Eating well and maintaining a healthy diet is a noble goal that many of us strive for, especially coming into a new year. However, the last few years have revealed just how complex and nuanced the world of nutrition science truly is. Recent news stories showcase the difficulties, contradictions, and yes – opportunities – around improving our diets in 2023.
Disordered Eating on the Rise
According to a concerning report from CNN, diagnoses of eating disorders have risen significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Calls to the National Eating Disorders Association helpline shot up 40% in 2020 compared to 2019, followed by a further 28% increase in 2021 over the 2020 call volume, said spokeswoman Laura Hill. At the start of the pandemic, some patients reported difficulty accessing care as treatment resources were redirected to focus on COVID-19, she said.
Contributing factors appear to include social isolation, stress around health anxieties, and constant exposure to diet talk and fitspo imagery on social media. As we enter 2023, healing our relationship with food by rejecting diet culture and fostering community support becomes more vital than ever.
The Pitfalls of Fad Diets
The urge to try the latest fad diet is understandable, but often ill-advised. As TIME reports, diets that demonize entire food groups or promise rapid weight loss rarely lead to sustainable lifestyle change. They note:
Nutritionist Manjari Chandra warns against going overboard in 2023 with complex diets… She says, “Diets that eliminate food groups are not sustainable in the longer run. Moderation is the key.”
The reality is that no one-size-fits-all solution exists. Finding an eating pattern that aligns with your individual health conditions, preferences, and culture is a complex, nuanced journey. Simplistic diets often backfire by triggering cycles of restriction and “breaking” dietary rules.
Signs of Progress
Despite the pitfalls around fads, signs point to growing public awareness of the complexities behind healthy eating. A thoughtful New York Times piece highlights how focusing on single nutrients like protein or sugar misses how foods work synergistically in the body. The arrival of more personalized nutrition guidance represents progress:
Newer companies, like InsideTracker, DayTwo and Zoe, are offering more individualized nutrition advice based on biomarkers, gut microbiomes and even glycosylation patterns.
No one perfectly nails their diet from the start – progress towards wellness is an ongoing experiment. Whether improving gut health, managing conditions like diabetes, or simply boosting energy, rejections of one-size-fits all solutions are good news.
Supporting Those Recovering from Eating Disorders
For those recovering from clinical eating disorders or difficult relationships with food, the swarm of New Year’s diet talk presents triggers at every turn. Stories emphasizing moderation and rejection of food-demonization diets help, but community support makes the biggest difference.
Brandi Jordan, recovered from anorexia and founder of the support community The Healing Alliance, shared that her group provides:
A judgement free space where people recovering from disordered eating/eating disorders can share their struggles without fear of triggering another person’s disorder or invalidating their experience.
Recovering from an eating disorder requires patience, self-compassion, and finding your own path to wellness. Eliminating toxicity on social media and building community can help make 2023 the year disordered eating recovery trends upward after the pandemic’s devastating impact.
The complex food and nutrition landscape reveals no magic bullets for improving diets overnight. But progress towards more personalized, compassionate, and community-centric guidance offers hope for 2023 and beyond. What positive trends did you notice around healthy eating and nutrition this past year? I’m curious to hear your thoughts in the comments.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
