 on TikTok, decided to enter the Dell Children’s Medical Center at Ascension Seton in Austin, Texas, and see what was on offer. Apparently, he was there for the sole purpose of critiquing the items on the menu in the cafeteria.
At the beginning of the video, he says: “Western medicine doesn’t care what they feed patients. Pretty sure they don’t care what they feed kids either, which is even more saddening.” While there, Saladino ordered chicken tenders, french fries, Cheetos, and an orange Vanilla Coke.
"How will our doctors and nurses ever set an example for our kids, for their families, when this type of garbage food is condoned, is served in the cafeteria here?" he questions in the video. Wait, what? Is he blaming health care workers for the food choices he made? Major side eye.
Viewers noticed that he simply skipped over the healthier options that were available.
Saladino argued that we should be doing better for our children. Immediately, he received pushback on the video.
"Gonna be 100% with you, the last thing people care about when their kid is sick is their calorie count or sugar,” one user wrote.
Other users noted that Saladino was intentional in the food he chose. “So you just skipped the salads and bottled water why? Also the fruit cups and yogurt…”
Others noted that he didn’t show an actual patient menu, which he wouldn’t have had access to as a visitor wandering through a hospital.
One commenter summed it up quite succinctly: "Oncology nurse here. I tell my patients we don’t diet when on chemo. Eat whatever you want whenever you want it because there will be times you won’t."
Interestingly, Saladino believes humans should avoid vegetables.
You may be wondering what type of suggestions Saladino would have made. Well that is also interesting. Elsewhere on his TikTok he has another video claiming that vegetables are not good for humans.
Saladino says, “I don’t think vegetables are great for humans. If we think about this intuitively, high level, without getting into the science …” That intro alone was enough for fellow TikTokers to tune him out.
One user pointed out that all of Saladino's content is hyper-judgmental.
Instead, Saladino says we should stop eating vegetables and start eating meat. Perhaps it was the hospital video and the vegetable video that caused one user to conclude that Saladino might not be the best person to turn to in terms of dietary advice.
The user wrote: “Never any suggestions. Just judgement.”
Some people might be eating up his brand of influence, but even if he did have suggestions, we recommend you consult a nutritionist.
*Disclaimer: The advice on CafeMom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
