Some women resent dieting mania and resort to anti-diets in protest. That’s fine. But if your ultimate goal is to lose weight, you have to diet. An article posted in the Australian Journal of Nutrition & Dietetics questioned what anti-diets actually achieve for dieting heretics. Their results: “anti-diets are great, if you don’t want to change your weight.”
The Australian researchers examined reports of nine studies that evaluated anti-dieting programs. Seven of the nine studies involved women exclusively; the other two largely comprised women. These programs focused on improving eating behaviors and psychological well-being and sustaining weight as opposed to weight loss or gain.
In brief, anti-diets can elevate a woman’s self-esteem, but they do zilch for her waistline. As I wrote before, self-esteem is a must for dieting success. If anti-diets serve to bolster your self-image, much is accomplished towards your goal of dieting success. However, you still need to diet.