Are You Falling For These Diet Buzz Words?
No one said that dieting is easy, but do you know what's harder? Quitting them. Most of us have a ton of experience dieting, and little to no experience trusting our body to tell us what, when and how much to eat (aka: intuitive eating). On top of that, with all the genius marketing in the diet industry, it can be hard to tell what really is a diet anyway!?
These days most marketers don't just come out and say "buy my new diet!" Instead, they make up code words for diets to trick you into thinking you're doing something better or something new (you're not). News flash:
If you restrict any food in any way, for any amount of time, you're dieting.
This matters because dieting is associated with poorer health, while intuitive eating is associated with better health. Dieting is also associated with disordered eating behaviors and a host of other physical and mental health issues. In the words of our lady the queen, Beyonce: BOY. BYE. ✋🏽
To make it a little easier to spot diets, we've made this cheat sheet for you. Please download it, save it, share it, repost it, pay to have it blown up on a billboard! (That'd be awesome! Thanks, girl!) Then when you see any of these words in a magazine, on a food package, or in a Facebook post from your old high school friend who is trying to get you to use and sell the latest diet pill that will make you both skinny AND rich (eye roll)... think DIET. And then remember that diets are products with business models built on your failure, and you don't have time for that!
Ander Wilson MS, RDN
Ander Wilson is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Nutrition Therapist. She works with clients to create healthy, meaningful lives, without chasing diets and weight loss. Ander’s approach includes Intuitive Eating and Health At Every Size (HAES).