Dear Diet Culture Letter: "Intuitive Fasting" Doesn't Exist

Dear Diet Culture, 

It’s me, Sunday. This week a really problematic book came out that I know you feel very happy about. I on the other hand, both personally and professionally, feel incensed about it. And don’t pretend like you have no idea which one I am talking about. Ya know, the one that’s incredibly fatphobic, promotes disordered eating and stole intuitive eating language in order to make a profit. So because of this, in my letter to you this week I want to talk about all the reasons why this new diet book called “Intutive Fasting” is so problematic. 

“Intuitive fasting” is not a thing. This diet is literally the opposite of intuition by encouraging the intentional ignoring of body signals (in this case hunger) in the name of “health.” Not so intuitive. The human body is like a car in that it needs to be fueled when it runs out of gas. The gas is food and bodies need the energy from it. When this doesn’t happen the body will take specific actions to slow things down and preserve energy where it can, often to the detriment to the body itself. Things like slowed heart rate, decreased hormone production, slowed digestion, and bone degradation (to only name a few) are some of the really common ways an undernourished body will compensate for not getting enough food. Fasting is not healthy or sustainable and is the opposite of what the body is constantly working hard to receive: food as energy to power itself.

It’s 100% a diet. Yes yes how innovative, a diet claiming it’s “not a diet” so that it can try to convince people that what it’s offering is “different” from anything they have ever tried. I mean look Diet Culture, I can see from a marketing perspective why you do this or else no one would buy your books, products or diets because literally nothing is new at this point. And, it’s still messed up and wrong. I fully anticipate many articles to come that talk ad nauseam about why this unqualified, incredibly privileged celebrity is offering something “backed by science” or “innovative.” Big eye roll. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

It promotes disordered eating behaviors that will harm many. While my and other non-diet health practitioner’s ig feeds have been full of backlash about this book coming out, I know that many people don’t have a feed like mine or know what I know as a clinician who works with eating disorders and disordered eating. I know that lots of people will be harmed by this book and this makes me angry and sad. I often toe the line of accepting that I am unable to protect the world from the harms of your doing Diet Culture, while also trying my best to offer a different perspective where I am able. Oh the irony of diets promoting the same behaviors that we are trying to get people to move away from in recovery! Coincidence? I think not. 

Profits and privilege. As if celebrities didn’t have enough wealth, they jump into the $72 billion diet industry to turn out more profit (I mean said celebrity is notorious for “health and lifestyle” stuff that is super disordered). So while it’s not surprising, it’s important to note: This is about profit not about helping people. And, it’s steeped in privilege. The absurdity of existing in a culture that elevates going without food, skipping meals, and being hungry as an achievement blows my mind. To intentionally deny a human body its most basic human need for food is neither healthy nor sustainable. And yet, here we are with another book that talks about not having food as being “ideal.” That’s a no for me. 

So Diet Culture, I know how powerful you are and I also know things are shifting in small but significant ways. You know how? Because the more that we poke holes in your existence and challenge you, the more that you have to hide yourself by co-opting things like intuitive eating or non-diet language. And I know that this will only continue as more people resist you and question your origins rooted in the patriarchy, fatphobia and racism. 

You are harmful and we see you. And what we are not going to do is go buy a book that promotes disordered eating that’s stealing intuitive eating language and is packaged up in privilege turning a profit while harming others. 

Sincerely, 

Sunday, aka your most passionate non-diet Dietitian Katherine who wants you to know that fasting is not healthy and will lead to more obsessions around food, more binge eating or rebound eating, and LESS intuition do to the nature of depriving your body of food and ignoring its signals.