Navigating and Addressing Diet Conversations
Recently, many of my clients have expressed uncertainty about how to handle discussions surrounding diets, weight, and health, especially given the diet-culture surge in January – which I often humorously dub as the “National Diet Month”. Whether you’re on a journey to foster a better relationship with food, challenging yourself to avoid restrictive diets this year, or wishing to distance yourself from diet culture altogether, it’s always useful to have strategies to address diet-centric conversations.
Strategies for Addressing Diet Conversations
January presents a challenging landscape, with an onslaught of gym membership offers, instant diet plans, and an industry constantly reminding us to reshape our bodies. Often masked under the pretense of “health”, these conversations are clearly centered on weight loss. The recent focus with many clients has been on how to tread these waters throughout the year, not just in January.
Today, I’d like to delve into frequent scenarios where you might confront diet culture and offer strategies to address such situations. For additional insights, feel free to read our article on Explaining Intuitive Eating to Friends.
A Few Pointers:
If ever caught in a tricky conversation about diet, weight, or food:
- Don’t stress about having the perfect response.
- You don’t always need to don your anti-diet advocacy cap.
- It isn’t necessary to always reveal your reasons for avoiding diet or weight discussions.
- You can make a difference without delving into conversations about weight and health.
- It’s okay to remain silent.
- You’re allowed to make mistakes in your responses.
- It’s your right to set boundaries regarding your personal experiences and recovery.
The objective here is to empower you with tools and sample responses, helping you confidently handle challenging conversations.
Addressing Diet Discussions in Various Scenarios:
- Social Gatherings:
Diet talk at social gatherings is as common as popular appetizers. - Scenario: Someone incessantly discusses their diet or workout.
- Response: “This reminds me of a documentary about a rock climber in Yosemite. Ever visited?”
- Response: “It’s been great chatting. I just spotted someone I’ve been meaning to greet.”
- Response: “One of my resolutions was to discuss fresh topics at gatherings. Ever read a captivating book recently?”
- Response: Excuse yourself politely.
- Brief Interactions:
Short interactions, like with a cashier or an Uber driver. - Scenario: They comment on your food or body.
- Response: “Would eating Skittles render us ‘bad’ if we’re not shoplifting?”
- Response: “Food should be about enjoyment, not judgment.”
- Gym Conversations:
Regrettably, fitness spaces often feature diet talk. Here’s how you can handle it: - Scenario: Negative comments towards you or others.
- Approach the staff or management with constructive feedback.
- Dining Out:
Whether you’re on a date or out with friends, here’s how to handle food-centric comments: - Scenario: Waiter’s remarks on your order.
- Response: “I choose what I crave. No calorie counting here.”
- Scenario: A friend discussing another’s diet.
- Response: “How about we discuss our favorite dishes instead?”
- Family Gatherings:
Here’s how to deal with well-meaning but intrusive comments. - Scenario: Remarks on weight changes.
- Response: “Let’s catch up on recent events rather than focus on my weight.”
Do you have effective strategies or phrases for navigating diet talk? Share your experiences in the comments!
