Health and fitness contradictions abound in today’s rush-’n-ready world. Svelte models embody our physical aspirations while a cycle of indulgence and remorse governs what and how we eat. Headlines trumpet the successes of fad diets while criticizing those who have fallen off the dieting wagon or failed in their discipline. Despite an environment that encourages us to consume more calories more often and bodies that are designed to fatten up, our culture expects people (especially women) to exert extraordinary self-control to lose weight. Why Diets Don’t Work is a criticism of conflicting dieting messages, but it’s also a story of health. Kat Tancock teaches readers why it's okay to let go of "fat guilt" and a deprivation mindset, and she shows them how to focus instead on choosing and controlling their environments and being aware of external and internal eating cues. Topics include: The evolution of "normal" eating (why are our plates and cups so huge?) Dieting history and trends, as well as today's juice fasts Real women's experiences with dieting and weight gain and loss Food marketing in North America Why we overeat Food choices as a form of identity, and food as reward Why deprivation diets almost always backfire How exercise really can help you lose weight (and it's not about calories burned)