INTERNATIONAL NO DIET DAY
Sssshhhh! Don’t say it. Don’t even think it. Today, nothing is to be said about diets. That’s because it’s International No Diet Day. It is celebrated every May 6.
#NoDietDay
Remember just a few months ago that New Years Resolution you made to diet, exercise or lose weight? Now here it is, nearly summer. How did that resolution work for you?
The Institute of Medicine says, “Those who complete weight loss programs lose approximately 10 percent of their body weight only to regain two-thirds within a year and almost all of it within five years.”
Take a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
HOW TO OBSERVE NO DIET DAY
Participants are encouraged to:
- Compliment colleagues on skills, achievements, and contributions instead of focusing on appearance
- Declare a day free of dieting and obsessions about weight and shape.
- Challenge the idea of one “right” body shape and embrace body diversity.
- Learn the facts about the diet industry and understand the inefficacy of commercial diets.
- Help end weight discrimination, sizeism, and fatphobia.
Use #NoDietDay to share on social media.
Visit the website UC Davis Integrated Medicine for more information.
- The Center for Integrative Health reminds people to have fun with food.
- Be adventurous and try cooking something you have always wanted to try, but never have before.
- Be kind to your body
- Ditch the diet!
- Throw out the scales and stop evaluating your worth based on a number on a clothes label or a $10 plastic machine.
- Instead, embrace and celebrate your intrinsic qualities; your strength, your kindness, your quirkiness, your uniqueness, etc.
- Eat what you love. Permit yourself to eat food just because it tastes good. Abandon the “good,” “bad,” “shoulds,” and “should nots” and instead, eat what you truly want to eat.
INTERNATIONAL NO DIET DAY HISTORY
- 1992 – Mary Evans Young started International No Diet Day to be on May 5. Young is the director of the British group “Diet Breakers.” Americans in the southwest, such as California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona were concerned the date clashed with Cinco De Mayo. So, Young agreed to change the date to May 6, which is also her birthday.
- 1993 – feminists in many countries expanded International No Diet Day.
- 1998 – both the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) and the National Organization for Women (NOW) began sponsoring and observing similar days.