Put down the celery — it's International No Diet Day
Today, May 6, is International No Diet Day.
While that may cause many of us to let out a cheer and reach for the pizza menu, there's a more to the occasion.
While INDD might be a cause for joy on social media (and the top Twitter trend in Italy), it's not a tool of the restaurant or junk food industry to encourage overeating (though a few of them will no doubt try that angle).
No, INDD is about looking at your diet plan that tells you that coconut water and pumpkin seeds is the only thing you should eat today, and realising how daft that is.
Instead of using the occasion to take a "cheat" day, take a look at your diet plan and ask if it actually makes any sense.
So what's INDD all about, then?
INDD started in 1992, when the leader of the Diet Breakers anti-diet campaign in the UK, Mary Evans Young - herself a past sufferer of anorexia - held a no diet day picnic in her home with a small group.
Today is International No Diet Day; breakfast in bed, swimming, working for a Labour victory tomorrow; big celebration Sat. Enjoy your day!
— Mary Evans Young (@MaryEvansYoung) May 6, 2015
The idea has since blossomed into a minor international day focusing on accepting all body types and calling out the worst diet plans that are, at their core, no good for you.
It's important to note that the day isn't to encourage indiscriminate eating without thought - but to make us think a little more about the whole idea of dieting.
The goals of the day, broadly, are to:
• Raise awareness of discrimination based on weight, shape and size
• Take a day off from any type of diet or body obsession
• Promote positive body image
• Reflect on the victims of eating disorders
• Inform about the facts of a healthy diet and highlight shortcomings of fad diets
Today, it's observed in small numbers worldwide, and enjoy far greater reach through social media. Over in Canada, the day is being marked by an event titled "FATshionraiser: Fat is a Feminist Issue", while students at UCLA are hosting an event about healthy eating.
Fad diets are easy to go on and off ~ choosing a healthy happy lifestyle is a life long commitment #NoDietDay
— Mairlyn Smith (@MairlynSmith) May 6, 2015
Obesity a problem
Modern dietary science is undergoing a difficult phase. Mainstream media constantly reports on new research into weight loss, diet, and overall health. One study may suggest red meat is incredibly bad for human health, while another may argue the opposite.
Even the sacred calves of the low-fat diet and the food pyramid have come under increasing scrutiny, as a handful of studies seem to support the idea that fats are perfectly healthy.
Today, WHO research was released which predicts that more than 80% of the Irish population - both men and women - will be overweight by 2030.
Clearly, something about our current approach to eating isn't sustainable.
So why not have a (regular-sized) ice cream this evening and do a little research to find some eating advice you could stick to for the next two decades.
And bin the diet books while you're at it.
