INTERNATIONAL NO DIET DAY

International No Diet Day is marked on 6th May, annually. Mary Evans Young, a British feminist who wanted to spread the word about the perils of dieting and encourage body acceptance, established this day in 1992. Today, it is recognised and honoured in a large number of nations worldwide. A light blue ribbon is the symbol of this day.

This day focuses on never believing that there is one "perfect" body type, Educating the public about sizeism, weight discrimination, and fatphobia, Informing people about the diet market and emphasising the futility of gimmick diets, and stopping sizeism, fatphobia, and weight discrimination by your actions.

In 1992, English feminist Mary Evans Young established this day. Only a small group of women in the UK observed the holiday in 1992, with a picnic and "Ditch That Diet" stickers. In 1993, the holiday's date was changed to May 6 in order to avoid competing with Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Following this, The International Size Acceptance Association was formed on 1st July 1997.

Some myths about dieting include: Meal skipping can hasten weight loss, carbohydrates should be avoided, fat-free or low-fat foods are always healthy, and detox diets can hasten weight loss.

The Committee to Develop Criteria for Evaluating the Outcomes of Approaches to Prevent and Treat Obesity of the Institute of Medicine criticised the commemoration of this day. "It is inappropriate to argue that obese people should just accept their body weight and not try to reduce it," the committee stated. They emphasised that obesity can raise the chance of getting other illnesses and conditions.