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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6th, 2013 Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Eating Disorders Coalition Celebrates International No Diet Day No diet is the best diet. That’s the message of International No Diet Day, which is now celebrated worldwide. Established in 1992 by British anti-diet campaigner Mary Evans Young, International No Diet Day challenges cultural attitudes and values that contribute to chronic dieting, weight and size preoccupation, eating disorders and size discrimination. The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Eating Disorders Coalition celebrates International No Diet Day on Monday, May 6, 2013 “On International No Diet Day we ask everyone to put aside their preoccupation with dieting and weight loss, to celebrate diversity of body shapes and sizes and to reject society’s narrow standards of beauty,” says April Gates, Program Co-ordinator of Homewood’s Eating Disorders Program and Chair of the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Eating Disorders Coalition. This year, for the fifth consecutive year, downtown businesses in Guelph will join the Eating Disorders Coalition in celebrating International No Diet Day. During the first week of May, a number of local downtown businesses have agreed to host window displays that promote healthy body image and acceptance of our natural body shapes and sizes.

Here are 10 suggestions of ways to participate in International No Diet Day:

• Take a break from dieting. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Listen to your body’s signals.
• Stop thinking about foods as “good,” “bad” or “junk food.” Taste, savour and enjoy all foods to the fullest!
• Make health, not weight loss, your lifestyle goal.
• Give up, or better still, smash the weigh scales.
• Clean out your closet and get rid of all your “thin” clothes. Donate these items to a charitable organization.
• Ask local bookstores to display anti-diet and “Health at Every Size” books this week.
• Stop focusing on appearance. Don’t make comments like “You look great! Have you lost weight?” Look for other praise-worthy qualities to highlight, other than personal appearance.
• Engage in physical activities for pleasure and health benefits, rather than regimented exercise for the primary purpose of weight loss.
• End weight discrimination by celebrating size diversity. Beauty, health and fitness come in all sizes.
• Check out downtown Guelph store windows, particularly those hosting slogans that promote positive body image and size acceptance.

The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Eating Disorders Coalition works to increase public awareness of eating disorders and unhealthy body images and to provide eating disorder resources to the community. For more information about the coalition, visit www.eatingdisorderscoalition.ca. For more information about the treatment and prevention of eating disorders, visit www.nedic.ca and www.whatseatingyou.com.

For more information, contact:
April Gates, Program Co-ordinator, Eating Disorders Program
Telephone: 519-824-1010, ext. 2292

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