Grey-Bruce Kids Summer 2023

Unfortunately, what most people don’t realize is that dieting
may be causing more harm than good. Ninety-five per cent of
all dieters will regain the weight lost within one to five years
(Grodstein et al 1996 & Neumark-Sztainer et al 2007).
The failure of diets can be explained by the “dieter’s dilemma” as
coined by psychologists John Foreyt and Ken Goodrick, which
is triggered by the desire to be smaller, which leads to dieting.
Dieting leads to food preoccupation and food cravings through
a cascade of neurotransmitters and chemical hormones in the
brain. Eventually the dieter gives in to the strong food cravings,
overeats, and regains the lost weight. The individual is back to
square one, with a desire to lose weight.
People often mistake the natural biological response of hunger
for lack of willpower when they succumb to strong cravings, but
this isn’t the case. As the cycle repeats, the dieter feels more out
of control and self-esteem decreases. If diets were successful, we
wouldn’t have so many unhappy and confused people seeking
out help for health and weight loss. The diet industry has
corrupted the word “wellness,” and it has now become almost
synonymous with dieting. Part of the path to healing one’s
relationship with food is recognizing the damage dieting has
done to mental health and psychological well-being.
Why is it that we rely so heavily on others’ opinions and advice
when it comes to eating? Food is a necessity of life. It provides
fuel for the body in addition to all the nutrients we require to
function efficiently. Yet many people don’t trust their bodies to
tell them when or what to eat. Instead, they reach out to others
for advice. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how someone
else could possibly know when you are hungry or full? This is
the backbone of diets, telling you how much and what to eat,
giving no thought to your internal cues.
Food is required for survival just like breathing, water, shelter
and sleep. When swimming under water, would you seek out
advice from others before coming up for air? When you need
to use the washroom, do you question the urge, thinking you
couldn’t possibly have to go again? When it comes to breathing,
sleeping, thirst and shelter, we have more confidence trusting
our bodies, however, the same can’t be said about food. The
more a person looks to others for diet advice, the more confused
they become and the less they trust their (own) body. If dieting
is an unhealthy approach, then what can we do to foster a good
relationship with food and improve our health?
Enter “intuitive eating,” which is a self-care eating framework
that integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought (Tribole,
2107). It means getting back to your roots – trusting your body
and your signals. The human body is hardwired to know when
and how much to eat, however this concept is often lost in
translation due to external influences. Intuitive eating is based
on principles that help people let go of their rigidity around
food by rejecting diet culture and giving permission to eat in a
way that feels good in their body and honours their health.
Babies are born intuitive eaters. When hungry, they tell us by
sucking on their fists, leaning towards the breast or bottle, or
crying. When full, they simply stop eating. Toddlers also eat
intuitively, however their taste buds are still developing and
meals become more complicated due to likes, dislikes, and their
need for autonomy.
This is the age where conversations around food become
important because thoughts, feelings and external pressure play
a part in decisions about eating. A well-meaning parent may
say something like, “If you eat all your broccoli, you can have a
cookie after.” This tells the child two things – cookies must be
better than broccoli and it’s OK to overeat because that cookie
is worth it. If this happens repeatedly, hunger cues become
subdued, and overeating may become a common occurrence.
Well-intending parents may also restrict sweets in the house
for health reasons or fear of weight gain. Studies have shown
that when a child (or adult) feels like they are being deprived of
something, they tend to think about, and want that food even
more. This can lead to sneaking, hoarding and overeating. By
giving kids and adults autonomy over how much food to eat and
providing consistent access to a variety of different foods (sweets
included), they have a better chance of eating intuitively.
Teenagers today are dealing with an overwhelming amount of
external pressure to look a certain way due to social media and
the desire to fit in. As a result, they are at a high risk of seeking
out diets or listening to uninformed influencers for advice
on what to eat. This can impact their relationship with food
and could lead to a lifelong battle of yo-yo dieting or eating
disorders. Teens who moderately diet are five times more likely
to develop an eating disorder and those who practice extreme