A fitness expert has issued a stark warning to those feeling guilty about skipping a few days of their workout regime after witnessing a woman “punish” herself for it.
Joshua Hills, a certified nutritionist and the brains behind a popular online coaching academy, is on a mission to help individuals mend their fraught relationships with food and embrace a healthier lifestyle. However, he’s spotted a worrying trend circulating on social media: the concept of “punisher days”.
The term “punisher day” has emerged on the internet as a way to describe a day filled with intense exercise and/or severe dietary restrictions as a form of self-imposed penance for deviating from a fitness routine. Joshua has observed that some people feel compelled to undergo these punishing regimes to atone for their lapses, but he strongly cautions against such practices.
In a viral video amassing over 89,000 likes, Joshua emphatically states: “A few days of more food and less exercise requires no punishment, and this kind of attitude is seriously opening people up to eating disorders.”
He also urges caution in the discourse surrounding food on digital platforms, labelling the notion of a punisher day as “barbaric”. He expresses concern that it could lead individuals to adopt excessively restrictive habits.
Furthermore, he remarked: “The truth is, you and I all know people with an ED, just most of us don’t know who that person is.”
“The majority of them are pretty invisible for most of the time, and people hide them pretty well. If you don’t know, more people die from eating disorders than any other mental illness each year. Shocking, I know, which is why this stuff is serious.”
“This attitude in general towards punishing yourself is not about being disciplined or about how healthy you can be. It’s severely disordered and often has long-term consequences that you do not want to experience.”
In the caption on TikTok, he added: “How you treat yourself when it comes to food and exercise can have serious consequences. So just take it from me, punishing yourself with severe restriction and/or excessive exercise is serious.”
“I know some think it’s not, but there’s no long-term benefit to your health. Only an increased risk of severe health related consequences such as loss of your menstrual cycle, depression, anxiety, loss of muscle mass, bodily function or even being sectioned. And death.”
“And I say that because I care and I’ve seen and experienced worse than you are likely aware of. More people die from ED each year than depression. Let that sink in, now go look after yourself and unfollow toxic accounts, get rid of diet culture and go live your life.”
If you or someone you know needs support for an eating disorder visit Beat Eating Disorders for helplines in your area.