D.iet culture surrounds and influences us all. Despite popular belief that it only affects people who care about their weight, diet culture also affects people in general. often From school to college to work, overweight people are commonly labeled as “fat”, causing many to lose confidence.
Negatively distorted body image impact your own emotional and physical health.Author Christy Harrison Anti-Diet: Gain back your time, money, health and happiness with intuitive eating. I will explain Diet culture as a belief system that worships thinness and equates it with health and virtue. Furthermore, diet culture encourages rapid weight loss and suggests maintaining a low body weight to secure elite social status. Those who do not live up to such expectations, or who do not match the delusional image of “health” perpetuated by food culture, are disrespected.
Food culture distorts the image of food
Diet culture views food as fuel. Foods are simply rated as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on their macronutrient content.But food is more than just a source of energy. It has been an integral part of festivals and culture since ancient times. Only food can provide important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, essential fats, antioxidants, phytonutrients, protein and fiber. A nutritious food combination ensures good health and disease prevention. Poor nutrition, impaired physical functioning, eating disorders, and unhealthy relationships with food result from avoiding nutritious foods in order to become ‘low-calorie’.’
“Detox” and “cleanse” after celebrations and the holiday season are prime examples of foods being perceived only as calories. “Evacuation” of “high-fat, high-calorie” foods after a feast is classified as an eating disorder. This is an unscientific and dangerous process that has harmful physical and psychological effects. Focusing on restrictive diets to stay healthy promotes eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Similarly, doing physical activity just to burn calories or “earn” your favorite foods is a bad result of diet culture.
Also read: Spot reduction can make you think you’re going to lose stubborn fat.
Psychosocial effects of food culture
It is important to understand that obesity and overweight are complex medical conditions and are not always the result of unregulated caloric intake or inactivity. can lead to weight gain. Diet culture disregards the science behind obesity and promotes a lean body as the pinnacle of health.
Those who do not meet these criteria are seen as unhealthy, develop a negative body image, and find self-love difficult. is the way. People with bad body image go on diets to lose weight and do not develop healthy eating habits.
People who are overweight, have a bad body image, or are dissatisfied with their bodies should assess their bodies whether the methods are scientifically sound, safe, or sustainable. Unfortunately, those who fall prey to diet culture lack both self-confidence and basic scientific knowledge about health and well-being. They find it difficult to accept that their appearance has nothing to do with their health. , heightened by lack of physical activity.
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Intuitive Eating Practice
weight loss and weight management market It was valued at $192.2 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $295.3 billion by 2027. Decades of research have shown that diets don’t work in the long run. There are relapses and disappointments. However, the weight loss industry based on “diet culture” is not ready to give up and continues to come up with new trendy diets without scientific backing. Even when I find out that I’m lacking in weight and can lead to weight recovery, it’s my fault and I don’t stop feeling that I’m not training enough. Needless to say, the result is shame and guilt.
A combination of intuitive eating and behavior modification can combat the negative effects of dietary culture. To avoid diet culture, avoid self-proclaimed health influencers, unscientific news, and weight watch groups. Learn more about essential physiology, nutrition, and how a balanced diet promotes good health. Research the pros and cons of any new diet before following them.
Try a few key principles of intuitive eating to get out of the diet industry’s trap. These principles reject the diet mentality and call for us to recognize hunger and respond to it by eating nutritious foods. reconciling with, challenging those who classify food as “good” or “bad”, stopping eating when you are full, understanding your satisfaction, coping with stress without eating , and finally encourage respect. your body.
Subhasree Ray is a PhD (Ketogenic Diet), Certified Diabetes Educator, Clinical Dietitian and Public Health Dietitian. She tweets @DrSubhasree. Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Batty)
