This article discusses the way that health culture promotes unsustainable diets which lead to failed New Year’s Resolutions.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of participating in the hottest health trend. With bold headlines screaming that the keto diet is right for you, or that going gluten-free is the only way to live, it’s hard to resist the temptation of a quick and easy weight loss journey.
Health culture has transformed into a revolving door of trends, each one claiming its superiority over the others. They advertise their innovative way of both dropping pounds in a matter of weeks and providing the best nutrition.
The catch is this: nothing sustainable is quick. Sure, if you completely cut out sugar and reduce your caloric intake to about half of what it normally is, you might see the scale drop in numbers in a couple of weeks. But don’t be disappointed if all the progress you made disappears as soon as you begin to reintroduce any of the habits that you had previously cut out.
While these health fads spring up all throughout the year, no month sees more attention to them besides January. When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, promises of a changed lifestyle are made in solidarity with people all over the world.
There’s no limit to what New Year’s Resolutions can look like, but one of the consistent top contenders year after year is implementing a healthier diet to lose weight. Resolutions should be a fun way to try to incorporate new lifestyles into your daily habits. Unfortunately, they have begun to mutate into a movement riddled with the stress of being the absolute best version of yourself.
The sad reality of these resolutions, which are supposed to last the full duration of the 12 months, is that for many people, New Year’s Resolutions barely make it to see Valentine’s Day. While part of the reasoning for this issue might be because of the sheer difficulty of committing to an act for a full 12 months, an underlying challenge lies within health culture.
There is pressure from society to always join in on whatever the latest trend is, especially in the world of health and dieting, and staying on top of those is no easy feat. Health culture is like whiplash. Certain trends make it seem like you’re a criminal for eating bread (how dare you!) even though – who would have thought – there is an entire diet dedicated to eating copious amounts of bread.
No matter who you ask, you will almost always get a different answer on what the best diet is. The bottom line is that fad diets are not sustainable. They promote unhealthy habits that can ultimately do more harm than good in the long run.
While cutting certain foods cold turkey may work for some people, for the vast majority of the population it is only a temporary solution that could potentially lead to a spiral of binge eating. Regardless of who is attempting to restrict themselves, no one is safe from the possibility of nutrient deficiencies. It’s not safe or smart to cut out foods without taking the necessary steps to ensure proper nourishment.
This is not to say that these trends hold absolutely no merit. They have become popular for a reason, and many of them carry advantages. Attempting to incorporate a plant-based diet is a great way to take a leap toward a sustainable lifestyle as well as reap health benefits, such as a lower risk of diseases such as cancer or diabetes.
But as we’ve seen, even though something is promoted a certain way doesn’t mean that is what you’re going to get. Just because there is a surge in the popularity of vegetarianism or veganism doesn’t automatically make going plant-based healthy. If you’re not careful about the specific food items you’re consuming, you could be missing out on crucial nutrients. You could find a mouthwatering display of vegan muffins, but upon closer inspection, they are pumped full of sugar and offer no nutritional value.
Education is crucial when it comes to trying any of the latest fads that arise. Given that all dietary regimens affect people differently, checking in with yourself and your needs is an important first step. Not to mention with the amount of misinformation that is easily spread online, it’s smart to do extensive research on what exactly it is you’re getting into.
The reality is much of what we see advertised online is meticulously crafted click-bait that yields short and unfulfilled results. Seeing celebrities promote the latest health fad with astonishing results leads us to believe that we can achieve a slimmed-down waist in a matter of weeks, as well. We don’t see the harsh side effects that these celebs undergo or the shortcuts they use to achieve their goals.
For example, Oprah, a known spokesperson for the diet and weight loss company Weight Watchers, has encouraged her followers to join her on the journey through Weight Watchers. She went as far as to say that the company “brings you back to center.” What she wasn’t telling her fans, however, was she had a little help from her secret friend Ozempic – a medication used by patients with Type 2 diabetes, where a common side effect is weight loss.
While there’s nothing wrong with seeking supplements and medications when necessary, advertising your weight loss as solely from dieting is misleading and unfair to your followers.
Social media has created a health culture that perpetuates unrealistic expectations and irresponsible dieting. When people are expecting fast-acting and long-lasting results from unhealthy diets, it’s no wonder that people drop their New Year’s Resolutions before springtime.
If people want to feel accomplished in their resolutions, it’s crucial to look past the facade of fad diets. Embracing realistic and sustainable lifestyle challenges rather than succumbing to the allure of quick-fix diets is the best way to ring in the New Year.
