Dieting and mental health

[sarahmichigan]

Thanks for all those who responded to my last post about dieting and why I'm anti-diet. I never mind being challenged to think about things in a different way. I will say that some of my attitudes to dieting are shaped by the fact that I probably went on at least a dozen weight-loss diets between ages 11 and 28 and became more and more neurotic as time went by. My only relief has been since I decided never to diet again. I have also witness a lot of mental anguish over weight and body image issues in my female family members that makes me want to scream at everyone who advocates weight loss as a magic bullet for improving health.

I find that people tend to mis-interpret me or misunderstand what I'm getting at when I bring up these issues, so as a brief summary, this is what I think, based on research I have done:

1. Study after study has shown that the vast majority of dieters re-gain the weight they lost within 5 years (I've posted links to studies in my last post).
2. Weight-cycling (i.e. repeatedly losing and gaining weight) is linked to high blood pressure, heart problems, and other negative health outcomes.
3. Fat people who exercise regularly and maintain a steady weight are statistically about as healthy as thinner sedentary people, and they're much healthier than people who weight-cycle.
4. The younger you start dieting, the fatter you are likely to end up as you age.
5. Eating better and getting exercise is a fabulous goal and will make you feel better regardless of whether you lose weight or not. I don't think weight-loss in and of itself is a bad thing. I think that focusing on weight loss as a GOAL, rather than on improving your eating and exercising habits, is bad for you.

I was challenged by one of my readers in my last post about my "lumping in" people who learn better eating habits from dieting and people who pick up compulsive eating habits from chronic dieting. I will admit to that, but I think it's a generalization that is supported by the facts. Do I think it's *possible* to go on an eating plan with the goal of weight-loss and NOT develop compulsive eating habits? Yes. Do I think that MOST people who diet over and over develop compulsive eating habits? Yes, I do. And there is scientific evidence to support that.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5613222/

"The psychological damage caused by repeated dieting efforts may be more harmful than the physical effects and a better reason to avoid diet cycles. In one recent study, the more times women had dieted, and the younger they were when they began, the more overweight they tended to be. The majority of women in this study had dieted over 11 times, using a wide range of strategies. All were obese, and many were extremely obese.

The authors of this study point out the psychological damage brought on by repeated weight loss “failures” and deprivations, especially when diets are forced on young people. A long history of diet attempts could make it difficult for someone to ever permanently establish healthy behaviors."

http://www.bwh.partners.org/publicaffairs/news/dieting_and_weight_gain_in_children_10_06_03.asp

"[D]ieting may lead to a cycle of restrictive eating, followed by bouts of overeating or binge eating. The repeated cycles of overeating, between the restrictive diets, may be responsible for weight gain. The fact that dieters were more likely to binge eat than their non-dieting peers supports this hypothesis."

Comments

[anisoptera.livejournal.com]

I'm certainly not annoyed. :)

[chernabog69.livejournal.com]

I've definitely been there. Weight Watchers, low fat diets, Atkins, etc. For years I did the low fat thing, and never lost a pound. I'm sure part of that has to do with the fact that they add sugar to most low fat foods to make them taste better. I also starved myself for years in an attempt to be thin. All I really cared about were the numbers on the scale. I do still weigh myself from time to time, but I can usually tell what the results are going to be before I step on the scale. Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and again with insulin resistance has given me a new perspective. For the first time in 10+ years I'm losing weight and I feel better. I'm also listening to my body. When I eat something that's too high in carbs I feel horrible later that night, or the next morning. It's sort of like being hung over... I don't like the feeling, so I avoid things that make me feel that way. I also allow myself to eat if I'm hungry, even if it's not "meal time." Last night I was starving when I got off work. I ate the strangest combination of food, but I won't obsess about it like I used to.

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

It sounds like your approach is really similar to the "overcoming overeating" approach, which basically says, "Listen to your body!"

-Eat when you're hungry.
-Stop when you're full (NOT stuffed, just pleasantly full).
-Legalize all foods. There are no "good" foods or "bad" foods.
-There are, however, foods that make you FEEL good or bad. Pay attention to how your body feels when you eat a particular food and decide if it's something you want to keep in your food plan.
-Keep nutritious and delicious food around you at all times, so that whenever you're hungry, you can eat. This way, you never allow yourself to feel ravenous. When you get too hugry, you'll tend to overeat.
-Stay active, but don't be legalistic about this, either. Try different movements and see how your body feels.
-Stop negative body thoughts in their tracks. When your brain tells you, "You're fat and ugly!" challenge your mind back. Figure out what's REALLY bothering you. Sometimes when your brain tells you you're fat or ugly, it's really because you're bothered about something else in your life.
-When you look at yourself in the mirror, do NOT allow yourself to say anything negative. Just observe and accept.

[chernabog69.livejournal.com]

Yep, that sounds pretty much like what I'm trying to do now. In fact, I think I'll copy this into my lj :)

The foods that make me FEEL bad is definitely an important point for me. I've known for years that anything really high in fat makes me feel horrible. Now I'm learning that anything really high in carbs also makes me feel horrible. Recently I ate a very sweet dessert. The next morning I was physically ill. I'm not likely to make that mistake again any time soon.