Written by Pascale Flematti APD
Dieting is often promoted as a means to health and happiness. However, the science tells us that dieting can actually be more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing (think: “wellness culture”). The reality of dieting is it often leads us into a vicious cycle that can be hard to break. It is also one of the most common risk factors for developing an eating disorder.
While some people might see short term weight loss and feel their diet is working, evidence tells us that the vast majority of those who diet will regain this weight (and more) in the long term. Ultimately, diets do not work.
It’s generally sold to us as “eat less, abide by this set of rules, and you will achieve your health and weight goals”.
In practice, it’s not so simple. When we undernourish our bodies, we become physically and psychologically deprived, and our biological and mental drive to eat will rise. Eventually we will eat, likely much more than our diet prescribes, which can lead to feelings of personal failure, guilt and shame. This can leave us with worse body image, drawing us back to our diet, and so the cycle continues.
Moving away from this and moving towards building a more positive relationship with food and your body can be a challenging but rewarding process.
From a Dietitian’s perspective, utilising a Health at Every Size Approach and incorporating the RAVES model can provide a useful a roadmap for working towards developing a better relationship with food – it is often used in eating disorders treatment, but has relevance for anyone who engages with dieting or disordered eating behaviours.
Seeking head space support from a Psychologist and nutrition support from a Dietitian, can be a good place to start.
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash