Over forty buisnesses in Guelph are displaying signs in their window proting a body-positive message in recognition of International No Diet Day.
The week-long campaign seeks to help people change the conversation when it comes to their bodies, with messages like ‘Enjoy your life in the body you already have’ or ‘Beauty comes in every size.’
The encouraging messages on the signs are being offered by Waterloo-Wellington Eating Disorders Coalition (WWEDC), which will keep the signs up in windows across Guelph, Wellington County and Waterloo Region until Friday, said spokesperson Michelle Johnson.
“The size of everyone’s noses and their height are different. Our weights are meant to be different as well. If people can choose to accept their bodies the way they are, that can be a step in the right direction,” said Johnson.
A registered dietician in the eating disorder program at the Canadian Mental Health Association, Johnson has a close-up view of the damage yo-yo dieting can have.
“What the research says is 95 per cent or more of diets actually fail, so they are not sustainable,” said Johnson. “It ends up leading to people eating the food again, if not more, and engaging in a restrict-binge pendulum effect. They end up eating more in the long run and gaining the weight back.”
“For people who yo-yo diet, it’s quite detrimental to their health — not only their physical health, but their mental health as well,” she added.
April Gates, registered Social Worker with The Wellness Collaborative and member of WWEDC said, "store keepers, locally, welcome this one-week campaign and have received many positive comments from the public, applauding the body positive/affirmative messages that are so rarely broadcast in our present-day oppressive diet culture."
This year, in addition to window signs, WWEDC are also providing stickers for shop owners to place on changeroom mirrors. The positive messaging decals include: "Take a vacation from hating your body." "Change your mind, not your body." "Be a good role model - say positive things about your body." "26,000 diets have been invented. None work." "Don't fight your genes, just change your jeans." "Confidence is beautiful. There is no ideal body" and "It takes a lot of willpower to give up dieting!"
Johnson said the support of Guelph businesses has been incredible in the 10 years the campaign has been running. All kinds of businesses have been supportive of the program, including restaurants, clothing stores and specialty shops.
“Because we have been doing it for so long, we have some good rapport with some of the store owners,” said Johnson. “It really helps with our campaign to bring the anti-diet message to the Guelph community.”
For more information on eating disorders, size acceptance and the Health at Every Size movement, check out the following websites: National Eating Disorder Information Centre; Waterloo-Wellington Eating Disorders Coalition; or Healthy At Every Size.
— with files from KitchenerToday
