( Nutrition )
LADIES , ARE YOU FIGHTING TO FEEL GOOD ?
Dr Joanna explores new research findings .
DR JOANNA eeling good is more important
F than looking good , for four out of
five Australian girls and women ; yet most still battle food guilt and diet hang-ups , according to new research .
The Galaxy Research study , which examines the attitudes of Australian girls and women ( aged 12 to 55 years ) about food and being healthy , also found :
• Feeling happier is the top motivator to achieve better health for girls and women .
• 94 per cent of girls and women have felt guilty about food they eat , something common even among girls as young as 15 .
• A third of teenagers and half of adults have dieted in the past year .
• Those who have recently dieted are twice as likely to have daily feelings of food guilt compared to those who have not dieted in the past year .
The research was commissioned by Hort Innovation as part of an innovative partnership between Australian apple growers and Netball Australia . The partnership , which is one of Australia ’ s first major fruit or vegetable sports sponsorship , is dedicated to encouraging netballers and fans to enjoy wholesome foods and embrace healthy habits . this positive , empowering attitude and a key part of that is to ditch the dieting .
The research revealed that by 15 , girls are already feeling the same levels of food guilt as women twice their age . And when we look at girls and women who have recently dieted , we see higher levels of food guilt , sadness , self-criticism and regret – half of Australian girls and women shouldn ’ t be feeling this way .
We need to forget fad diets , detoxes and any food trend that restricts what we eat or labels food as good or bad . Depriving ourselves of food doesn ’ t work , in fact it sets us up to fail .
A healthy relationship with food is just as important as nutrition . It ’ s time to get back to basics and enjoy food that makes us feel happy and energised . For most that ’ s eating a wide variety of whole foods every day and if you have a treat , I say savour every mouthful .
To encourage positive online and social media conversations about being healthy ,
Aussie Apples and Netball Australia have created a YouTube video that showcases Australian women , including Australian Diamonds netballers Caitlin Thwaites and Paige Hadley , opening up about their feelings on dieting , food guilt , health , and being happy .
I , along with Netball Australia sports dietitian Kerry Leech have also teamed up to create Game On – A netball nutrition guide just for teens . The guide is aimed at fostering a healthy attitude to enjoying wholesome foods and helping girls perform at their best on and off the court .
‘ The early to mid-teen years are critical for establishing a healthy relationship with food ,’ said Ms Leech . ‘ Through netball – the number one participation sport for girls and young women – we have the chance to reach out and inspire almost a quarter of a million teenage girls . We need to make the most of this opportunity , empower girls and create a real understanding of how enjoying a wide range of wholesome foods can make you feel energised , healthier and happier .’
Download a copy of Game On – A netball nutrition guide just for teens here .
As the dietitian for Aussie Apples , it was fantastic to see that feeling good was more important to girls and women than looking good , but we still need to undo the negative mindset of fad diets and food guilt .
We ’ ve got our health priorities right – it ’ s all about feeling better and being happier . We need to do all we can to encourage
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8 OH ! MAGAZINE ( MARCH 2018 )