[VIDEO] Breaking Down the Issues: what science and psychology tell us about dieting

KUALA LUMPUR – Humans in general, but especially Malaysians, love to celebrate with food. Whether it’s a festival, a birthday or just surviving a pandemic – food is always a good idea!  

But studies show that we are a country both over-indulging and undernourished – we suffer from high rates of obesity and heart disease whilst our children have stunted growth, all because of the food we eat.   

So, how do we fix our relationship with food? Can we find a way to eat that is actually affordable, enjoyable, AND good for our bodies?  

In this month of festivities and celebrations, Breaking Down the Issues explores the science and psychology of eating, and suggests an approach to our daily diet that is easy to follow, easy to sustain, and has that flexibility to be festive, and yet able to reset back into healthy goals.

To do this we explore the science behind a metabolic hormone that tells our body to store, and the choices that we can make to manage this hormone. It provides the premise to the various diets recommended for eating healthy, such as the GI and Mediterranean diets, to the keto, low-carb, and intermittent fasting diets recommended for weight loss.

A doughnut won’t kill you and banning certain foods only ensures you’ll want them even more. Similarly, the anxiety and self-hatred that comes from diet culture is actually counterproductive. So be kind to yourself as you start to pay more attention to the foods you eat and think about the future that you want. There’ll be good days and bad, busy seasons, and weddings, but be cool and take it all one meal at a time.  

And a reminder that any major changes in diet should be done in consultation with a doctor or dietician.

Let us know what you think by commenting or emailing us at [email protected]

This project is brought to you by advocacy and research group Sekhar Institute together with the Good Capitalism Forum, which promotes responsible social capitalism and Malaysia’s hottest news portal The Vibes. – The Vibes, December 30, 2021