Myth 1- Sugar is addictive
I have to give a shout out to Marci Evans here, she is a professional food and body image healer who has done copious amounts of research into the sugar is addictive myth. What she discovered is that there are no addictive foods, and this includes sugar. It is only if we restrict sugar, that it then feels addictive (and these feelings are very real). But physiologically the science is currently showing that it is not addictive. This is the same with any foods we restrict or deprive ourselves of. We feel addicted to them, or we feel we can’t be trusted around them, but the truth is, it is the restriction and deprivation that causes us to crave and binge on them. You can read the full research here.
The other myth is that there are some sugars that are “better for you”, such as honey, maple syrup or agave, but our body processes all sugar the same way. It all breaks down to glucose, which means it can’t tell the difference between a carrot and a cake!
Takeaway- Give yourself unconditional permission to eat sugar. Remove any labels around sugar such as bad/ shouldn’t etc. Once you do this, it will lose its power over you.
Myth 2- “Carbs are BAD”
Carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, grains, starches, sweets, and dairy. They are the primary source of energy for the brain and body. We need them to function. In fact, our brain alone needs a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates per day, without it, it can lead to poor attention and impaired memory. Restricting carbs also makes us grumpy too as carbohydrates produce neurotransmitters which make us feel really good.
Takeaway- Low carb/ no carb is just another diet. Anything that restricts one of the main food groups is a diet. The reality is we need a variety of foods- including all food groups for our brain and body to function at its best.
Myth 3- “No pain, no gain”
For years, I believed that only hard exercise “counted”. I thought that if it wasn’t hard work that there was no point doing it. This meant that I hated exercise and saw it as a chore, and something I had to do, rather than ever actually wanting to do it. Now I know that this is a complete diet culture fitness myth and I want you to know this too. The truth is that any form of regular movement, no matter how short or intense, is just as beneficial for your health. Even more so if it’s something you enjoy! This is because when we choose to move our body in ways that we enjoy, not only are we more likely to stick with it long term, we will actually want to do it, rather than seeing it as a chore.
Takeaway- All movement, no matter how small, short, or intense; it all counts! Choose to move in ways that you enjoy and choose the exercise that is realistic for you and that you want to do, not that you think you should do.
Myth 4- Weight/ BMI is an indicator of health
One of the biggest myths of diet culture is that body weight is an indicator of someone’s health. I am sure you have heard that people at larger weights are more at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and other health conditions. But people at smaller weights still get the same health conditions, so that means there is a correlation between weight and health conditions, but it is not a causation.
The BMI is also an inaccurate scale to measure health. It is simply a tool that divides weight by your height (squared). It was only designed to monitor the trends in populations over time. It was not designed to measure health. In fact, the old BMI scale was previously 27 for the “overweight” category and was reduced to 25 in the 1980s. It was reduced by a group who were either invested in weight loss clinics or weight loss medications. This change meant hundreds of thousands of people who were previously a “normal” weight suddenly became “overweight” overnight, meaning a huge amount of money for them, and their companies.
A meta analyses study conducted in 2013, looking at death rates from BMI found that those with a BMI of 25-30 (the “overweight” category) had the lowest death rate, and those in the “obese” category (25-30) had the same death rates of those in the “normal” BMI category.
BMI also tells you nothing about a person’s health. It cannot tell you what someone’s sleep is like, their stress, their blood markers, genetics, dieting history or relationship with food.
Unfortunately, it is still widely used as a measure of health today. And the reason for this is because it is cheap and no special equipment is needed, but mostly it is used to perpetuate diet culture profits. Ironically, by continuing to use the BMI is causing more harm to our health, through weight stigma, dangerous dieting behaviours and eating disorders.
Takeaway- you cannot tell a person’s health by their BMI or by their body size. This is why health is not an indicator of weight. It is way more beneficial for our health to focus on increasing healthful behaviours such as more sleep, less stress, joyful movement, our relationships, and work-life balance rather than focusing on weight or body size.
Myth 5- No rest days
Straight out of the diet culture fitness book is the “no rest days”, and “if you don’t workout hard, and often, then it is a waste of time”. Recent studies have supported that this is another nonsense message. You get the exact same health benefits from just 1 or 2 sessions a week. In fact, not giving your body a break from exercise, is unhealthier than not exercising at all. Over exercising or pushing your body too hard can cause insomnia, hormonal imbalances, stress, injuries, and poor mental health.
Takeaway- You don’t have to exhaust yourself with exercise anymore. It is more beneficial for you to move in a way that is nourishing, not punishing. Choose to exercise in a way that feels right to you in that moment.
Myth 6- Gluten free is healthier.
There is a misconception that gluten free is healthier, but this is simply not true. Unless you are coeliac or have a diagnosed gluten intolerance (which are very serious), then there is nothing wrong with gluten. In fact, gluten foods contain some important nutrients such as B vitamins and fibre. And not eating gluten (unless you are medically unable to), can actually create a nutritional imbalance for you. Don’t worry though if you didn’t know this. I didn’t know this either. I was duped by diet culture, as I also used to believe that gluten free was healthier.
Takeaway- next time you see gluten free on your menu, save your dollars! As gluten free is like a designer label these days!
are ready to free yourself from diet culture and its damaging messages and reclaim your health today?