New Year’s Resolution: Giving Up Dieting for Good

Posted on January 9, 2014January 9, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Yep, that is right I am suggesting giving up dieting as a New Year’s Resolution.

Here is why:
1. Dieting doesn’t work. Research shows that often dieting can lead to weight loss for a short period of time, but doesn’t help maintain a lower body weight for long periods of time. In other words, lost weight often is regained.

2. Diets increase the risk of developing eating disorders.

3. Diets can increase feelings of shame and failure, because they leave us feeling like WE have failed. But, really the diet is failing, not the person following the diet. (See #1).

4. Studies show that exercise and quality of food consumed rather than weight can improve health.

5. Food restriction (AKA dieting) often leads to overeating.

6. Food restriction can lead to increased food preoccupation, feelings of depression and/or anxiety and poor concentration.

7. Dieting can be socially isolating. In other words, often dieters will opt out of social engagements because the foods being served aren’t on their diet.

Curious about getting off the diet roller coaster and improving your relationship with food permanently?

Books that discuss the potential harm of dieting and offer a more realistic and helpful approach to eating, health and body image include:

Intuitive Eating: Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food, Mind & Body. By Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Overcoming Overeating: How to Break the Diet/Binge Cycle. By Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter.

Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. By Linda Bacon.

Contact me for a free phone consultation to learn how I can help you change your relationship with food, improve your body image and help free yourself from dieting for good.

Food on Your Mind Much (Always)?

Posted on November 14, 2013November 14, 2013 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

For those of you who chronically diet, have bulimia or anorexia nervosa or binge eat you probably have a fairly good idea by what I mean by “food preoccupation”. Food preoccupation is when you spend A LOT of time thinking about food—what you are going to eat, if you are going to eat, worrying about choosing the “wrong or right” foods or how the food is going to affect your body weight. Sure it is normal to think about food on a daily basis: what you want to eat, when, etc. But, when you spend much of your day worrying about food then if feels more like “food preoccupation”.

Why do people with eating problems tend to have food preoccupation?
I think there is a variety of reasons why eating problems increase preoccupation with food. Food restriction (dieting, eating disorders usually involve food restriction) has been proven to contribute to food preoccupation (See Ancel Keys’ study for details). Since food is a basic need for survival our biology wants us to think about food, so there is a greater chance of procuring and eating food thus survival.Psychological reasons may contribute to food preoccupation. For example for some it may be “easier” or less painful to worry about food than other painful feelings. Worrying about food may give people a sense of control, because in other areas of there life they may feel powerless. Others may think that if they have a “perfect body” their life will be much improved and feel more confident about themselves. And believe food is away to achieve this. These are just a few examples of what purpose food preoccupation may serve for people. Food preoccupation is not something to panic about or try to rid yourself of it ASAP, but just notice when you may be worrying about food a little too much.
In my next post I will discuss strategies to reduce food preoccupation.

Three of My Favorite Books

Posted on November 7, 2013November 7, 2013 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

I have included a few of my favorite reads here for people who want to get off the diet roller coaster. These resources offer a new perspective on how to approach food and weight. They offer no quick fixes or “magic bullets”, but rather an exciting new way to look at food and weight.Studies have shown reading (or “bibliotherapy” as us counselors call it) can be an effective tool to augment treatment for compulsive overeating, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Happy reading!!!

Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA

This is a wonderful book. Tribole and Resch share with readers how to give up dieting for good, listen to their body for hunger and fullness cues and legalize all foods. It is a must read!

Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon, PhD

I have heard great things about this book. I have not yet read this book (It is on my list.), but I have had the privilege of hearing Dr. Bacon speak at a professional conference. She presented compelling information about body weight. Bacon indicates that weight plays a much less important role in health than the media and health care providers lead us to believe. Bacon teaches readers how to keep themselves healthy despite body weight.

When Women Stop Hating their Bodies by Jane R. Hirschmann & Carol H. Munter.

The title says it all. This is a very empowering book!

Binge Eating Disorder Inclusion into the DSM-5

Posted on October 6, 2013October 10, 2013 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) will be introduced as its own stand alone eating disorder, joining anorexia and bulimia nervosa in the fifth edition of the DSM, expecting to be published this May.

The DSM (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) compiled by the American Psychiatric Association provides criteria of diagnosis of mental disorders.

Since 1994, binge eating has been considered an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified in the appendix of DSM-IV. More research was needed to determine the characteristics of those who have binge eating disorder. In other words, BED wasn’t its own diagnosis has been one barrier for accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.

Moving binge eating from the appendix into its own category of illness means…

There will be an INCREASE in:

AWARENESS. Among sufferers, the public, and among medical and mental health providers .
TREATMENT. More people will likely be accurately diagnosed and seek treatment.
INSURANCE COVERAGE. Insurance carriers are more likely to pay for treatment.
RECOVERY. More people seeking treatment can mean an increase in recovery.

By Melinda Sen-Wah Lau, Guest Blogger.
Edited by Alison Pelz, LCSW, RD, LD, CDE