As a dietitian that’s totally aligned with ‘anti-diet’ messaging in the past, I’ve started to disconnect.
Earlier this month, The Washington Post published this article, called “As obesity rises, Big Food and dietitians push ‘anti-diet’ advice.”
Like the article says, there are a ton of dietitians on social media pushing ultra-processed foods. They tell you to stop avoiding all the bad foods you secretly love because there is no such thing as a healthy or unhealthy food! They say all foods are created equal. And that you can eat whatever you want and be as healthy as ever!
*Ahem,* what?
That doesn’t sound like advice from people that are looking out for your wellbeing. It sounds more like something that’s too good to be true.
So why would dietitians give this kind of advice?
- They’re being paid.
- They’re lying to you.
- Both.
If Coke published a study stating that sugar-sweetened beverages aren’t linked to the rising prevalence of obesity, would you really believe them? Can you trust the opinion of someone that’s financially benefitting from telling you something?
It’s easy for influencer dietitians – who are all thin by the way – to say “eat whatever you want!” while showing themselves taking a theatrically huge bite of an ice cream sundae on TikTok. Let’s be real – you’re dying for someone to tell you that. You feel like you’re in good company. But did they really eat the rest of that sundae? And how do they ACTUALLY eat when they aren’t filming?
Let me set some of the anti-diet messaging straight for you:
- Anti-diet messaging claims no foods are healthy or unhealthy. But there ARE healthy foods. Healthy foods are foods that promote good health when eaten regularly. And there ARE unhealthy foods. Unhealthy foods are foods that can impede good health when eaten regularly. While it’s true that no single food is the sole determinant of health status, saying that there are no healthy foods is just a flat-out lie. You shouldn’t be judged for foods you eat – true. You should, however, judge the foods you eat.
- Anti-diet messaging pushes ultra-processed, addictive foods. The language has shifted away from “this CAN BE part of a healthy diet” to “this IS a healthy diet.” Yes, I do believe that all foods can be part of a healthy diet. You can eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You can eat cookies. But the FOUNDATION of your diet should be healthy and nutritious.
- Anti-diet messaging tells people what they have been dying to hear. Simply saying “eat whatever you want” is just too good to be true. We want permission to eat poorly and have no consequences. We want to push back on decades of restrictive behavior. But the missing piece of the puzzle is HOW to incorporate junk foods into an overall healthy diet.
As for me, I truly do believe that a fundamental enjoyment and unrestrictive mindset toward food is freeing. But that doesn’t mean you can eat WHATEVER you want ALL THE TIME with zero consequences.
It doesn’t work that way.
Instead of pretending that eating a jar of Nutella every day makes up a healthy diet, I teach you how to incorporate Nutella into a diet that makes you feel good.
And if you’re eating well and feeling well, trust me – you will not want junk food to make up the majority of your diet.
If you feel misled by the anti-diet movement and you’re frustrated with where you’ve ended up, I’m here for you.
There is absolutely a way of eating out there that lets you have your cake and eat it too. I will help you find that.