PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS | Sustaining health, one bite at a time

We just celebrated the New Year; maybe you ate 12 grapes under the table hoping to get some luck or even made a New Year’s resolution because ‘new year new me’, right?

It tends to be that same cycle. I even fall into that same pattern where I say I will drink more water, exercise regularly or even try to lose weight but after a while, you just fall off the bandwagon for one reason or another. If we look at losing weight and dieting specifically, there is so much information out there that promises quick and easy options so it should be easy. The issue is, these easy options are fast but they are not meant to last.

When we hear the word “diet,” the first thing you may think of is weight loss and restricting food. This term, at its base, means the amount of food a person eats on a regular basis (Gillen & Markey, 2016). Many fad diets do succeed in helping weight loss but do not keep the weight off once you stop the diet. Think of the Cabbage Soup Diet, it’s impossible to eat only cabbage soup for the rest of your life! Not only would you get sick of eating the same thing but it is unhealthy and limiting or restricting food does more harm than good. The body will eventually send hunger signals, you will have symptoms like irritability and jitters, and eventually begin to have difficulty concentrating.

Dieting is pretty hard to keep up with because eventually, there are going to be cravings. Any food that is eaten may be unsatisfying which can cause overeating or may cause the diet to be broken all together. To avoid this, you can use intuitive eating. It is about finding a balance with food and mindfulness. An example would be having some chips with a sandwich at lunch because you were craving something salty.

Intuitive eating can help with the amount of times you overeat, fight unhealthy eating behaviors, and help maintain weight (Giacone et al., 2024). It is not a diet plan but rather a way to understand the body and its needs at the given moment. By providing the body what it is craving, be it a salad, a cheese stick, or even a bite of chocolate, it can stop you from overeating later because you are unsatisfied.