I don't think that the two are mutually exclusive, as you've described them. I think I would define dieting as "Reducing calories and/or portion control with no concern for proper nutrition, and/or exercising in such a way that weight loss is unhealthy and/or unsustainable."
I knew people in high school who prided themselves on only eating a tic-tac that day. *cringe* That kind of reducing calories is obviously unhealthy. And I can agree that obsessively measuring calories or portion sizes is unhealthy too. (I certainly don't want to be on WW all my life.)
But the general principles of reducing calories and portion control aren't bad. You can eat better and reduce calories - in fact, I see them as tied. Obviously veggie burgers on whole-wheat buns and fruit salad are going to have fewer calories than a fast food combo meal. And I don't see anything wrong with ordering a small fry rather than a jumbo size, or having a small dish of ice cream after dinner rather than a sundae.
I also think you're being too hard on health issues. Yes, certainly weight loss that occurs in an unhealthy and unsustainable way can lead to the health problems you've described. But are you really suggesting that people suffering from certain health problems (I'm thinking especially insulin-related disorders such as diabetes and PCOS) can't benefit from healthy, sustainable weight loss?
I do agree with a lot of what you've said. There has to be a middle, healthy ground between obesity and fad dieting. It constantly amazes me that our country, as a whole, can't seem to find that middle ground.
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I knew people in high school who prided themselves on only eating a tic-tac that day. *cringe* That kind of reducing calories is obviously unhealthy. And I can agree that obsessively measuring calories or portion sizes is unhealthy too. (I certainly don't want to be on WW all my life.)
But the general principles of reducing calories and portion control aren't bad. You can eat better and reduce calories - in fact, I see them as tied. Obviously veggie burgers on whole-wheat buns and fruit salad are going to have fewer calories than a fast food combo meal. And I don't see anything wrong with ordering a small fry rather than a jumbo size, or having a small dish of ice cream after dinner rather than a sundae.
I also think you're being too hard on health issues. Yes, certainly weight loss that occurs in an unhealthy and unsustainable way can lead to the health problems you've described. But are you really suggesting that people suffering from certain health problems (I'm thinking especially insulin-related disorders such as diabetes and PCOS) can't benefit from healthy, sustainable weight loss?
I do agree with a lot of what you've said. There has to be a middle, healthy ground between obesity and fad dieting. It constantly amazes me that our country, as a whole, can't seem to find that middle ground.