Each person looks back at
their history of dieting and attributes the repeated failures to internal factors such as
weakness, incompetence, or intrinsic worthlessness. Such demoralizing beliefs
decrease one's self-efficacy and hence the likelihood of good long-term outcome.
The development of binge eating disorder [diagnostic criteria: at lease 2
binge eating episodes per week; feeling lack of control over eating during binges; and a
persistent concern with body shape and weight] is a good example of the ironic
consequences of conventional dieting. This is particularly unfortunate since binge
eating is associated with poor weight management prognosis, and once established is
itself a pathogen.
Research shows2 that restricting caloric intake increases cravings for
highly palatable foods, and forbidding certain foods leads to increased craving for those
foods. Either is causally related to binge eating disorder. To learn more
about how dieting paradoxically produces the counter-intentional behavior of over-eating,
please visit, The Imp of the Perverse
Footnotes
1. A disorder caused by the treatment.
2. G. Goodrich & J. Foreyt., J Amer Dietetic Assoc., 1991, 91,
1243-1248.
