I was recently asked, “Surely as a nutritionist, there must be some diets which you advocate for?” The answer is no. I never advocate for any type of ‘diet’ as even the least restrictive ones still have some form of food rules. There’s a common stereotype that a nutritionist is somebody who will judge your diet and tell you what to eat. Yes, these nutritionists unfortunately do exist, but I’m not one of them. I thought it was time to write an article to talk about why I’m passionately an anti-diet nutritionist, what this actually means, and the scientific evidence behind my methods.
What is a nutritionist?
A nutritionist is an expert in the science of nutrition and understands the effect of food on health. Unfortunately, nutritionist is not a protected title, which means that anybody could call themselves a nutritionist without having any official qualifications. This is scary, because people trust in nutritionists with their health. This is why there is an official register of nutritionists with the Association for Nutrition. To be able to call yourself a Registered Nutritionist like myself, nutritionists need to have completed a fully accredited science-based nutrition degree. As research is constantly evolving, registered nutritionists have to keep up to date with the latest nutritional evidence and submit their ongoing knowledge to the association. Therefore, if you want to be sure that you’re seeing a qualified nutritionist who’s advice is up to date with the latest science, make sure you see one who is registered with the Association for Nutrition.
Let's talk about dieting...
It’s a fact that dieting can be harmful, and you can read my previous article discussing this here. Despite the fact that 95% of diets fail,1 64% of the UK population are ‘on a diet’ most of the time.2 It could have something to do with the fact that diets are advertised everywhere; on television, on public billboards, on social media, in magazines etc. Even the NHS is affiliated with some diet companies!
As a nation, we are obsessed with weight; being the ‘right’ weight, losing weight, staying within a certain Body Mass Index (BMI) range etc. This is in contrast to scientific evidence which shows that health isn’t associated with weight, that biomarkers of health (such as blood pressure) can be improved through healthy behaviours such as regular movement regardless of weight, and that BMI is a load of rubbish.
What is an anti-diet nutritionist?
An anti-diet nutritionist is a nutritionist who won’t prescribe a type of diet to their clients for the purpose of weight loss. This is because weight isn’t associated with health and diets can be potentially harmful. My purpose as a nutritionist is to help clients feel happier and healthier in their relationship with food, and a focus on weight always detracts from this. Health is not just about diet and physical health, it’s about your overall life and how you’re feeling mentally. Everybody has completely different lifestyles, food preferences, cultures, backgrounds, metabolisms etc. and healthy looks different on everybody. This means that every client will have a completely different experience working with me, because my sessions will be tailored to suit them, individually.
Diet companies are a money-making machine. It’s easy for them to devise a generalised health plan and roll it out on the false promise of better health. You don’t have to lose weight to be healthy. I would have a much easier job and make a lot more money if I sold weight loss plans, because the large amount of diet culture in society has made people believe that weight loss is what they need to feel better. Yet morally I can’t bring myself to sell something which I know doesn’t work and gets people stuck in a vicious cycle. Although many nutritionists do, and diet companies now have ‘nutritionists’ in their advertisements and claim that their diets are ‘nutritionist approved’ plans. Make sure you check out a nutritionist’s background and qualifications before following any of their advice.
Reasons why I don't advocate any diet:
- Weight is not associated with health, which is the only reason why you’d want to cut calories out of your diet
- There is no scientific evidence that it’s healthier to eat at certain times of the day over others
- Periods of fasting mess with your metabolism and slow it down
- There is no reason for cutting any food groups out of the diet (unless there’s a genuine allergy)
- Some diets, such as Keto, are medically dangerous as your brain needs carbohydrates to function (except for possible use with epilepsy, under the close supervision of a dietitian)
- Being on a diet can mess with your life – for example, if you’re struggling to concentrate on work because you’re craving food all day or if you don’t allow yourself to enjoy fun foods at special occasions – this itself is not healthy
- All foods fit and the best thing for health in terms of what you eat, is to get a good variety of everything
- Food satisfaction is just as important as nutrition
Where does unsolicited diet advice come from?
- Scientific studies sponsored by diet companies, which surprise surprise, tend to cherry pick statistical results and assume an association between weight loss and health (which isn’t proven)
- Unqualified ‘nutritionists’
- ‘Influencers’ on social media – look out for celebrities selling weight loss plans, diet pills/vitamins, not to mention the awful herbal, sorry, laxative teas
- Other trusted health professionals who have no official nutrition training – such as GP’s and personal trainers – some types of professionals are trusted for dietary advice, when in fact they have little nutrition training and actually have no more nutrition knowledge than the average person, which is dangerous because their advice tends to come from diet culture, with no scientific basis
- Diet companies – of course they are telling you that their diet is awesome – they want you to spend money on it
So - What is a healthy relationship with food?
I would define it as a relationship where food isn’t causing any form of distress and all types of foods can be enjoyed without hesitation or guilt. There’s a common misconception that this means not caring about the body’s physical health. This is not true. Actually, it’s the opposite. When there is no lingering obsession over weight and health, with no food rules, you’re more likely to end up eating an overall balanced diet (with lots of fruit and veggies) and stop eating when comfortably full. This means ending up at the natural weight which is healthiest for you (due to your genetics etc.) and this could be larger than what society deems as the ‘norm’ which is society’s problem, not yours.
I am proud to call myself an anti-diet nutritionist
Let’s go back to the beginning… When I was asked if surely, I must advocate a diet in some situations – my answer is still no. There is no scientific reasoning why anybody must place any kind of restrictions on their diet (with the exception of a genuine allergy). Even with certain conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, it is possible to safely (and more healthily) manage the condition as an intuitive eater.
As humans, we need food to survive and it’s vital for our health. Food is supposed to be enjoyable and rewarding for the sake of our species survival. If you’re ready to let go of dieting but you’re not sure how to go about improving your relationship with food, book your free discovery call now and find out what I can do for you. You can be reassured in the knowledge that you won’t get put on a diet ever again.
References
- Monte Nido. Statistics on Dieting and Eating Disorders. Available from:Microsoft Word – Statistics_072111v01.doc (montenido.com) (Accessed 25th October 2021).
- Mintel Press Office (2021). Brits lose count of their calories: Over a third of Brits don’t know how many calories they consume on a typical day. Available at: Brits lose count of their calories: Over a third of Brits don’t know how many calories they consume on a typical day | Mintel.com (Accessed 25th October 2021).
