I dream of a world without diets.

I dream of a world where children can grow up without knowing what a diet is.  In this pretend world, we teach our children to eat when they are hungry, to eat what they like, and to eat what makes them feel good.

Instead, in our current society, we do the opposite.  Because of our obsessions with skinny, we teach our children that food is either the enemy or a way to suppress emotions.

By our very own actions, we teach our kids to loath their bodies and envy someone else’s.  You might think your kids aren’t paying attention, but they are.  Do you believe that there is a “perfect” body?  How do you talk about your own body?

Because of how we treat ourselves, we are passing on a generation of “self-hate”.

What if we lived in a world where every woman was grateful for her body?  What if we treated ourselves with respect and dignity instead of body-bashing every time we step in front of a mirror?

It would be a wonderful world if meals were an opportunity to spend time with your family.  Do you view meals as either a humongous chore or a buddle of burdensome calories?  I would love to sit down to dinner with my family and not have a single person talk about what is good for you and what is not good for you.

I dream of a world where moms don’t have to apologize for the way they look.  I dream of a world where a pregnant mother would proudly discus her changing shape.  It is a wonder and a miracle to grow a new human life inside of you.  However, because of silly expectations, newly pregnant moms feel like they have to look like they are not pregnant!  What if it didn’t matter how much weight you gained when you were pregnant?

What if the nurse at the doctor’s office didn’t make you step on the scale?  Why do they need to know how much you weigh?  Wouldn’t you rather talk about how you “feel” instead of being reduced to a number and put on a chart?

Even after the baby, what if mothers never felt judged for not losing the “baby weight”?  I thought this post on “My Child, I Love You” beautifully explained the true meaning of motherhood.  “Your body is not your own,” she writes.  Your body is a gift, just like the child inside of you is a gift as well.  Do not be ashamed of that gift!

I dream of a world in which we cared more about feeling good that feeling like you have to be the “right size”.  If we focused more on feeling happy, healthy, and energized, we would care less about our weight.

When you are having a bad day, or feeling bad, do you make a promise to yourself to lose weight?

When I have an upset stomach, indigestion, or heartburn, I feel like I wouldn’t have those problems if I just lost some weight.  When I am tired and irritable, I think that if I was skinny I wouldn’t be that way.  I would be happy if I was thin.  Lies!  It’s all lies!

Losing weight or being skinny will not make you healthy and happy.

Because of the media and the ridiculous thin trend, even people who are perfectly healthy are made to believe that something must be wrong with them and they must lose weight.

I dream of a world where it doesn’t matter what size you are, what shape, how much you weigh, or don’t weigh.  It would be so great if no one talked about “I shouldn’t be eating this” or “I have to lose 20 pounds before the summer”.  No more fat talk.  I dream of a world where people didn’t care about losing weight.  No more “The Biggest Loser” show.  No more magic weight loss commercials or advertisements.

No more guilty, shameful feelings for being “overweight”.  No more doctors looking at your chart and telling you that you need to lose weight.  Instead, what if doctors prescribed taking vacations, cutting back the hours at your stressful job, finding out your true purpose in life, eating food that nourishes your body, mind, and soul?

The world would be a more loving place if everyone loved their own bodies from the inside out.  What if we stopped treating ourselves with disrespect and started treating ourselves with compassion? 

Side note: You don’t have to love the way you look.  When recovering from an eating disorder, I mistook the idea of “loving your body”.  I thought that I had to love how I looked and see it as the most beautiful body ever.  As hard as I tried to believe it, I just could not acknowledge that I “loved” my body.

Realistically, we are all imperfect human beings.  Because we live in a fallen world, everything is heading toward decay and death.  But, deep down inside, we know are made for something greater.  And that something is Eternal Life! 

True and perfect beauty is in the next world.  So, you don’t have to absolutely love the way you look.  But love the gift of your body.  Love the amazing things your body can do.  And thank God for giving you life!  That is what I mean when I say, “Love Your Body”!

I dream of a world without fat prejudice.  In our society, it is OK to shame people into losing weight.  It is OK to withhold benefits to overweight people or give privileges to those of a certain size.  The Workplace “Healthism” trend is threatening people that they will have to pay higher health insurance if they don’t lose weight.  It is not right to bully someone of a difference race for how they look.  So why is it OK to single-out others for being overweight?

No one has the right to judge someone for the way they look.  Just because you look a certain way does not mean you are better than anyone else.  Just because you wear a bigger size doesn’t mean you have to put up with the bullying.  Being overweight does not make you a bad person.

I dream of a world without diets.  Being thin does not mean that you are healthy.  We are confused because of the billion-dollar diet industry has been telling us that it is true.  However, this is a marketing ploy.  You can be healthy at any size.  If you believe that losing weight will make you healthy, happy, and rich, you have been seduced by product marketing.  So many people fall victim to a false weight loss plan under the pretext that it is the right thing to do.

What if the right thing to do is to trust your body, feed it when you are hungry, and exercise because it feels good?

If we were taught this truth, lots of people would lose money.  Those who are profiting from the diet industry not looking out for your well being, they are trying to get your money.  If diets really “worked” then why are people still trying to lose weight?  It is wrong and it is taking advantage and lie to people.

“There are many, many industries that profit when people hate themselves…Sometimes, it feels as though the entire world is designed to make us feel terrible about ourselves. Not thin enough, not rich enough, not seductive enough, not smart enough, not quick enough. Watch 4 or 5 TV commercials in a row, and you’ll see what I mean!”

This quote is from Alexandra Franzen who was interview by “Weightless”.

My dream world may seem impossible.  But, I believe in the truth.  What have I to fight for if I don’t fight for the truth?

 

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Painting of the Day:

 

 

Have A Nourishing Monday!