Feel-Good Food vs Fad Diets

By Nabila Mayet-Cassim

Diet culture is a collective set of social expectations, driven primarily by social media, that tell us how we should look, and what we should be eating to fit the societal norms of ‘perfection’. It tells us that if we look a certain way, we are more accepted. Aside from creating incredibly unrealistic beauty standards, the most harmful aspect of diet culture is that it focuses on what we weigh over health and well-being and encourages us to cut out entire food groups – such as carbohydrates – while labeling certain foods good or bad, dirty, or clean. When we are consistently told that certain foods are associated with weight gain or loss, it creates guilt, and fear and can trigger long-term unhealthy relationships with food.

We have to change our perspective on what health means to each one of us individually. Health can’t simply be based on our size or the numbers on a scale – essentially how we look has no bearing on whether we are healthy or not. Yes, obesity levels in South Africa are high with half of all adults overweight (23%) or obese (27%), but on the flip side, obsessing about being thin is harmful on many levels because food restriction can lead to mood swings, dehydration, constipation, malnutrition, decreased metabolism, muscle loss, and even an eating disorder.

“If you made a resolution this year to lose weight, make sure that it is not an extreme goal. Unrealistic goals are difficult to follow through on and risk you starting your year, feeling like a failure “ Arthur Ramoroka, Corporate Nutritionist and Eat Well Live Well ambassador, and Claire Julsing Strydom, Registered Dietitian and Co-founder of Nutritional Solutions, share some insight on what diet culture is, why it’s dangerous, and how we can shift our perspective on health and nutrition to let go of restrictive fads and focus on more balanced nutrition for holistic wellbeing.

The vicious circle of fad diets

The overwhelming social pressure of having to look perfect is leading to an increasing amount of ‘fad diets’ becoming trendy. Quick-weight-loss or fad diets are appealing - who doesn’t like the idea that we can be slim and trim with very little time or effort? What makes them almost impossible to ignore too is how we get bombarded from all sides with messaging about trends in nutrition on social media, in commercials, and in books, but often the advice is conflicting. There is also very rarely evidence-based science to back up the safety or efficacy of most fad diets.

While there are many fad diets out there, they all essentially share one common denominator –elimination or deprivation of the body.

What we need to understand is that any diet based on restricting specific food groups, or following rigid menus that do not allow for any deviation or inclusion of the foods you enjoy are typically unsustainable and harmful to our health.

The bottom line on fad diets? They don’t work long-term and simply promise a “quick fix,” which can do more harm than good. In fact, research indicates a 95% failure rate, meaning only 5% of people lose weight and keep the weight off long-term.

Put on the brakes and take control!

So, what should we be doing to break the cycle of fad dieting? Think about what a stable and healthy weight looks like and how weight cycling that goes hand in hand with fad diets can be avoided. Focus on eating a healthy balance of foods from all the food groups that nourish the body.

It starts with identifying small changes that can be made and sustained – it can be as simple as making it a priority to eat one cup of veggies with every meal. We also need to learn to stop labeling food as good or bad, and rather choose to add healthier options to our plates, like loading on colorful fresh vegetables is a great start. And most importantly, we need to take a step back when it comes to nutrition and our health and look at the whole picture. We need to look at our health holistically and focus on eating healthy food more regularly but also getting enough sleep, engaging in physical activity, and managing our stress, all these factors influence our overall health. Small consistent changes over the long term, can result in gradual but sustainable weight loss, without driving ourselves crazy in the process.

We should not fear food and never allow social media influencers (or even family and friends) to tell us how we should and shouldn’t eat. Focus on balance and moderation of ALL FOODS, and perceive food as nourishing, delicious, and satisfying because sharing a delicious meal truly is one of life’s greatest pleasures that none of us should be missing out on.

Ask yourself: