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Diet culture has created the obesity crisis.

Can there be any truth to this statement?

Blog

Diet culture has created the obesity crisis.

Can this statement be true? In my opinion...yes!

There is so much ingrained pressure to be a certain size and to look a certain way for women to be attractive. I for one (but not the only one) find this unfair.

Never judge a book by its cover is the saying. Yet that is exactly what we do to ourselves, our friends, colleagues, and people across the street.

It goes a bit like this...oh look at her she should not be wearing that, that is not flattering at all! And when I talk to myself as I look at myself in the mirror, sucking my belly in so hard to make it disappear. My inner voice wishes it could always look that. The underlying message to myself is I could be better.

Better at seeing my friends, better at getting a boyfriend, better at work. Better at anything and everything!

If spend less time with these thoughts, I have more time and creative energy. I can use this to my career, my relationships, my hobbies or being open to trying something completely new.

Following a diet takes up head space when you could be doing other things. Diets have you becoming food obsessed, always thinking about the next meal. What will it be? Will it be naughty? Or will I be good?

It is so wearing and yet in society we treat this behavior as normal. Even applaud it. It is acceptable polite conversation worthy. Up there with 'how's the weather today?' and 'got any holidays booked this year?'.

It is not helpful, and it should not be normal. By following a diet, you become preoccupied. On a diet you need to follow rules. This takes up energy and is a negative process that involves depriving yourself.

It is often said that with a diet you need willpower. Then if you have enough willpower you will succeed and if you do not you will fail. I’d say it's the diet culture that has failed us. No one wants to be food obsessed but we do want to be happy.

The diet industry has created a multimillion-pound industry and a negative diet culture. Diet culture is evolving too. Into something that is trying to help reduce the obesity crisis and help us look and feel better. Its focus is still negative. It comes from a place where an individual feels there is something wrong with them that needs fixing.

There is not anything wrong with any of us. The human body is incredible. Let it do its thing and do not try to control it.

I read four books a year ago that I will recommend now, that helped change my perspective around food and diets. Reading these books was a real eye opener.

The books are not another set of diet rules, a list of foods that are good or bad, followed by recipes. They are based on robust science, not commercially funded research with bias objectives.

These books changed my perspective on myself and how I spoke about food with others around me. I cringe now thinking about the nights I watched Strictly Come Dancing and said, what is Tess wearing?! They always pick the wrong dresses for her! When I could have been saying wow! Tess has got one of the best jobs in the world.

Here are my book recommendations:

 1. Body Respect, what conventional health books get wrong, leave out and just plain fail to understand about weight by Linda Bacon, PhD and Lucy Aphramor, PhD, RD

 2. Intuitive Eating, a revolutionary program that works by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

 3. Just Eat It, Laura Thomas, PhD

 4. Big Fit Girl, embrace the body you have, Louise Green

If you can only buy one, but Just Eat It. Laura's book is great because it gives you practical stuff to apply to your though processes.

In all these books they highly recommend you change the people you follow on social media. Here is a few suggestions from me:

@tallyrye

@hannahlouisejocaobi

@alexlight_ldn

@diets_dont_work_haes

@antidietriotclub

@fatgirl.hiking

@deadlifts_and_redlips

@emmafitnessphd

@thephitcoach

@laurenslatercoaching

And unfollow accounts that promote body transformations, then and now pictures, intermittent fasting (as a way of losing weight), 5:2 diet etc.

Making this change on your socials will support you in becoming less food obsessed and give you back time to do what you want. Learnings, teachings, tips & tricks for anyone looking to embark upon or enhance their fitness journey.