A closer look at the Whole 30 diet
and body measurements are not important indicators of progress.
Weight does not necessarily dictate health. An individual who is overweight or obese could be free of chronic disease, mobile and have a positive quality of life.
Although the program does not make these connections or insinuate that a certain body weight or type is ideal, the instruction to weigh yourself before and after those 30 days puts the focus back on weight.
The mantra of the Whole 30 diet speaks volumes to the overall ideology of the program: when in doubt, leave it out.
The diet, like most fad diets, promotes restriction and avoidance of foods, claiming that some foods are good and some are bad. Foods are not inherently good or bad.
There are many ways that food can promote health and provide fuel for your body. For example, just because a food contains added sugars, does not mean that it’s “bad” for you; that food could provide a valuable source of quick energy in the middle of a long run.
This diet encourages the participant to find a way to stick to the Whole 30 rules “in any setting, around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress,” insinuating that a break from the rules is a sign of failure.
The program mentions “balance” as being an important factor when taking on Step #4: Life after your Whole 30. To me, balance does not equal restriction and deprivation, which I would associate with the earlier steps of the Whole 30 diet.
Step #4 does promote the reintroduction of those previously restricted foods and encourages moderation in consuming what the founder considers to be unhealthy foods.
What happens if you slip up and have a whole day of “bad” eating? You’ve got another month of the Whole 30 restrictions.
This keeps you tied to the program and, instead of encouraging increased independence and greater knowledge of the foods you’re eating, promotes the labeling of “good” and “bad” foods, creating a cycle of yo-yo dieting and encouraging a reliance on the Whole 30 diet.