Regulate the Diet Industry

Disorganized and disordered eating have a profound impact on all body and brain function. The knowledge in our culture about dieting, fasting or unusual eating patterns is that these behaviors can be healthful and positive for our overall well-being. This false thought process opens the door to many negative health effects.

The diet industry continues to expand its reach into the modern psyche. So much time, energy and money has gone into changing eating habits. However, none of these changes involve normalizing eating but instead overvalue changes that undermine health.

There is no data to prove that fasting, avoiding certain kinds of foods or eating certain amount at certain times of day are beneficial. The diet industry is legally able to promote health effects of their plans without a shred of evidence. For a public desperate to exert power of food and body, these measures feel miraculous, even though they are never effective.

The endless attempts at finding the right diet is demoralizing and promotes a constant sense of failure. This is not a positive way to live.

However, the health effects of ineffective diets are even worse. Eating irregularly, avoiding necessary variety in a diet and periods of fasting cause poor health. People often experience fatigue or develop physical symptoms from eating a diet with limited nutrition. People often feel more depressed or anxious and have trouble concentrating. They can have gastrointestinal problems such as constipation or severe bloating. The large majority of these diets don’t work and actually cause medical and psychological problems if followed regularly.

And most concerning is the link between dieting and eating disorders. The number one risk factor for developing an eating disorder is dieting. It’s never clear how someone is programmed to respond to chronic dieting. Not infrequently, the result of a diet is the gradual development of an eating disorder.

There needs to be much clearer regulation of the diet industry. The money behind this business leads to endless false claims intended to confound and mislead the public. Without clear guidelines, the diet industry only exacerbates the general food and weight obsessions of our society.