May 6 Is Eat What You Want Day

It's not really called that -- for me "Eat What You Want Day" is everyday -- but May 6 is in fact known as "International No Diet Day".

International No Diet Day is an annual celebration of body acceptance and diversity. This day is also dedicated to promoting a healthy life style and raise awareness of the dangers and futility of dieting. The symbol of the No Diet Day is a blue ribbon, similar to the red ribbon of the World AIDS Day.

International No Diet Day was created by Mary Evans Young in 1992. Mary is the director of the British group "Diet Breakers". After personally experiencing anorexia, she worked to help people appreciate themselves for what they are, and to appreciate the body they have.

There are several goals today:

• Celebrate the beauty and diversity of ALL our natural sizes & shapes
• Declare a personal one-day moratorium on diet/weight obsession
• Learn the facts about weight-loss dieting, health, and body size
• Recognize how dieting perpetuates violence against women
• Honor the victims of eating disorders and weight-loss surgery
• Help end weight discrimination, sizism and fatphobia.

There is even a pledge you can take today:

I will accept myself just as I am
I will feed myself if hungry
I will feel no shame or guilt about my size or eating

...and i will LOVE MYSELF for who I am, not who I feel pressure to be!