Susie Orbach, a psychotherapist and activist who penned Fat Is A
Feminist Issue and Bodies, is one of the organisers of the rally,
which takes place under the Lion on the Southside of London's
Westminster Bridge at 2.30pm on Monday.
Event organisors are inviting participants to ditch their diet
pills, plans and calorie counters into a 'hazardous waste' bin in a
mass protest outside Parliament.
The protest is timed to coincide with the Diet Industry giving
evidence at the YMCA Body Confidence All Party Parliamentary Group
Inquiry.
Speaking exclusively to DIVA, Orbach said: "Millions of pounds
are spent by us on dieting. And as if this isn't enough, the
government is paying WeightWatchers and other groups to teach us to
lose weight. Of 100 people who start a diet only 5% will end up at
a consistently lower weight. Dieting is not a way to learn about
eating. It is a scheme which, while seemingly attractive, profits
few except an industry who grows fat on its profits. If dieting
worked you'd only have to do it once.
"Dieting is part of the problem, part of what gets in the way of
us being able to respect our hunger and eat just what is right for
it. Help us help women feel good about their bodies and ditch
dieting….."
The event comes as an increasing number of men are also seeking
help for eating disorders, says men's therapist Dr. Phil
Tyson.
Dr. Tyson - who is based in Manchester - says that national
statistics estimate that between 10 and 25 per cent of people
experiencing eating disorders are male.
For more information on the campaign, visit www.ditchingdieting.org
