Too Much Right Ain't Always Right!

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, bariatric surgery, no carb / crash / detox / low-carb / high-protein / liquid / vegetarian / flexitarian / fruitarian diets...where does it all end? Is too much of a good thing really a good thing?

“Dieting is a $52 billion industry with a 92% failure rate,” says Ronda Bokram, a registered dietician in Michigan State University’s Health Education Department. “It’s an industry built around the fear of obesity. People are so afraid of becoming fat—the word has such a stigma attached to it—that the idea of food becomes all-consuming. To avoid being labeled as fat or obese, many students here and many people in general start restricting themselves to certain foods, or start working out for three hours a day. Wellness goes by the wayside when food gets that much attention." 

Dr. Lynn Rossy, a health psychologist who teaches a series of “Eat for Life” classes at the University of Missouri encourages us to use the acronym “BASICS” to deliver messages about intuitive eating. It stands for Belly check, Assess your food, Slow down, Investigate your hunger, Chew your food thoroughly & Savor your food.

We can all play an important part in stopping the madness propogated by our culture of dieting, bodily discontent and the prevailing belief in a quick fix. We can start by giving food less weight!

Excerpts courtesy of Shawn M. Connors http://blog.hopehealth.com