Loading ...
Are You A Diet Cult Follower?
I came across an interesting post over at dietblog.com that I wanted to share with you guys today. Mike Howard, the author of the article, asks “Is your diet a cult?”.
Well, I’m the first to admit that the way I followed the Atkins’s plan back in 2003 and 2004, you would have thought I was a cult follower. I’m just glad that I didn’t get a tatoo of the infamous red A!
OK, maybe you are not as fanatical about the eating plan that you’re currently following; however, if you exhibit any of the following, I think you may want to take a second look to see if you are indeed a diet cult follower:
- You constantly find yourself in heated online debates with folks from the “other” camp/followers of another diet plan who fail to have the truth.
- Whenever you discuss diet or nutrition, you start off quoting your diet cult leader’s book or blog posts as if s/he has all the answers to the obesity epidemic.
- You are constantly reading and re-reading your diet cult leader’s book as if it is actually your nutritional bible.
- You refer to your diet-cult leader as the great, the late great, Guru, or my beloved __________ (fill in the diet cult leader’s name)
OK, these are just a few of the signs that you may be a diet-cult follower. So, what do you do if you are a diet cult follower? Read Mike Howard’s article below because he has some tips on how you can de-program yourself. Afterwards, please leave a comment about someone that you have come across whom you believe is currently a diet cult follower.
* * *
Is Your Diet a Cult?
by Mike Howard
The word “cult” may conjure up an image of unorthodox or otherwise questionable or extreme religious followings, but the definition of “cults”, according to Webster, also defines them as;
- A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator;
- Great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book).
Both of these definitions certainly relate to the world of diets. Here’s how to recognize a diet cult and how to deprogram from the diet cult mentality:
Recognizing a diet cult
- If you aren’t thriving on this diet, or something isn’t working for you – it’s your fault, according to the creator of the diet or their ardent followers.
- A dualist mentality where there are unambiguous “good” and “evil” components of the diet or lifestyle. (ie. a macronutrient, a substance, a supplement).
- Discouragement of critical thinking and a slant towards group-think mentality.
- Creating a dependency on the diet or the abolishment of personal autonomy or critical thinking.
- Overselling the appeal of vanity
- The creator of the diet and its proponents cry persecution when anyone raises a contrary opinion to it.
I would argue though that the cultism isn’t so much the diet itself, but rather the way it is practiced. For example:
Low carb diets: For the most part can be a sensible, healthy way of eating that can be good for the waistline.
Low carb cults: Apples will make you fat, fiber has no health benefits, tiny amounts of sugar will ruin your metabolism and Atkins was infallible. Oh, and let’s not forget Kimkins.
Vegetarian diets: Can be healthy if practiced carefully and not too high in refined carbs.
Vegetarian cults: Animal rights crusaders who fancy themselves enlightened and kind in their abstinence of meat. The belief that any meat or dairy in the diet will lead to disease.
Raw Food diets: Probably okay for a short time but limiting and potentially deficient in some vitamins and minerals.
Raw Food Cults: Anything cooked is toxic and destroys enzymes and will cause disease and shortened life. An exaggeration of the benefits of raw food lifestyles including the cure of diseases such as cancer.
Weight Watchers: Very good for accountability and can be helpful in teaching people about portion control
Weight Watchers cult: Obsessing about points to the degree that it interferes with the ability to choose healthy foods based on their nutrient densities.
Let’s not forget the hundreds of big and small commercial weight loss centers that claim to have “the answer” to your weight problems. Oh, and the multi-level marketing “super-juices” and other expensive meal-replacements and supplements may also have a place on the “cult list”.
Deprogramming
If you currently are, or have been a chronic dieter or have had negative experiences with dieting in general, you may feel discouraged or even hopeless. Here are some ways to re-wire your brain for sustainable healthy eating:
- This may seem common sense by now but the message bears repeating: There are no quick fixes or universally perfect solutions.
- Know that you and only you make the decisions regarding your health. Learn as much as you can about healthy eating and make decisions from there. You are in control!
- See food as the solution – not the problem to your health and weight.
- Reframe success: Look at markers other than scale weight to determine your goals. Set goals to eat more vegetables, eat out less or walk more.
- Join communities (in person or on-line) that are support-based, encourage critical thinking, individuality, and do not promote extreme measures.
Which diets/programs do you think are cults? How do you keep from falling into the diet trap?
October 13th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Diet book writers tend to take advantage of the fact that a lot of people with obesity issues also have other compulsive and addictive personality traits, so the authors can count on those same properties being applied to people following their diet.
I haven’t yet found a strict diet that’s right for me, but mostly because anything that’s too strict isn’t right for me. My goal now is good nutrition, low calorie meals that reinforce general healthiness. If your goal is to be healthier and not just to lose weight you may tend not to get obsessed with minute details of any particular diet. It’s working for me so far – I’ve lost 60 pounds in a little over four months.
Reply
Muata Reply:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:15 am
@Jough Dempsey – Hey congrats on your fat loss so far! That’s great, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Obese folks are some of the desperate folks out there, and the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry knows this. So, they make sure to put out a best-seller at least every 6 months. Thanks for leaving your comment.
Reply
October 19th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Clarence Bass, a 70-year-old guy who has maintained a single-digit bodyfat percentage for over 30 years, talks about “the ownership principle.” I’m a big believer in it, too.
Basically he says that the people who really succeed long-term at getting and staying lean are the people who develop their own plan, not those who blindly follow somebody else’s plan. There are some universal principles that everyone must follow to succeed, but you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole. I work nights and usually eat my breakfast around the same time most people eat lunch. If a program told me I couldn’t eat after 8 p.m., that wouldn’t work for me. Everybody has different likes and dislikes with food and exercise, but there’s bound to be some healthy foods that you like and there’s bound to be some form of physical activity that you like. You have to burn more calories than you consume, but what’s the sense in eating food you don’t like or doing workouts you hate or having to do them at times that don’t work for you just because some “expert” says that’s what you have to do?
I hope that makes sense. Sorry if I rambled a little too much.
Reply
Muata Reply:
October 20th, 2008 at 5:57 am
@Steve – Steve, you made perfect sense my friend, and I totally agree with “Elder” Bass. He has one picture that I’m considering buying from his site because his abs look amazing! Anyway, he’s right because, as you’ve said, people have lost and maintained their fat loss following so many different training and eating routines that no one can claim theirs is the “correct” or “only” way. I’m a big fan of learning the basics that applies to 98% of all programs, and then creating what works best for you. Once you realize this, you’ll create your own damn plan and soon become your own fitness “guru” with a following of one. Thanks for leaving your comment Steve …
Reply