Nutritionist Says Real Health Needs Policy, Not Fad Diets

For three decades, diet trends have exploded across social media while nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has stuck to the same message: eat local foods, move your body, and sleep well. At a recent Hindu Lit for Life event, she explained why her advice hasn't changed even as wellness industries constantly push new products and standards.

Diwekar believes the constant barrage of conflicting health advice has left people more confused and less healthy than ever. She points to Instagram influencers without credentials offering tips that spread like wildfire, creating what she calls a "herd mentality" that keeps people chasing one trend after another.

The conversation with Shonali Muthalaly covered how social media filters distort our self-image and how the obsession with thinness can actually shrink our lives. Diwekar addressed the current protein craze and defended traditional cultural food practices that have sustained communities for generations.

But her most powerful point challenged the popular idea that health requires individual discipline and willpower. She argues this belief comes from privilege and misses the bigger picture of what actually makes populations healthier.

Why This Inspires

Diwekar is redirecting the conversation from personal responsibility to collective action. Real health improvements, she insists, come from better policies like air pollution controls, maternal health programs, gender equality initiatives, and regulations on junk food, alcohol, and tobacco.

"That is the stuff that improves the health of a nation, and not gyms, protein shakes and probiotics," she told the audience. Her message shifts blame away from individuals struggling with their weight and toward the systems that shape our choices.

After 15 years of consistency in an industry built on change, Diwekar's approach feels revolutionary. She's asking us to look beyond our bathroom scales and demand the environmental and social conditions that make healthy living possible for everyone, not just those who can afford the latest wellness trend.

The message is refreshingly simple: your grandmother probably knew more about nutrition than most influencers do today.