Ten Things To Consider BEFORE You Start Your NEXT Diet!
- Are you measuring your health solely by a number on the bathroom scale?
- Is dieting getting in the way of your life?
- Have you put your life on hold until you have lost 10 more pounds? If you think life will be better once you lose weight, think again! Don't let dieting distract you from the other life issues you may need to confront.
- Is this a "DD" (Diet in Disguise)?
- Beware of the smooth talking, charismatic, sincere and emotionally saturated sales pitch - they are selling you snake oil! Do they tell you "diets don't work" but "send me money" for my "special program" that promises pounds and fat will "melt away"?
- Dieting may make you fatter.
- There is evidence (and controversy) to suggest that you may ultimately gain even more weight after repeated dieting. Think about it. Altogether, have you lost more in total than you currently weigh over the years?
- Consider the social implications of a society that tells you that you can't be happy unless you are thin.
- We have replaced the need to be healthy with the need to be bone thin.
- What are the health risks?
- More importantly, have they ever bothered to track this issue? Documented risks of dieting include an increased incidence of gallstones, binge eating behaviors and eating disorders.
- Anecdotes and testimonials don't mean a thing.
- For every "success" story, how many "failures" are there? Emotional statements are often used when there is little scientific evidence that can offer support for the method.
- Is this weight loss program scientifically valid?
- Was there a study? Who paid for the study? Were control groups used? How many people were in the study? What was the average starting weight vrs. final weight 1 year later? What was drop out rate? Was there a statistically significant weight loss beyond 2 years? What percentage of people lost and kept weight off for more than 2 years? How about 5 years later? Remember: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
- Consider healthy lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, a food plan that is low in fat and high in fiber and regular "mental health" breaks.
- Many DD's will promote that effecting these kinds of changes will result in weight loss - unfortunately, the scientific data does not does not support these claims. These interventions may result in a healthier body - they have not been shown to be effective for sustained weight loss.
- Consider joining a group that will support you in making healthy choices and help you in getting off the multi-billion dollar diet industry merry-go-round.
- If you have a long history of dieting attempts and weight concerns, it can be very difficult to make the decision not to diet in a society that still assumes that diets are effective and that you are a failure if you can't succeed in losing weight. As well, as a result of dieting, you may need support in learning how to eat in a normal, healthy way for the first time in your life. Consider the need to address personal issues of low self esteem and poor body image. Finally you may need to be more aware of the risks of dieting and obesity as well as the social implications of weight preoccupation and dieting.
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