Why an all-foods-fit approach to nutrition is better than dieting, according to a dietitian

"Diet culture norms have led to a multibillion-dollar industry promoting diets that each come with their own set of rules, with each claiming it's the only way to be healthy or lose weight. When access to nutrition information is at an all-time high online, people are often left digging through conflicting information when trying to figure out what to eat or what a healthy diet look likes."

"As a registered dietitian specializing in eating disorders, the majority of my clients have been, and continue to be, harmed by diet culture. They wrestle with guilt and shame around food, and their health is often negatively affected by rigid rules about nutrition. Rather than improving health, research has shown that diet culture increases your risk of unhealthy behaviors, including yo-yo dieting, weight cycling, and eating disorders."

Rigid rules and moralizing messages about food pervade social media, gyms, and healthcare settings, driven by a multibillion-dollar diet industry. Diet culture defines thinness as a moral ideal and pressures people to pursue or maintain it. Conflicting online nutrition information leaves people confused about healthy eating. Clients receiving care for eating disorders frequently experience guilt, shame, and health harms from diet culture, which elevates risks of yo-yo dieting, weight cycling, and eating disorders. An alternative 'all foods fit' approach treats a variety of foods as acceptable and aims to reduce rigid restrictions and associated harms.

Read at Fast Company