Celebrating International No Diet Day

May 6th is International No Diet Day, a celebration of the diversity of body shapes and types. It is an occasion to honour the victims of eating disorders and weight discrimination, and affirm everyone’s right to self-esteem, respect and physical and emotional well-being. Here are 10 ways of celebrating this important day:

1. Don’t deprive yourself of any kinds of food. When you indulge in the foods you love, do so without feeling guilty. Savour each bite.

2. Cultivate the pleasure of eating well by discovering new foods and flavours. Remember that eating serves the purpose of nourishing your body, a marvellous machine you must take great care of.

3. Eat as long as you are hungry. Trust your body’s signals of hunger and satiety to identify the quantity of food you need, rather than following rules established by a specific diet.

4. Put aside unrealistic beauty models created by society to better respect different body shapes, starting with your own!

5. Spend less time worrying about your appearance, and more time enjoying yourself.

6. Recognize your qualities and talents. Appreciate them and give others the opportunity to discover them.

7. Stop accepting, as well as making, derogatory comments based on appearance.

8. Put strict diets behind you.

9. Exercise for fun, and give yourself time to relax.

10. Believe in your own abilities.