Young women celebrated their health and said ‘no’ to fad dieting today, as part of celebrations for International No Diet Day held at Federation Square.
The Minister for Health, Bronwyn Pike, shared cupcakes with the young women and encouraged them to have a healthy attitude to eating and exercise.
"Nine out of 10 young women in Australia have been on a fad diet in their lifetime," Ms Pike told the group of young women.
“These young women are at risk of experiencing depression, or developing an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, or simply never reaching their goal of permanent weight loss.”
Funded by the Bracks Government’s $2.1 million Go for your life Positive Body Image Strategy, YWCA Victoria invited young women to eat cake and learn about the myths of dieting.
The “Eat Cake” event for International No Diet Day involved a giant cake being cut up and shared along with cupcakes from the Crabapple Bakery.
Minister Pike added her support to raising awareness amongst vulnerable dieters to the myths that eating should cause guilt and that food is bad.
“If we know that fad dieting is so risky, why do people still go on fad diets?” she said.
“The answer in part lies with the messages we are bombarded with in the media about how to be happy and successful, if only we look a certain way or are a certain body shape.”
International No Diet Day began in Britain in 1992 with an anti-diet campaign called ‘Diet Breakers’ and is now an annual international event that encourages community awareness and discussion about healthy attitudes to food without guilt.
For further information, visit: www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au www.youth.vic.au and www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au
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