Roxanne Batty
Sep 2, 2018 · 1 min read

Hi Vic, interesting article! It struck me whilst reading that most people I know who diet talk about food as a “sin”, or a tempting treat. As a non-dieter myself, I’ve never seen food as a particularly bad thing, though I obviously understand the health benefits of some food over others. I also understand that some food brings me comfort (childhood food, for example) and I may eat it even though it isn’t really good for me. But generally, I eat what I fancy and then I stop when I’ve had enough. I am told this is “self control”. But is it really self-control when I don’t feel the compulsion to eat the cake/chocolate/M&Ms on the table in the first place? If somebody asks you to go to the beach, and you don’t feel like going to the beach, it isn’t a master feat of self-control to say no.

I’m guessing that many people, because of their upbringing or cultural pressures surrounding food and weight, have internalized this need to resist food even though they enjoy it and need it. They are therefore (sadly) stuck in a vicious cycle of wasting energy by focusing on avoiding “temptation”, and then ultimately saying “f*ck it” and eating way more than they otherwise would. It also fits with the dark, guilt-ridden binge eating that seems ubiquitous with dieting.

Roxanne Batty

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Copywriter and writer. Lover of British comedy, discussing the weather and getting misty eyed over beautiful views. www.roxannebatty.com