D is for Diet

Yep, I said it. Diet!

It has become a scorned word these days as diet programs work to be called lifestyle changes in order to keep up with the preferred lingo as they try to peddle their plans to the masses, but is it necessary? Does diet really mean something that one does for short time then quits or fails? I'm not so sure. Why is it so bad to be on a diet? Let's look at the word and consider it.

Definition of Diet

Noun
1. The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
2. A legislative assembly in certain countries.
Verb
 1. Restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.
Synonym
nutrition - nourishment - food - regimen - dietary

The verb is the one we most know. It's the one people talk about all the time. It's what makes people buy different products, join groups, or eat celery. Noun 1 is the second most common, I'd say, nowadays and I am certain Noun 2 is the least common. I hadn't even really known that little fact until I did my research for this post.

The term diet has become negative in connotation to a degree because of the number of products and programs people start, try, quit, retry and quit again all in the name of dieting to lose weight. They fail and become an obsession for many. Here is a list of diet plans by US News, (though as for quality of diet even though it lists them as the best I don't guarantee or recommend any of them), to see check out the link: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet.


However, if you think about it, the word diet will always relate to our food consumption in the noun context. Even those not losing weight have a diet, the food they eat on a regular basis.

But here is my question: Does the verb have to pertain to only the restriction or type of food used to lose weight? Can't a diet contain the basic foods consumed to maintain loss? Seems like that would work considering the noun version, but I'm not the decider of the dictionary definitions.

My Point

Diet doesn't have to be that dirty word, something we quit and start in this ever persistent battle to lose weight. Diet has other purposes and can in fact just relate to the food we eat on a regular basis, whether healthy or not and the approach we take to the type of diet we maintain is more important than whether we use the terms "diet" or "lifestyle change".

Do you diet?
What is your diet like?