'Body shaming is evil, but glamorisation of fat is totally unacceptable'

'International No Diet Day'- Just wondering how deceptive the world has become in fitness and nutrition that such a day exists. The word "diet" or "dieting" seems to have become a nightmare for quite some people, maybe a lot of people across the world which is why the 6th of May is acknowledged as the International No Diet Day. And I wonder how would they even celebrate it! By eating unhealthy foods? I also wonder if they even know what healthy/unhealthy foods are actually.

I looked up to the internet to understand why such a day even existed in the calendar and was surprised, actually shocked to find certain things. Accepting health at any size is not something I would buy. If you're fat, you are not healthy. Period. Let me elaborate it.

Having excess body fat is a result of a carbohydrate rich lifestyle. Food is meant to fulfil certain requirements of the body. Our taste buds only make the process interesting. The prime goal of eating is not to satisfy our taste buds. Again, there is a thing called the Balance Diet, which means eating every nutrient according to the body requirement. Taking you back to school, there are three macro (major) nutrients (let alone the micronutrients) that decide the quantity of any meal we consume namely- Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats. Now, each nutrient has its importance and a role to play. Proteins and Fats are meant for body cell nourishment and conditioning while the Carbohydrates are solely meant for energy. Fats can also be used as energy and that's where everything goes wrong in the industry. Let's discuss.

Dangers of Dieting

Catchy sub-heading, isn't it? But this isn't unreal. This is a serious issue. Lack of proper knowledge leads one to a point where something that was meant to benefit starts harming them. The "balance" from "Balanced Diet" goes for a hike and all what is left is malnutrition. To pen it down, here's what happens exactly:

A. People start eating less than required, starving themselves in the name of calorie deficit.

B. They start ignoring fat, hence damaging their hormones/ irregulating them.

C. In the process, they lose the quality of their muscles, bones, nerves and brain.

So, if you summarise it all, you would see that it's not "dieting" that's the enemy here. It's the lack of proper knowledge and its application. The term "diet" refers to what we eat on a daily basis. A "good diet" will only benefit you. Dieting is not an excuse to deprive your body of essential nutrients but the exact opposite.

Body acceptance

Now, I am not an expert in beauty, yet I need you to make a note of one thing – Beauty and Fitness are two very separate things. Accepting ourselves as beautiful should not hinder the process of bettering ourselves. Body acceptance should not be an excuse for laziness or to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Body shaming is evil, but glamorisation of fat or a malnourished body in the name of body acceptance is totally unacceptable as well. Be it obesity or anorexia, unless one has a clinical condition, it can be handled really well with proper/correct nutrition supported by exercise.

So, the most correct approach to celebrate the International No Diet Day would be, in my opinion, to educate yourself in the correct ways of eating in general or for a specific purpose and make your body trouble-free. It's time to stop body acceptance for the wrong reasons and start increasing your knowledge in nutrition and fitness.

The writer is a certified Fitness Instructor, Master Rehab Trainer, Reebok Core Pilates Instructor, Sports Nutritionist and the Founder of Stretch 2.0.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Assam Tribune)