Posts tagged with "Food Guilt"

What does Crash Dieting do to Your Body?

The summer months are upon us and crash dieting is unfortunately common at this time of year. As the weather becomes warmer and holidays get closer, people can easily become self-conscious. Body confidence is certainly an issue that drives crash dieting and although it might be somewhat effective, it can have a negative impact on your overall health. Here are the different ways crash dieting affects the body: It can lower your metabolic rate One of the best ways to lose weight is to have a high metabolism, but crash dieting can actually lower your metabolic rate. A metabolic rate refers to the number of calories you burn while...

The New Government Crackdown on Childhood Obesity

The government has introduced new proposals to tackle the issue of childhood obesity in the UK. With these new measures, it seems the government is admitting that the previous policy was simply not effective enough. Mandatory calorie labelling on menus and stricter measures on junk food advertising are just some of actions that could be implemented. Childhood Obesity is a Significant Problem Currently, one in three children are overweight or obese when they leave primary school. Obesity across the UK is estimated to cost the NHS £5.1 billion per year, with a cost to the wider economy of £27 billion. Less than two years after the...

Are Cheat Days Actually Effective When Dieting?

There are various methods of losing weight, many of which include cheat days. The idea behind cheat days is simple: dieters spend a week or up to a month closely sticking to their eating regime then have one day where they can indulge. Although cheat days might seem like an effective way of indulging in moderation, they can be problematic. Cheat Days Can be Disruptive Cheat days don’t always stay as just one day. They can turn into weeks or longer because a single day of heavy indulgence can derail an entire diet. This sort of routine can have a negative impact on regular eating habits. Cheat days can make it difficult to find any sort...

What is a Crash Diet and is it Actually Healthy?

A crash diet is when someone attempts to lose weight quickly. Whilst a more conventional diet is undertaken with the aim of gradually losing weight over time, the goal of a crash diet is to achieve rapid results. A Crash Diet Can Achieve Weight Loss, But Not Weight Maintenance If you have short term weight-loss goals, then there is the potential to lose some weight. However, people who subject themselves to dramatic weight-loss often struggle with weight maintenance. Once a crash diet stops you return to your regular eating patterns, the weight that was lost will quickly be regained. You Could Be Depriving Yourself of...

Fast Food Outlets Shouldn't be Near Schools

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have urged the government to take more action in tackling the issue of childhood obesity in the UK. According to child healthcare professionals, fast food outlets should be banned from operating within 400 metres from schools in England. Nationwide Initiative The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has already suggested such measures should be established in the capital. Although The College agrees, it has called for the potential ban to be extended throughout the UK. President of The College Professor Russell Viner, stated that ministers should “take a leap of faith” by introducing the measures...

Cattle Farmers Left Frustrated at Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

Plant-based alternatives to meat are in serious demand as they are gradually becoming more accessible. American companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are using science to provide the texture and taste of meat without slaughtering animals. Additionally, there are far less environmental implications with meat alternatives in comparison to traditional farming. However, cattle farmers have been left very dismayed because their industry could be under threat. Cattle Farmers are Getting Nervous The US Cattlemen’s Association filed a 15-page petition to the US Department of Agriculture earlier in the year. The petition demands that an...

The UK Needs to Tackle Hunger by Using Surplus Food

The UK’s largest food distribution charity, FareShare, has revealed that only 17,000 tonnes of the 270,000 tonnes of edible surplus food in the supply chain is redistributed to charities each year. As a result, the government is being urged to introduce a £15m fund to address public hunger by preventing edible food from going straight to the landfill, animal feed or anaerobic digestion. The Government Needs to Take Action Ministers are being urged by FareShare to end the inequality that remains in the current system. Producers and farmers face the costs of sorting and transporting surplus food for human consumption. FareShare issued a...

Tracking Apps Lead to Unhealthy Relationships with Food

Technology has allowed people to gain unique information about their nutrition and fitness. Various tracking apps allow people to view the daily impact of their sleeping patterns, fitness levels and what they eat. Having such information readily available to view anytime is meant to help improve health and fitness. Although it can do such a thing, it also creates an obsession over eating habits and reaching certain weight goals. There is concern that health tracking apps are inciting an unhealthy relationship with food and weight amongst users. Tracking Apps Encourage Obsessive Behaviours Certain tracking apps require a weight input once a...

Weight Watchers Makes Controversial Offer for Teenagers

In an attempt to aid ever-increasing obesity levels, Weight Watchers has launched a scheme in the USA which gives teenagers an opportunity to join for free. Although the company may have had good intentions, critics have slammed the move. A Well-Intentioned Incentive for Teenagers The new incentive will allow teenagers aged 13 to 17 to sign up. Currently, children need to be a minimum age of 13 and accompanied by a parent or guardian to join. The target weight for any child wanting to join should be should be issued by a doctor. Furthermore,  this should reviewed this every six to nine months. Not Everyone Agrees Body image campaigners...

The Confusion Behind the Trend of Clean Eating

Anyone who is present on social media (Instagram in particular) has most likely heard about clean eating. It’s a fashionable food trend loved by fitness advocates and the social media elite. A clean diet usually consists of plenty of organic fruit and vegetables, no carbohydrates or refined sugars. Though clean eating has widespread supporters, critics have damned the trend as another bad relationship with food and encouraging unhealthy habits that are ultimately damaging. What is Clean Eating? The concept of clean eating is that food is as close to nature as possible. As a result, such a diet would mainly include a lot of whole and...

Less Focus on Weight-Loss, More Focus on Healthy Habits

The mass media is often filled with messages about the importance of losing weight. It is particularly frightening for those who may be above the “normal” range of the body mass index. The public are faced with phrases like “get lean” and “eat clean” all with the same message that losing weight is the ultimate answer to everything. Both the mass media and health professionals alike also cite weight-loss as the cure for health issues like diabetes, heart disease and untimely death. Overall Health Should Always be Considered However, some experts are stating that focusing on weight-loss as the only goal is the wrong thing to do....

Why Celebrity Fad Diets Should be Avoided

Celebrities are often a source of inspiration for the public, especially for body image. Famous people are often portrayed at their best and the public wants to aspire to that. As a result, there is a fascination as to what diet they use to keep them looking their best. However, celebrity diets could be setting people up for failure by making it more difficult to lose weight. This fascination with fad diets could potentially do more harm than good. Don't Set Impossible Goals When it comes to weight loss there is an entire industry for it. It can be hard for people to find their way through various fad diets, especially the ones championed...

Slimming World Diet Programme Encourages Food Anxiety

Slimming World boasts a significant popularity, with 900,000 members attending groups across the nation on a weekly basis. The website and magazines voice successful weight loss stories. Slimming World is certainly having an impact because the NHS refers overweight patients to their groups. The organisation’s ethos is based on members having free choice so that they can diet without any guilt. However, this has come under fire for having the exact opposite effect. How Does the Slimming World Diet Work? The Slimming World diet programme promotes ‘Food Optimising’. It’s a basic concept whereby dieters need to take in less calories...