Perhaps you’ve heard about May the Fourth Be With You, and certainly you’ve heard of Cinco de Mayo, but have you heard about what’s worth celebrating on May 6th?
May 6th is International No Diet Day (INDD). At Reasons, we believe wholeheartedly this is a day worth celebrating! Learn a bit more about the who, what, when, where and why around this day, and join us in honoring freedom from diet culture.
Who
Mary Evans Young, a woman in the UK, is the founder of INDD and the director of the British group “Diet Breakers.” In recovery herself from anorexia nervosa, Young is credited as one of the founders of the anti-diet movement in the UK.
What
A yearly occurrence, INDD aims to disrupt diet talk and behavior, raise awareness about size-ism and weight discrimination, fight fat-phobia, and celebrate body diversity.
When
INDD occurs yearly on May 6th. Take a moment to celebrate today!
Where
Everywhere! We encourage you to celebrate in all ways on all forums. Represent by wearing a light blue ribbon (the INDD symbol). Post some anti-diet inspiration on social media. Enjoy your favorite foods and set aside any guilt and shame associated with eating what you want, when you want. Grab a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and tell yourself you have better things to do and think about than dieting. Remember, the “I” stands for international, so spread the word!
Why
Where do we begin? We can’t count all of the positive reasons to celebrate resistance of diet culture. Messaging around dieting is very pervasive throughout the world and throughout our culture, and for those working toward eating disorder recovery, dieting talk can feel especially challenging to escape.
Dieting is a huge risk factor for the development (and continuation) of an eating disorder. As we educate one another on the pitfalls associated with dieting, we have an opportunity to circumvent one critical eating disorder risk factor. This impact can have tremendous positive consequences. Eating disorders are far more prevalent and far more deadly than most people think. Any efforts we take to mitigate the risk and rise of eating disorders are efforts that can save a life.
We also know that diets don’t work. The vast majority of people who engage in dieting behaviors for the purpose of intentional weight-loss gain that weight back within five years (1). The dieting industry represents a 72 billion dollar industry built on false promises and temporary “results.”
Last but not least, diets are inherently fat-phobic. The premise of a diet often centers around a false belief that there’s something wrong with our bodies, or that our bodies need to be significantly different in order to thrive. Weight stigma does real harm, whether it leads to bullying, shame, or weight-based discrimination in areas such as healthcare. Let’s embrace INDD as a day to remember that all bodies in all shapes and sizes are beautiful just the way they are.
Even as we celebrate International No Diet Day, at Reasons, our wish is bigger. Our hope is that, someday, we don’t need to celebrate International No Diet Day because every day should be International No Diet Day! Hopefully, as we continue to raise awareness of the toxicity of diet culture, and continue to remind each other that beauty lives in all forms, diets can become a thing of the past. As we peer into the looking glass of the future, we envision a world beyond the confines of a diet. But, until that world is a reality, let’s celebrate today for what it is: an opportunity to celebrate food and health at every size.
Have a favorite anti-diet inspo site or blog? Leave a comment and share your resources! Let’s lift one another up and raise our voices for the things that matter.
(1) https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832