I was perusing the Health section of my New York Times lately, and came across this article on celebrities who diet.  In the article, it describes the recent uptick in celebrity diet sponsors.  It’s understandable that diet companies would want to use celebrities, the article states, because people feel like they “know” them and can relate.  And honestly, don’t tell me you don’t know the names of Brangelina’s kids or that Kim Kardashian is getting married in August!  I for one must admit that I probably read “People” and “Us Weekly” more than the paper.

For many celebrities who are under the spotlight all the time to be thin, what better press than to lose weight in the public eye?  Right?  Not so quick – the article also describes the fabulous dieting failures of people like Kirstie Alley, who after flaunting her body in a bikini on Oprah, only gained all the weight back plus some a couple months later.  What happens when some of these celebrities fail publicly, and how does it affect not only their image, but the image of the brand they represent?

I also can’t help but think, how do these celebrities impact normal people’s efforts at losing weight and staying healthy?  I look at people like Jennifer Hudson, who lost over 80 pounds on Weight Watchers, and feel very inspired by her story and her authenticity about her struggle with weight and subsequent success.  That story feels a lot more legitimate than that of Kirstie Alley, who seems to be using her yo-yoing weight gain and loss as means for publicity, rather than simply trying to get healthier.  I also feel like many of these celebrities set unrealistic examples for normal folk looking to lose a couple – in essence they make it seem so damned easy!  I think it often makes people feel inadequate when they don’t have similar success on these diets.

Which leads me to my main point – “diets” in the traditional sense don’t work.  The idea of dieting is of deprivation, about not eating what you want for a short period of time.  But in reality, being healthy (and losing weight in the process if you need to) is about changing your lifestyle and developing habits that are sustainable FOREVER.  Whether it be swapping all your breads to whole grain varieties, or getting a handle on proper portion sizes, these changes are about being healthy and fueling your body in the long run.  And being consistent with your changes!  Getting your meals delivered to you isn’t a sustainable option in the long run, but learning to cook a basic healthy meals is.  So before you waste another penny on diets…consider this – will you actually stick with it in the long run?  Or is it a better use of your money to buy a healthy cookbook and a bag full of fresh produce instead?