Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet and Weight loss

With this week seeing the celebration (?) of International No Diet Day, there’s a nice post over at Diet-Blog about what exactly a diet is . The word “diet” has become infused with emotion, as Diet-Blog says:

The word can be used to bludgeon the guilty: “Diets don’t work – you should learn how to eat healthy instead.”

The word can also be used to impart positivity and even superiority: ” My children have a wonderfully nutritious and wholesome diet.”

I personally agree with one of the commenters that:

Your diet is technically whatever you eat on a daily basis. I’m not reducing calories at the moment but I still have a diet. I’m not on a diet. Everyone has a diet even if they aren’t on a diet.

However I am always very careful of how and when I use the word “diet” in clinic. Most people see a “diet” as a period of restriction and deprivation. A temporary aberration that takes them away from their normal way of eating. It’s something they do short-term to lose weight.

08 May, 2007