No Diet Day, 2020

International No Diet Day (INDD) is an annual celebration of body acceptance, observed on the 6th of May. This day is dedicated to promoting a healthy life style with a focus on health at any size and in raising awareness of the potential dangers of dieting and the unlikelihood of success; the Institute of Medicine summarizes: “those who complete weight loss programs lose approximately 10 percent of their body weight only to regain two-thirds within a year and almost all of it within five years.

First started by Mary Evans (who had battled anorexia in her life) in 1992 with the aim of helping men and women around the world appreciate their own bodies, No Diet Day has evolved over the years and currently brings attention to tough issues regarding diet and body awareness, focusing on a number of agendas. This includes the following:

Educating people about the right way to diet responsibly and effectively
Having all people take a one-day break from their diets
Celebrating the diversity of different shapes and sizes

To celebrate No Diet Day, you can start by recognizing that your own body is beautiful exactly as it is. De-emphasizing your efforts to shed weight to look a particular way, it is far better to celebrate the holiday with efforts at beginning to live a healthier lifestyle altogether. Worry less about your final goal, and more about getting out and being active and keeping your body healthy.

Participants are also encouraged to:

Compliment colleagues on skills, achievements, and contributions instead of focusing on appearance
Declare a day free of dieting and obsessions about weight and shape.
Challenge the idea of one “right” body shape and embrace body diversity.
Learn the facts about the diet industry and understand the inefficacy of commercial diets.
Help end weight discrimination, sizeism, and fatphobia.
Use the #NoDietDay hashtag to share on social media.

No Diet Day, 2020

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