How Dieting Can Be Harmful to Your Health
(Disclosure: this article does not refer to dietary recommendations provided by a Doctor. This article is general in nature and does not constitute individual medical advice. Please see your treating GP if you have questions or concerns.)
Okay, quick question: How many of these diets have you tried?
Keto
Vego
Vegan
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Low-carb
No sugar
Paleo
Raw food
Mediterranean
Intermittent fasting
It’s actually so common to be on one diet or another at the moment. In fact, when you say you’re not on a diet it’s sometimes kind of perceived as odd – like how do you know what to eat then?
Most go on diets to lose weight, or for some other reason related to appearance. We care about our appearance, we want to look good, we want to be attractive and appear successful.
Sometimes being on a diet helps you to feel more in control (especially those Type A kind of personalities – we love being organised and are just ever so slightly perfectionistic).
Or sometimes being on a diet helps us to feel like we’re being healthy.
Okay so what if I were to tell you that:
1. People only pay attention to how you look for 10 seconds when forming a first impression of you, before focusing on other characteristics such as your body language and your personality. 10 seconds! That’s it!
…And
2. Diets are actually considered by most experts in dietetics and medicine to be unhealthy. Yeah, shocking right? It surprised me to when I first heard it, but it makes sense. Let me explain:
Firstly, diets are often restrictive. They either restrict what you eat, when you can eat, or how much you can eat. The problem is, our bodies need a consistent source of a variety of nutritional components including carbs, sugars, fats and proteins. Most diets don’t allow for a wholesome range of nutrients.
Secondly, research indicates that diets may be effective for weight loss only in the short-term, however, they’re more likely to result in weight gain in the long-term. Yep. That’s right. I’ll tell you why in a sec.
But let me ask you a question first –
If you were to eat this way for the rest of your life, would you be satisfied?
Most would say probably not.
This is basically why they’re not effective in the long-term! The restrictive nature of diets means they involve rules about food and come at a huge cost. Sometimes that cost is social (not eating out with friends), or mental (irritability), or physical (nutrient deficiencies, fatigue).
The reality is, we can generally keep this up for a little while. As humans, we need carbs, sugar, fats, and protein, and when we deprive ourselves of those things we are programmed to seek it out. We crave it. And sometimes, if we’ve restricted a whole lot, we binge on it.
So often we view this binge as a failure or weakness or lack of willpower. It’s not. It’s what happens when we don’t get enough of what we need.
I guess with anything in life, we need to be flexible about it. Life isn’t black or white, there isn’t one rule that applies all of the time to everyone. And the same goes for our eating. If we apply these rules and do these things rigidly, it’s likely to cause problems. And if we have to do things in an exact way or it freaks us out, are we really in control?
It might make you feel more attractive, it might make you feel more in control. But at what cost?
What are the things that are important to you in life? What do you love doing? Does eating in this way ever get in the way of those things?
It might even make you feel more healthy. Like, that’s what a diet is for right? To be healthier? But if you’re more fatigued, constantly thinking about food, feeling moody, have nutrient deficiencies, aren’t socialising as much, feeling guilty after eating, taking supplements or doing other things to suppress normal hunger cues, how healthy is it really?
Even worse, when diets are sustained over longer periods of time or lead to low weight, there is a very real risk of heart problems, low blood pressure, hair loss, bone weakness, fertility problems (including loss of menstruation for girls), gut health issues, and weak muscles. This is not good health.
Now not everyone who goes on a diet has disordered eating patterns. And not everyone who has disordered eating patterns has an eating disorder. So how do you know when it’s a problem?
1) If you have any medical issues related to low weight or your diet.
If you’re unsure, go to your doctor and get a medical assessment. They’ll check your blood pressure, do a blood test, and be able to let you know.
2) If your diet gets in the way of you enjoying or functioning in important aspects of your life.
Are you able to go out and really enjoy a meal with friends? Are you able to concentrate at work or are you constantly thinking about food? Are you able to try new things without worrying about the calories? Are you noticing you’re feeling too exhausted to get things done?
3) If your diet is starting to cause you some distress.
Are you constantly worrying about food? Do you feel guilty after eating? Is your self-esteem taking a hit? Are you noticing more and more self-criticism?
4) If people are telling you it’s a problem.
Body shaming is not okay. However, if your loved ones are starting to raise concerns about your eating behaviour, that might be an indication that they are concerned or that it’s starting to become unhealthy. Go and get it checked out – best case scenario, you’re told everything is okay and you’re healthy and they don’t need to worry! Worst case scenario, there is something to be concerned about and you can now get support to manage it.
As a Clinical Psychologist, I help people to understand their behaviour a bit better, help them to channel their perfectionism in healthy ways, be more flexible, work towards a healthy weight, and focus on building the things that are important to them.
If you or someone you know could benefit from a consultation, please get in touch via the contacts page, or give me a call on 0450 808 917.
More info:
The Butterfly Foundation
https://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au
1800 334 673
Lifeline
13 11 14
If your life is in danger, contact 000 or present to your nearest emergency department.