Fun, Flexible Food Rules
Can you imagine a world where food rules are flexible and meant to serve our mental, emotional and physical well-being? Where self-compassion replaces self-policing and shame?
A few weeks ago, many of us read the headline, “Teenage girls say Instagram’s mental health impacts are no surprise” after a whistleblower released documents to Congress about company practices. One click on a dieting ad and a young girl who’s curious about weight loss is subsequently exposed to ads that promote disordered eating and diet products. This young age group targeted by Instagram is at the highest risk for eating disorders and one outcome after spending time on Instagram is decreased body satisfaction.
In September this year, Norway’s parliament voted 72-15 that all content providers label photos that are distorted, citing how altered photos create “body pressure” and an increase in eating disorders and body dissatisfaction among Norwegian teen girls.
How we talk about our bodies in front of our kids and our friends can make an impact in countering the messages we receive from social media and diet culture. In a recent post, I wrote about appreciating our bodies for what they do, not how they appear.
When it comes to our relationship with food, Intuitive Eating encourages us to keep foods neutral; there are no “good” and no “bad” foods. Eating is flexible, not rigid, and our needs change every day.
A client described how her young children beg for dessert as soon as they sit down for the dinner she’s prepared. We agreed to try something different based on an approach found in Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding model. Now, when my client’s family sits down for dinner together, she puts a cup of ice cream beside their plates, which has ended the begging and bargaining talks and prompted her kids to try more foods.
For us adults who want to police ourselves less, using “for the most part” thinking can help us navigate diet culture. (I’ve removed triggering words)
“For the most part, I don’t eat past _ pm, but tonight I feel like having a snack.”
“For the most part, I run for exercise, but today I feel like walking.”
“For the most part, I feed my kids a well-balanced breakfast before school, but on days I’m rushed they eat _ and they’re fine.”
“For the most part, I don’t worry about what I eat in front of others, but I’ve noticed I’m more self-conscious when I’m around my friend who restricts a lot of foods, so I’ve started meeting her for activities that don’t involve eating.”
What “for the most part” phrase will help you this week? I’d love to hear about it.
