I Swear I’m on a Diet: Should “Diet” be Considered a Dirty Word?
Referencing Shakespeare, “What’s in a name?” If a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet, who’s to a say modifying the word “diet” would alter anything about dieting itself? Does the use of a word really affect someone’s recovery? For those with tendencies toward eating disorders, the verb “diet” serves as a trigger word for insecurity, fear, and “fat” feelings. With this in mind, it is essential to evaluate our use of the word “diet” in certain contexts.
The word “diet” comes from the Greek Diaita, which literally means “a way of life.” As a noun, a diet is simply “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats” (according to the Oxford American Dictionary). It can also mean a series of activities in which a person regularly engages (i.e., a healthy diet of music). For the most part, the noun diet is appropriate. Rather, it seems to be the verb “diet,” and the emotions associated with it, that causes tension.
In contrast to the noun, the verb “diet” means to “restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight” (Oxford American Dictionary). As you can see, there is a marked shift between the noun and the verb meaning of the word “diet.” While the noun focuses on the characteristics of life and personal choice, the verb emphasizes the target of lost weight. Therein lies a problem: “lost weight” is an elusive target. When someone begins dieting, they must intentionally choose when to stop. The line between “losing” weight and “lost” weight is virtually impossible to distinguish. If you begin a diet with the goal of “losing weight,” who’s to say when you’ve lost enough? Culture? Yourself? It is obvious that we cannot trust our culture with this task. Unfortunately, we cannot trust ourselves for an accurate evaluation of our appearance either (this phenomenon is called “body blindness”). The point is, losing weight is one of the hardest goals to meet; in our minds, we will never have lost enough. We will never hit our target.
Considering the use of the word “diet” in conversations, caution is key. It’s similar to safeguarding your house for an adventurous toddler, or minimizing temptation for an individual struggling with self-harm. Your awareness of their tendencies leads you to block off or remove certain things in the house out of love and concern for them. For the curious child, cover the electrical sockets. For individuals suffering with self-harm, it may be necessary to remove razors from medicine cabinets, etc. In the same way, it may be helpful to remove the word “diet” from your vocabulary as you recognize the struggles of a friend with an eating disorder.
Want to know more? Read the full article at http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/article_health-at-every-size.html.
The word “diet” comes from the Greek Diaita, which literally means “a way of life.” As a noun, a diet is simply “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats” (according to the Oxford American Dictionary). It can also mean a series of activities in which a person regularly engages (i.e., a healthy diet of music). For the most part, the noun diet is appropriate. Rather, it seems to be the verb “diet,” and the emotions associated with it, that causes tension.
In contrast to the noun, the verb “diet” means to “restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight” (Oxford American Dictionary). As you can see, there is a marked shift between the noun and the verb meaning of the word “diet.” While the noun focuses on the characteristics of life and personal choice, the verb emphasizes the target of lost weight. Therein lies a problem: “lost weight” is an elusive target. When someone begins dieting, they must intentionally choose when to stop. The line between “losing” weight and “lost” weight is virtually impossible to distinguish. If you begin a diet with the goal of “losing weight,” who’s to say when you’ve lost enough? Culture? Yourself? It is obvious that we cannot trust our culture with this task. Unfortunately, we cannot trust ourselves for an accurate evaluation of our appearance either (this phenomenon is called “body blindness”). The point is, losing weight is one of the hardest goals to meet; in our minds, we will never have lost enough. We will never hit our target.
Considering the use of the word “diet” in conversations, caution is key. It’s similar to safeguarding your house for an adventurous toddler, or minimizing temptation for an individual struggling with self-harm. Your awareness of their tendencies leads you to block off or remove certain things in the house out of love and concern for them. For the curious child, cover the electrical sockets. For individuals suffering with self-harm, it may be necessary to remove razors from medicine cabinets, etc. In the same way, it may be helpful to remove the word “diet” from your vocabulary as you recognize the struggles of a friend with an eating disorder.
Want to know more? Read the full article at http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/article_health-at-every-size.html.
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