The newest battle to stop the continued explosion of eating disorders in our society is against Ozempic, but the endless war has many fronts.
The medical establishment continues to vilify obesity at every turn, now even recommending Bariatric surgery to children. The diet industry capitalizes on our fears by rebranding every few years, currently expounding upon the benefits of “healthy eating” and intermittent fasting. The pharmaceutical industry, like a siren song, promises the newest wonder drug for weight loss, Ozempic. The food industry creates addictive, non-nutritious foods or diet foods to tempt us from every angle. And the fashion industry, despite valiant attempts to promote body positivity, still values the thinnest models first.
Amidst so much noise, one basic question that arises regularly in eating disorder recovery is this: what is normal eating?
Too many industries and too many capitalist pressures make this question difficult to answer, but there are a few clues.
The most savvy professors of nutrition and reporters laid out clear guidelines years ago which remain sacrosanct in eating disorder recovery treatment.
First, eat all variety of foods. We humans are omnivores who are at our best when we eat all different kinds of food. We need the various nutritional elements, vitamins and minerals we get from eating lots of different things. Our digestive systems vary as well, so we all do best with different types of food and will get everything we need from a varied diet.
Second, eat mostly real food. The food industry has created an endless assortment of processed foods and packaged foods. These items are very convenient and heavily marketed. In addition, people with eating disorders are focused on calories and often prefer foods with clear nutrition labels. However, these foods are not real food. They have some nutritional value, but our digestion was designed to eat real food and our bodies are actual healthiest when given actual food not made in a factory.
Third, be sure that a good part of your food includes fruit and vegetables. Intentionally, there is no exact amount that is best, but the overall guideline is perhaps a quarter to a third of your intake can be from fruits or vegetables. Too few limit the nutrients needed, and too many limit the more substantial food our bodies need to survive.
Truly, these are the only guidelines. All further information has limited research and reflects individuals’ preferences or opinions rather than the data from actual clinical studies. If only recommendations could be clear and straightforward and not disguised by the barrage of messaging about health we endure each and every day.
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