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Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Alice Mahon (Labour), on Tuesday, 2 May 1995, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 91 members in total.

SUPPORT FOR NO DIET DAY

That this House supports International No Diet Day on 6th May, the purpose of which is to draw attention to the perils and futility of dieting, except for medical reasons such as stomach ulcers and diabetes, and to promote a healthier way of living; notes that dieting undermines people's emotional and physical well-being and is often the first step towards more serious eating disorders; condemns the pressure on women and girls, and increasingly on men and boys, to be unhealthily thin; is concerned that dieting has reached epidemic levels; notes that 90 per cent. of women will diet at some time in their lives, and at any given time 50 per cent. of women are dieting, including girls as young as eight and women as old as 75 years; regrets that Western women and girls are starving through dieting when in other parts of the world so many people are dying through starvation; believes that the tyranny of thinness encourages women to be valued on their looks alone and encourages the oppression of fat people as well as causing misinformation on healthy living and eating; realises that, while obesity may cause health risks to some people, the solution is not a simple one of losing weight because 96 per cent. of diets do not work, and dieting causes other problems, including low self-esteem, mood swings, depression, gall stones, lack of concentration, constipation and headaches; and therefore supports International No Diet Day for a better way of living and congratulates Mary Evans Young, Director of Diet Breakers, for her excellent book, Diet Breaking.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received 6 amendments.

1078A1
leave out from `House', to `notes' in line 3.'.
1078A2
leave out `undermines people's emotional and physical well-being and'.
1078A3
leave out `90' and insert `100'.
1078A4
leave out `some time in' and insert the end of'.
1078A5
leave out from `lives' to `believes' in line 10.
1078A6
leave out from `headaches' to end.

Secondary information

Type
Early day motion
Reference
1078 
1078A1 
1078A2 
1078A3 
1078A4 
1078A5 
1078A6 
Session
1994-95
Subjects
Diets Health hazards
Link
View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk