Remuda Ranch

Diet Myths

Far more than any other country in the world, America is obsessed with being thin. This obsession has spawned a multi-billion dollar dieting industry. Just turn on the television at any given time and flip through the channels. How many commercials or infomercials are hocking a new diet plan? And though their approaches vary – eat this, don’t eat that, take these energy pills, cut calories, eliminate carbs, drink this new concoction – they all promise the same thing: you will quickly lose huge quantities of weight and look amazing. Unfortunately, this is a promise that they cannot keep, which makes this the first of several key diet myths.

Myth #1: You Will Lose Weight.

No, in the long run, you probably won’t. Though weight might be lost at the beginning, in no time that weight will return and probably bring a few extra pounds with it. 98% of the time, dieters actually end up gaining weight. This is because the real issues behind food consumption and proper understanding of human metabolism are rarely addressed with a diet.

Myth #2: You Will Look Amazing

Amazing like whom? Like the models you see in the ads or in magazines? Can a diet really do all that? Certainly not. Those women have been so altered by computers, they don’t even look like themselves. What’s more, can a diet make you taller, lengthen your legs, change your facial structure, and increase the size of your chest?

Myth #3: Diets Are Not Dangerous

Yes they are, especially for young people. This is because they cut out so many valuable foods and food groups, which are critical to normal and healthy growth. To say nothing of the heightened risk of developing anorexia or bulimia. Studies show that dieting is a leading indicator of a future eating disorder. A girl who diets before the age of 14 is eight times more likely to develop an eating disorder. Today, ten million women and girls have eating disorders and up to 20% of those with anorexia will die from the illness. Even if an eating disorder is avoided, there are many negative health consequences associated with dieting such as weakened bones and decreased heart rate.

Myth #4: Certain Foods Are Bad

Yet again, not true. Diets frequently categorize food in terms of “good” or “bad.” A food such as celery may be labeled “good” because it has no fat and few calories, while an item such as bananas might be labeled “bad” due to its carbohydrate content. The truth is, there are no bad foods, only bad diets. All foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle.

Myth #5: Diets Give You Control

So many people buy into the notion that a diet with a defined set of rules will offer them control. All too often, the exact opposite occurs. After a person has been eating the same boring foods, or following the same ritual day after day, the craving for “forbidden” foods becomes overpowering. Though they tell themselves they will enjoy only a little bit, often all self-control is lost and they end up eating the entire gallon of ice cream or several candy bars. What’s more, talk about losing control; often diets leave a person with no energy, feeling fatigued, and even worse, highly irritable. In an imagined effort to gain control, a person actually sacrifices control of their self.

Myth #6: Diets Are Safe and Healthy

Follow enough diets and you risk altering your body's natural weight. When a person's weight goes high then low over and over, the body will likely settle at a higher weight than it would have needed to be if it was never altered in the first place. In effect, a person’s body becomes confused, never knowing whether it will receive the nutrition it requires to function, or if the food source will suddenly be cut off. In order to protect itself from starvation, the metabolism slows down. This is the exact opposite of what a dieter wants because it means weight is gained and retained more easily.

Here’s the biggest myth of all: you need a diet to follow. No, you really don’t; instead, follow these simple guidelines:

• Consume a variety of foods in moderation.
• Variety ensures that you are meeting nutrient needs from a wide range of foods. No one single food is perfect; you simply can't get all you need from one or a small number of foods alone.
• Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.
• Practice "listening to your body". This means that when a full plate of food is set before you, maybe you'll finish it all, maybe not. Let your body tell you when it's had enough. Don't eat the entire serving/bag/box/plate of food just because it's there.

For more information about eating disorders, contact Remuda Programs for Eating Disorders at 1-800-445-1900.