Celebrating International No Diet Day is part of a larger awareness effort, not just about eating disorders, but to promote normal eating and healthy lifestyles

We've all heard the conversations before. At meetings, parties, and backyard barbecues. Women, and sometimes men, chatting about how they really shouldn't eat this or that, before plunging into the huge slice of chocolate cake.

It was a conversation just like this back in 1991 that gave British woman Mary Evans Young fire in the belly to challenge group "fat talk."

She asked some women what they thought would happen if they spent as much time and energy on their careers as they did thinking about, but not necessary acting on, their diets. The response was electric. It was as though the women had been waiting for the opportunity to go easier on themselves and let go of diet obsessions.

So Young launched International No Diet Day (INDD) in London – a movement that has since gained gastronomic credibility around the world.

In Australia, International No Diet Day on 6 May has been adopted as a day to focus on healthy lifestyles and the futility and health dangers of fad dieting. Lots of workplaces, groups and student bodies celebrate the day with a consciousness-raising event and a good scoff on healthy food.

So, on No Diet Day we are asked to:

But why has this obsession about weight and body image reached such plague proportions? It's not only women and young girls who are concerned about weight and body image, but men and boys too. Let's look at a few stats and trends.

Celebrating International No Diet Day is part of a larger awareness effort, not just about eating disorders, but to promote normal eating and healthy lifestyles. The slogan is ‘Diets Don't Work, Healthy Lifestyles Do.'

So how do you have a healthy balanced lifestyle without obsessing about food? There are some great government-backed resources available which aren't trying to sell you anything, except the health message.

Try these:

So, there you have it. Over to you…