Attention: Fitness Professionals!
As a registered dietitian, youth gymnastics coach and yoga instructor, I find this topic incredibly important to talk about. It becomes especially important during the holiday season when more meals are shared with friends and family and food tends to come up as a topic of discussion often.
As you work with clients one on one and lead fitness classes, it is important to be mindful of the language you use. Many people go to a fitness class to manage their stress and step away from the negative comments from peers and relatives.
How We Talk About Food, Fitness and Diet Fads
Many of us grew up with diet culture and body expectations perpetrating our lives in every direction. We often hear things like…
“XYZ food is bad for you”
“Ready to burn off that holiday meal?”
“I am trying this new diet”
“I can’t eat that; I’m on a diet”
“I got these new pills that burn body fat”
“You should try this juice cleanse; it detoxes your body”
“Are you going to eat all that?”
“Clean your plate and then you can have dessert” (Foods should not be used as a reward)
“You look good” - Stated to a friend or family member who has lost or gained weight can give the impression to that individual that they did not ‘look good’ before and their change in weight makes them worthy of a compliment.
“Ugh I ate too much; I need to go work it off”
We live in a society where social norms around body shape and sizes seem to change by the year. Little to no focus is actually on the overall health and wellbeing of the individual. Calories burned, steps taken, and number of fitness classes attended become our focus. The real focus should be on how enjoyable our exercise habits are, how much we enjoy the food we consume, how we feel mentally and emotionally and how we enjoy the company of people that surround us.
Take a moment to reflect on your own health beliefs and remember to save the comments around these beliefs for an appropriate time; before a fitness class, when someone doesn’t ask, or around the table might not be a good place to engage in these topics of discussion.
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
It is crucial to keep in mind that eating disorders and disordered eating patterns occur in ALL body shapes, sizes, ethnicities and genders. You cannot determine if someone is struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating patterns by just looking at them. For most, it is a sensitive topic and emotions arise when in social situations where food, family and friends are combined. During my dietetic internship at an eating disorder clinic in Colorado, I witnessed countless appointments where the whole hour of counseling was spent discussing ways to cope with food and the comments that come with seeing friends and family over the holidays.
This was sad to me; why can we not come together in social events without commenting on someone else’s body, food choices, or even talking about our own?