#NoDietDay 2022

Today is May 6th, otherwise known as the annual social media holiday #NoDietDay.

This social media campaign was started in 1992 to help encourage and promote body acceptance.

Skipping ahead twenty years later, it is clear we still have a lot more work to do in this area despite some of the victories we have had as a society.

 "You deserve to live a full life, free of the pressures of diet culture. Diets encourage self-hate; when we fight back against these societal ideals, everyone wins" - NEDA official site)

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As discussed in a previous conversation of mine regarding the credibility of your nutrition sources, there is so much information out there regarding "health" and "wellness" that is just completely untrue.

Social media continues to grow and become a primary source of news. With the age of media consumption becoming lower and lower, we need to take responsibility over what we post and consider the greater audience.

On this #NoDietDay, I ask you to consider your opinions on body diversity, body inclusivity, and how they may have influenced or impacted your life.

In other words, what messages do we want to send to the younger generation about their bodies and their worth as human beings?

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Upon receiving valuable education from resources like Rachel Fine (To The Pointe Nutrition) and Elaina Efird (@epefird ), I have learned that my body is not tied to my worth as a person.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my thin privilege and that I have existed in what's considered to be the "ideal size" by societal standards for my whole life. The issues I encountered with body dysmorphia were certainly encouraged by ballet (a whole separate dilemma) but also heavily exasperated by the diet culture surrounding me in my everyday life- even more so with the expansion of social media.

...what messages do we want to send to the younger generation about their bodies and their worth as human beings?

Diet culture teaches us that there is a need to meet an unspoken standard of the "ideal" body. The desired "shape" or trending body type changes year to year but it almost always revolves around being thinner. In addition, the methods* to achieve this cycle through as well (*which I will not share in an effort to discourage research into fad diets).

How to get involved:

Linking back to #NoDietDay and my main point of today's blog, there is so much more work to be done in revealing the facade that is diet culture.

Being that the campaign started twenty years ago and that this year is the first time I have heard of the holiday, is certainly proof that more awareness is necessary.

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Sharing our beliefs and values has never been easier- with a simple click you can link any article or post you are passionate about to your story or feed for all your followers to see.

On this #NoDietDay, I ask you to consider your opinions on body diversity, body inclusivity, and how they may have influenced or impacted your life. Examine your experiences in the world around you and how you might go about handling these matters differently in the future....

by reevaluating your nutrition sources,

by encouraging your friends and family to cease the body and food comments,

or

simply sharing NEDA information and graphics for someone out there who may be searching for assistance navigating these topics.

My hope-and the shared hope of many others- is that over time the discussion of body acceptance will be normalized & that our future generations will not have to demand change or even more awareness.

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The mentioned shareable graphics by NEDA can be found below and in my youtube description.

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Thank you for your support on my journey towards truly...

-LivingWithGrace

NEDA social media graphics: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nodietday