The New Year brings with it hope. Hope that things will be different, better even. The winter solstice has been and gone. The days are going to get longer and brighter again. Many people look for ways to refocus and find direction for 2023. One industry which capitalises from this search for renewed energy and direction is the Diet and Wellness Industry. Each year, we are promised a new way of eating – one that will really work this time! Yet, science shows that the overwhelming majority of people regain any weight they lose. Some people regain more than they lost in the first place (Mann et al.). You know this to be true because, statistically, you are probably one of these people.
If this is your first time reading about the poor ‘success’ rates of diets and weight loss pursuits, it will probably conflict with your current thoughts around diets. Surely trying to lose weight is good for you, right? I’d like to invite you to read on with an open mind. We are shown promises of body transformations and weight loss ‘hacks’ on a daily basis. Let me ask you this, if diets and weight loss pursuits truly worked, why do people search for the key to weight loss each new year? If any one of their previous diets had worked, why would they need another one? If a medication had the same failure rate as diets – it would be pulled from the market.
”If a medication had the same failure rate as diets – it would be pulled from the market.”
Diets and weight loss pursuits do not deliver on their only promise: sustainable weight loss. Not only that but many people will get the exact opposite of what they promised – weight gain! Perhaps your thinking, well there’s no harm in trying because I need to lose weight. Diets and the pursuit of weight loss are linked with several negative outcomes such as an increased risk of binge eating, long term yo-yo dieting, poor self-esteem, poor mental health and increased risk of eating disorders (Hazzard et al.; Neumark-Sztainer et al.). Dieting and pursuing weight loss is not risk free.
You may be thinking ‘but I need to lose weight’. I hear you. This change in thinking is demanding. It asks you to let go of the pursuit of weight loss. This can feel like being asked to let go of your health, wellbeing, relationship prospects or anything else that you have linked to your desire to lose weight. If you are in the headspace to change and wish to truly heal your relationship with food this year, I am going to encourage you to do one thing.
Action point: Get out a pen and paper. Yes, now! I’ll wait… Got it? Okay, draw a line across the paper. Now, write down a time-line of all of the diets and health-kicks you have been on. Underneath each diet write down how it made you feel (the good and the bad). Think about how it impacted on your relationship with food, your body and your friends and family. How long did you stick to the diets or ‘healthy lifestyle’. Once you are done, step back and ask yourself – how has dieting and the pursuit of weight loss served me?
Everyone deserves to live a life free from food guilt and body shame. You deserve to have a positive relationship with your first home – your body. You also deserve to enjoy meals with friends and dinners with your family without worrying about whether it will fit into your plan. CLN can help you achieve food and body freedom. Our Specialist Weight Inclusive Dietitian, Aoife McMahon, is trained in Intuitive Eating, Mindful eating and therapeutic methods to help you cultivate the skills you need to make peace with food. Reach out today and book a FREE Discovery Call. On this no-obligations call, we will discuss exactly how CLN can help you on your food and body liberation journey. Book your call using the button below –
References:
Mann et al. (2007). Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer
Hazzard et al. (2021) Intuitive eating longitudinally predicts better psychological health and lower use of disordered eating behaviors: findings from EAT 2010–2018
Neumark-Sztainer et al. (2006) Ob*sity, Disordered Eating, and Eating Disorders in a Longitudinal Study of Adolescents: How Do Dieters Fare 5 Years Later?
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