International No Diet Day

International No Diet Day (INDD) is observed on 6th May worldwide is a day devoted to celebrating your body and appreciating your shape, size, and all the curves (or lack thereof!) that come along with it. Big or small, tall, or short, everybody should drop their diet and food hang-ups for one day to celebrate their unique body. It’s a day to just appreciate your body for all it does, and to bring awareness to the dangers of unhealthy diets.

Nobody should be discriminated against for reasons of religion, sexual preference, race, color, or appearance. Many studies have shown that dieting can have negative health effects. Screw the diet and exchange it for something a little more lasting that will do you for a lifetime – adopt a healthy lifestyle!

History of International No Diet Day

The day was first started by British author and feminist Mary Evans Young in 1992 who suffered from anorexia herself. According to Young, people should start accepting their own body size and celebrate it. The purpose of the day was to help men and women around the world to appreciate their own bodies. She wanted to educate people about the dangers of diets, having had anorexia herself, and to celebrate the diversity of different shapes and sizes.

She relates in her book, Diet Breaking: Having It All Without Having to Diet, how during one of these courses in 1991 she became irritated with the coffee break conversation about whether or not the women were going to eat a biscuit – “Oh, I’ll just have one”, “I shouldn’t really”, “Oh, all right then”. Young asked the group “What do you think would happen if you spent as much time and energy on your careers as you do on diets?”

However, countries across the globe, including the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, India, and others, have also begun celebrating the day to help raise awareness about weight discrimination, fatphobia, and size bias.

The tradition of No Diet Day has been going on since old times in India called Fasting. Fasting has long been a part of India’s religious, political, and cultural milieu. Fasting some days of the week or for a few weeks, every year is prescribed in nearly every religion. Fast is also called Vrat, or resolution started in India as a part of religion wherein Hinduism, one would avoid certain foods on certain days, Muslims observe fast during Ramzan, Christians 40 days before Easter.

International No Diet Day Symbol

The symbol of the No Diet Day is a light blue ribbon, like the red ribbon of World AIDS Day. Instead of dieting, adopt a balanced diet that will provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals to keep you fit and healthy. So, on this day wear a light blue ribbon and eat your favorite food with pride!

How to celebrate International No Diet Day

• Stop Focusing on Your Weight.

• Raise Awareness for Eating Disorders.

• Do Something Active.

• Start Being Positive regarding Your Body.

• Share Your Favorite Food with a Friend.

• Start the Day in Front of the Mirror.

• Have a spontaneous Dance Party to “All About That Bass”.

• Stimulated to give up unhealthy eating habits.

Top 10 quotes on body acceptance and no dieting

• To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise, we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear. –Buddha

• It’s No Diet Day! So, stop thinking about the perfect body, and indulge in happiness.

• When you love and accept yourself, when you know who really cares about you, and when you learn from your mistakes, then you stop caring about what people who don’t know you think. — Beyonce

• Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. –Michael Pollan

• I might have a little bit of cellulite. I might not be toned everywhere. But accepting that just empowers me. — Kim Kardashian

• In my food world, there is no fear or guilt, only joy, and balance. So, no ingredient is ever off-limits. Rather, all the recipes here follow my Usually-Sometimes-Rarely philosophy. Notice there is no Never. –Ellie Krieger

• You shouldn’t be pressured into trying to be thin by the fashion industry, because they only want models that are like human mannequins… But you must remember that it’s not practical or possible for an everyday woman to look like that. Being size zero is a career in itself so we shouldn’t try and be like them. It’s not realistic and it’s not healthy. —Rihanna

• Food is supposed to be eaten and on International No Diet Day, enjoy food by giving up on dieting but don’t forget to exercise.

• To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life. –William Londen

• Sorry, there´s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story. –Morgan Spurlock

Suggested Read: Important Days In May