Diet culture is entrenched in our society. Not only are we incredibly fat-phobic, restrictive dieting behaviour is normalised and even applauded. Why? Feeling good enough doesn't make anyone any money. Selling you the message that you need to be thin and that you could be thin if you just tried harder, and "let us help you by selling you this pill, shake, diet plan, exercise program, etc. etc."? Now that makes a lot of people a lot of money.
We've all heard that "obesity" is now an epidemic. 67% of the NZ population are considered "overweight", 32% of which are considered "obese". Society's approach seems to be one of disapproval and blame. People in larger bodies are shamed and criticised for not having enough willpower or for being lazy or greedy. They are often dismissed as not understanding what healthy eating looks like and sent to a dietician or nutritionist to learn about what is "healthy". Even the term "obesity" is both pathologising and stigmatising.
We've all heard that "obesity" is now an epidemic. 67% of the NZ population are considered "overweight", 32% of which are considered "obese". Society's approach seems to be one of disapproval and blame. People in larger bodies are shamed and criticised for not having enough willpower or for being lazy or greedy. They are often dismissed as not understanding what healthy eating looks like and sent to a dietician or nutritionist to learn about what is "healthy". Even the term "obesity" is both pathologising and stigmatising.
SO WHY DO SOME PEOPLE PUT ON MORE WEIGHT THAN OTHERS?
We now know that the old "energy in, energy out" equation is unhelpful. Weight is complex, involving a multitude of factors. The idea that we have total control over it is false. There is also more to the psychology of what and how much we choose to eat than just willpower and determination. Many people know the pain of bingeing or over-eating to the point where they are no longer enjoying eating, or even starting to feel sick, yet not being able to stop, or of eating in secret, or feeling compelled to eat "bad" foods, without even feeling hungry. What follows is a cycle of shame and self-criticism, leading to further comfort or emotional eating.
WHAT ABOUT DIETING?
95% of people who go on a diet either gain all of the weight back, and 2 in 3 of those people gain back more than what they lost. So statistically, the most likely outcome of a diet is long term weight gain. Why? Dieting is the sure-fire way to continue the cycle of shame and over-eating. Going on a diet means moving into a state of deprivation, which is not sustainable in the long-term. It also means constantly thinking about, worrying and obsessing over food, which is of course is the one thing we don't want to think about. At first the diet might seem doable, or even empowering. Then life kicks in, we eat something "bad", guilt and anxiety set in, leading to further cravings of what we "shouldn't be eating", and soon we are left with a sense of failure, self-doubt and hopelessness.
We also know that the body responds to dieting and losing weight as though it were starving. It will slow our metabolism right down so that weight will be very difficult to shift and when normal eating is resumed our "set point" (the weight range that our body naturally wants to be at) is often increased, as the body prepares itself for another possible restriction period. This happens regardless of our body weight, because we are programmed for survival.
So the most likely long-term outcome of dieting is weight gain, with the gained weight then being more difficult to lose.
An amazing TED talk by Sandra Aamodt explains this.
So how we can stop this happening? By repairing our relationship with food and our bodies.
We also know that the body responds to dieting and losing weight as though it were starving. It will slow our metabolism right down so that weight will be very difficult to shift and when normal eating is resumed our "set point" (the weight range that our body naturally wants to be at) is often increased, as the body prepares itself for another possible restriction period. This happens regardless of our body weight, because we are programmed for survival.
So the most likely long-term outcome of dieting is weight gain, with the gained weight then being more difficult to lose.
An amazing TED talk by Sandra Aamodt explains this.
So how we can stop this happening? By repairing our relationship with food and our bodies.
WHERE DOES THE FOOD & FEELINGS APPROACH FIT?
Food & Feelings offers a non-judgmental psychological approach to food and body shape and weight concerns. It allows people to identify and overcome triggers to restriction and bingeing, to free themselves from the clutches of diet culture, to decrease obsessive thoughts about food and weight, to improve self-esteem, self-compassion and body image, to decrease shame, anxiety and depression, and to increase the ability to listen to one's body and eat mindfully in response to body cues. Click here to find out more.