Dieting and weight loss: four questions to ask before trying an online diet

Diet culture is often celebrated, and roughly 42% of adults worldwide report having attempted to lose weight.

On social media, advice about dieting and weight loss is pushed relentlessly, feeding an endless loop of fads and fashionable eating plans.

With so much misinformation and so many mixed messages, searching for diet advice online can quickly leave you feeling muddled and overloaded.

Before you commit to the newest weight-loss craze or an extreme eating regime, pause and use these four questions to guide a better-informed choice.

1. Is the diet realistic?

Think through what it would actually take to keep up this way of eating. What will it cost you, and what time, effort and resources will you need? For instance, does it rely on buying particular products, taking supplements, or sticking to a strict meal plan?

A major warning sign is when the diet advice comes from someone who is trying to sell you something - such as a specific weight-loss product you must purchase to follow the plan.

Plenty of extreme diet advice is rooted in privilege. It often ignores realities such as access to food, affordability, cooking confidence, your local area, and even your culture or ethical choices.

When a diet has these problems, the person attempting to follow it may end up feeling frustrated, stressed, stigmatised and as though they have “failed”. In many cases, the issue lies with the diet - not with you.

2. Is there evidence to support this diet?

Online, self-styled "experts" regularly make confident claims aimed at specific groups, often referred to as target populations - for example, men aged 30 to 50 living with diabetes.

Sometimes, the “evidence” behind these claims comes from animal research, which may not translate to humans at all.

So, if the research has been conducted in a group that doesn’t reflect your own circumstances, the findings may not apply to you.

Determining whether a "diet" is both safe and effective requires time and many high-quality studies - not a single headline-grabbing paper. Ask yourself whether the claims are backed by multiple studies in humans. Treat bold promises with scepticism and interrogate the evidence before accepting it.

For trustworthy guidance, consult government health websites, or speak with your GP or a dietitian.

3. How will this diet affect my life?

Food is far more than a tally of calories and nutrients. It serves different purposes in our lives, and diets can shape daily living in ways we may not immediately notice.

From a social and cultural perspective, food helps us connect and celebrate. It can bring pleasure, offer comfort, or provide a route into discovering different places and experiences.

With that in mind, when you’re weighing up a new diet, consider what it could do to the moments that matter to you.

For instance, if you’re travelling, will your diet restrict what you choose to eat? Might you feel unable to try local dishes? Could you end up avoiding meals out with friends because the restaurant doesn’t fit your rules?

4. Will this diet make me feel guilty or affect my mental health?

What dish do you love most - and does this diet "allow" it? Picture going to your mum’s and being served your favourite meal from childhood. How would the diet shape your feelings about foods with special meaning? Would it leave you stressed or guilty for enjoying birthday cake, or a meal made by someone you care about?

Research shows dieting can harm mental health, and missing meals can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Many eating plans overlook the psychological side of eating, despite mental health being every bit as important as physical health. Eating should not leave you feeling stressed, anxious or guilty.

So, before you start yet another diet, reflect on the possible impact on your mental wellbeing.

Moving away from a dieting mindset

We often hear that losing weight is the route to better health. However, it’s possible to focus on health without making weight the priority. Repeated messaging that you must lose weight can also be damaging for mental health, and it isn’t always beneficial for physical health either.

Our research suggests that eating in a way that prioritises health rather than weight loss is associated with a range of positive outcomes for health and wellbeing. These include a healthier relationship with food, along with reduced guilt and stress.

Our findings also suggest mindful and intuitive eating approaches - centred on internal cues, trusting your body, and being present and attentive while eating - are linked with lower levels of depression and stress, as well as improved body image and greater self-compassion.

As with any skill, developing a positive relationship with food takes time and practice. Treat yourself with kindness, look for weight-inclusive health-care professionals, and improvement will follow. And remember: you’re allowed to enjoy food.

Melissa Eaton, Accredited Practising Dietitian; PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong; Verena Vaiciurgis, Accredited Practising Dietitian; PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong, and Yasmine Probst, Associate Professor, School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.