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Having a dry January? Your all-or-nothing thinking is a mistake Having a dry January? Your all-or-nothing thinking is a mistake
(7 months later)
’Tis the season to be abstemious. Christmas is over, most of us over-indulged, and now we need to recover. Enter the period of good intentions, characterised by a surge in gym-going and dieting before most of us fall off whichever bandwagon we jumped on and revert to our old patterns of eating and (in)activity, often with an added sense of guilt and failure. Happy New Year, indeed.’Tis the season to be abstemious. Christmas is over, most of us over-indulged, and now we need to recover. Enter the period of good intentions, characterised by a surge in gym-going and dieting before most of us fall off whichever bandwagon we jumped on and revert to our old patterns of eating and (in)activity, often with an added sense of guilt and failure. Happy New Year, indeed.
There’s a lot of debate about the merits of enforced abstinence. Initiatives such as dry January may feel virtuous but they won’t necessarily do a lot to help you understand your relationship with alcohol and the factors that influence your consumption. And, of course, there’s the possibility that you’ll feel so good about your teetotal month that you overcompensate for it in February. Two-thirds of those who participate in dry January report a reduction in consumption that is sustained six months later, but the evidence is not conclusive. We know that asking people how much alcohol they drink typically results in under-reporting by some 40%-60%. No wonder even the BMJ is asking, “Could campaigns like dry January do more harm than good?”There’s a lot of debate about the merits of enforced abstinence. Initiatives such as dry January may feel virtuous but they won’t necessarily do a lot to help you understand your relationship with alcohol and the factors that influence your consumption. And, of course, there’s the possibility that you’ll feel so good about your teetotal month that you overcompensate for it in February. Two-thirds of those who participate in dry January report a reduction in consumption that is sustained six months later, but the evidence is not conclusive. We know that asking people how much alcohol they drink typically results in under-reporting by some 40%-60%. No wonder even the BMJ is asking, “Could campaigns like dry January do more harm than good?”
Related: Going booze-free? The effects of a month without alcohol
This isn’t limited to alcohol. Low-carb and “raw” diets, for example, are all the rage – and although they may help you lose weight in the short term, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) warns against such “quick fixes”, highlighting that they are often rooted in poor science and focus excessively on appearance, at the expense of good health. Additionally, the cost of replacing everyday foods can be prohibitive, and the expertise of those who lend their voices to restrictive diet plans may be questionable. Gillian McKeith is surely not the only person in this area to overstate their credentials.This isn’t limited to alcohol. Low-carb and “raw” diets, for example, are all the rage – and although they may help you lose weight in the short term, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) warns against such “quick fixes”, highlighting that they are often rooted in poor science and focus excessively on appearance, at the expense of good health. Additionally, the cost of replacing everyday foods can be prohibitive, and the expertise of those who lend their voices to restrictive diet plans may be questionable. Gillian McKeith is surely not the only person in this area to overstate their credentials.
Similarly, the BDA states categorically that detox diets are “nonsense” and describes them as “marketing myth”. The idea that there is a secret to weight loss is understandably seductive: as Matt Fitzgerald writes in his book Diet Cults, the proponents of strict diets can have an almost hypnotic power over the rest of us. He suggests that people have a natural tendency to make moral judgments about the food choices that others make, and that we form “tribes” on the basis of these choices. Having chosen the tribe we want to be part of, we then cherry-pick the evidence that supports our beliefs, avoiding any data to the contrary.Similarly, the BDA states categorically that detox diets are “nonsense” and describes them as “marketing myth”. The idea that there is a secret to weight loss is understandably seductive: as Matt Fitzgerald writes in his book Diet Cults, the proponents of strict diets can have an almost hypnotic power over the rest of us. He suggests that people have a natural tendency to make moral judgments about the food choices that others make, and that we form “tribes” on the basis of these choices. Having chosen the tribe we want to be part of, we then cherry-pick the evidence that supports our beliefs, avoiding any data to the contrary.
In his view, there is no such thing as the healthiest diet because we have evolved to be able to adapt to differing environments and our needs will vary based upon a range of factors. In short, he says, it’s possible to be healthy in many ways, and anyone who tells you their way is the only way is lying.In his view, there is no such thing as the healthiest diet because we have evolved to be able to adapt to differing environments and our needs will vary based upon a range of factors. In short, he says, it’s possible to be healthy in many ways, and anyone who tells you their way is the only way is lying.
It’s true that initiatives such as dry January can act as a kickstarter to a healthier way of life, but their popularity may also suggest that many of us are unfamiliar with public health guidance relating to diet and nutrition and that even if we are not, we find it difficult to follow. In some ways, it’s much easier to cut out what we think of as bad foods than to be consciously aware of everything we’re eating and drinking. It takes willpower and a considerable amount of motivation to maintain a diet that is balanced. Given enough time, it may become habitual to avoid cakes and to take more exercise, but a group of researchers from University College London (UCL) suggest this could take between two and three months.It’s true that initiatives such as dry January can act as a kickstarter to a healthier way of life, but their popularity may also suggest that many of us are unfamiliar with public health guidance relating to diet and nutrition and that even if we are not, we find it difficult to follow. In some ways, it’s much easier to cut out what we think of as bad foods than to be consciously aware of everything we’re eating and drinking. It takes willpower and a considerable amount of motivation to maintain a diet that is balanced. Given enough time, it may become habitual to avoid cakes and to take more exercise, but a group of researchers from University College London (UCL) suggest this could take between two and three months.
Food is a complex issue, and for many of us it is linked intrinsically to our emotional state. There are reasons many of us reach for chocolate or wine when we’re low or stressed, and cutting out entire food groups – many of which provide us with intense pleasure – is likely to set you up to fail if you have no alternative coping mechanisms. The simple fact is: there is no quick, easy, one-size-fits-all way of improving your health. Like all significant changes, it takes time and patience and concerted effort. The “magic bullet” is appealing but, in this case at least, it probably doesn’t exist.Food is a complex issue, and for many of us it is linked intrinsically to our emotional state. There are reasons many of us reach for chocolate or wine when we’re low or stressed, and cutting out entire food groups – many of which provide us with intense pleasure – is likely to set you up to fail if you have no alternative coping mechanisms. The simple fact is: there is no quick, easy, one-size-fits-all way of improving your health. Like all significant changes, it takes time and patience and concerted effort. The “magic bullet” is appealing but, in this case at least, it probably doesn’t exist.