The Impact of Diet Obsession and Glycemic Index Understanding

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This Washington Post article is an interesting read, especially because I only hear of glycemic index (GI) in relations to diabetics or pre-diabetic individuals. This article is relevant because we live in a diet obsessed society that focuses heavily on diet fads, what X celebrity is doing to lose her baby weight, or the ongoing debate of the successes or failures of a low carb/low fat diet. Many times diets do not work, especially not in the long term. Dieters are guilty of adopting tools that work for certain individuals and implementing these tools on themselves; expecting to see the same results. This is problematic because it sends the message that there is a “right” and a “wrong” way of eating. Viewing foods and diets as being either “good” or “bad” is limiting and causes hopelessness when one fails to follow the “correct” way of eating. Also, individuals, especially the youth, who have trouble loosing and keeping weight off, will internalize their failure, resulting in negative self-talk, eating disorders, and/or depression. The goal of the second study was to reduce …show more content…

I do think that these guidelines are still relevant, even for this data, because everything needs a foundation to start with, or a premise. The researchers did not say that everyone got tons of chocolate, alcohol, and ice-cream. They said in “moderation” and “only some.” I am sure the participants’ diets included fruits, vegetables, and grains. As a “guideline,” individuals do not have to follow verbatim what is suggested; it is there simply as an aid or a recommendation. This does not mean that diets cannot or should not be adjusted to better fit one’s need. More or less, these researchers are asking for an adjustment and an openness for flexibility in how these guidelines and many foods are being presented to the

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