In its most simplistic form, diet culture believes that physical appearance and body shape are more crucial than psychological, physical, and general well-being. It’s the idea that controlling our body, particularly our diet – by limiting what and how much we eat – is normal.
Even though many people pursue slimmer bodies, they fail to recognize the real dangers associated with these so-called diets. Social media is a significant source of information about these diets, and just like any other trend, people try them.
Diet culture is the social expectations that tell us we are a better person and a more worthy person if our bodies are a certain way. And, it’s a shape-shifter: We may believe we’re not subscribing to diet culture, but rather to health and fitness.
But, this is the toxic cycle of rebranding. These days the diet industry has adapted its messaging to be less blatantly about appearance and more about “health and wellness,” claiming that the two concepts are different. But there’s still that widespread error of equating health and thinness as the same. It is important to remember that thinness and health are not the same and that being overweight does not necessarily equate to an unhealthy lifestyle.
It’s almost impossible to keep up with most diets, so falling off them is even more detrimental to someone’s mental health and relationship with food. Furthermore, the relationship between various foods, weight gain and weight loss, and self-satisfaction only creates an atmosphere of insecurity and contempt.
We are scared of food. We are afraid of eating the wrong thing and what society will think of us as a result. Due to diet culture obsession, many using special diets and intense exercise will develop unhealthy habits, which can eventually morph into an eating disorder. This snowballs into other mental health issues that can create life-altering damage if we’re not provided with the right help.
How Dieting Hurts Body Perception and Health
We are pushed into diet culture from a very early age. The majority of people are under pressure to conform to society’s ideal body shape and size. Although many think the spotlight is on women for idolizing unrealistic beauty standards like Barbie’s long legs and slim waist, the thin ideal is everywhere for everyone, including all ages and genders. Thinness is emphasized more than health in diet culture and society. No matter the cost, everyone is expected to conform to its impossible standards. Individuals are encouraged to shrink as much as they can. To take up less space.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most common ways diet culture harms our minds, bodies, and souls.
- Diet culture confuses size and health.
Weight is often equated with health on social media, but in reality, it’s not that simple. We are not affected by our weight alone, and focusing on weight loss and body size often leads people to turn to unhealthy eating habits in a desperate attempt to fit in.
Diet culture harms us because it promotes messages around food morality or body size that are destructive to our self-respect and self-worth. Additionally, diet culture and weight stigma discourage people with larger bodies from seeking medical care because they fear their healthcare provider will blame their weight for whatever problem they have.
Weight ranges and BMIs are suggested for each demographic based on age, gender, and health, but being within a weight range does not ensure health. It is important to note that proper health is determined by various factors, including nutrition (not diet), physical fitness, stress levels, and mental health.
- Diet culture emphasizes that we should follow external rules about what, when, and how much we eat.
In addition, diet culture normalizes labeling foods as good or bad and treating food as something you either deserve or don’t, depending on your eating and exercise habits. Not only is food labeled, but people may label themselves as good or bad for consuming these foods.
Various ways of eating are promoted, such as “clean” foods, Paleo recipes, low-carb diets, intermittent fasting, and keto. Doing this encourages us to be insanely cautious about everything we eat instead of eating for enjoyment and satisfaction. By restricting certain foods, we cause ourselves to feel shame and guilt whenever we “fall off the wagon” or have a “cheat day.”
Diet culture normalizes deprivation and makes food the enemy. It does more than deprive our bodies of calories; it deprives them of essential nutrients, which can decrease immunity, increase irritability, and decrease focus. In addition, it can normalize disordered eating behavior, such as skipping meals and removing entire food groups. When this occurs, eating disorders can be hidden more easily or even not recognized until they are well established.
- Diet culture suggests that body size determines a person’s worthiness.
A person conditioned to accept diet culture as a way of life may have a poor self-image, engage in negative self-talk, and believe that being thin makes them better than someone else. They may also have an all-or-nothing mentality; those who engage in extreme dieting often encourage their friends and family members to follow the latest trend, unintentionally body shaming those who do not need to lose weight.
Secondly, there is the quality of life costs: the time spent on meal planning and calorie counting, the money spent on diet programs, books, and products, and the relationships that suffer because they may worry about what they’re going to eat at dinnertime rather than focusing on the people around them.
It is part of our human nature to desire connection – to be seen, heard, and loved for who we are. But as a society, we believe that a thin or fit person is more attractive, desirable, and worthy of love. So when people find themselves questioning their worth, they try to find ways to cope. Understanding this concept might be difficult, but it is true: there is no difference between the size of our bodies and the amount of love, dignity, respect, friendship, intimacy, or care we deserve.
When people let go of dieting, the relief is profound. No matter one’s age, it’s a tremendous gift when this epiphany pops up: dieting is robbing the joy of life.
How to Navigate the Pressures of Diet Culture
Social media cannot tell us what is healthy for our bodies and how to lose weight effectively. So, rather than jumping from one unhealthy eating habit to another, it’s necessary to find a healthy way to address the parts of our diets that need to be changed. A simple and smart solution to getting rid of bad eating habits is to consult a nutritionist who can advise and help develop a personal eating plan based on our specific needs.
The pervasive nature of diet culture makes it impossible to avoid altogether, but there are ways to limit exposure and advocate against it.
- Be aware that there is no universal standard for beauty and health.
It’s always a good idea to move our bodies and eat nutritious food, but it’s essential to understand how much of our motivation comes from our culturally accepted aesthetics.
We are all influenced by social norms that shape what we perceive as desirable. So, health is probably not the issue; it’s about American diet culture repeatedly telling us that we need to be thin, or now, as a common trend, “thick”, to fit in.
For example, when we come across a piece of art, we may see a white canvas that has paint thrown all over it in no particular order, or, we might see the pain and anguish of the artist through their use of chaotic paint strokes and colors. They may have the audacity, but no one has the right or the knowledge to distinguish who or what is worthy or not. Beauty is not one particular thing, nor is health. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s important to note who loves us for who we are, rather than how we may appear.
- Practice Body Neutrality
Body neutrality means focusing on what our body can do now, not what we’d like it to look like. Doing this can take our minds off trying to manipulate or control how we look. Rather than becoming obsessed with our appearance, our mindset shifts to focus on accepting our bodies as they are and manifesting gratefulness and appreciation for their capabilities. By practicing body neutrality, we can step away from diet culture and food labeling and honor our body as it is.
- Learn more about what health really is.
A deeper understanding of overall wellness can help us avoid focusing solely on thinness and food restrictions that can harm our health. Additionally, it teaches us how to be healthy in various ways, including multiple body types and eating habits. Rejecting diet culture isn’t about giving up. It’s about finally letting go.
People forget their body’s natural hunger signals by focusing on weight loss and calorie restriction. As a result, many registered dieticians focus on “intuitive eating” – eating in response to satiety and hunger cues, to build a healthier relationship with food.
Intuitive eating can remove the stigma associated with certain food groups, such as carbohydrates.
Counting every calorie, regretting every piece of cake, and giving the scale that much power is not worth it. It’s difficult to free ourselves from diet culture mentality, but it’s possible and necessary. So instead of counting calories this year, try counting memories. The people we’re with and the occasions we’re celebrating will be the things we remember fifty years from now, not the piece of cake we ate.
So eat the carrots, but eat the cookies too.
SOURCES:
- https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/athletes-eating-disorders
- https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/the-problem-with-dieting-eating-disorders-affecting-american-college-students.html
- https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/back-page-diet-culture
- https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.441.1529&rep=rep1&type=pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792687/
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/eating-disorder-prevention-toxic-diet-culture/
- Johnson, C. Powers, P.S., and Dick, R. Athletes and Eating Disorders: The National Collegiate Athletic Association Study, Int J Eat Disord 1999; 6:179.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Diet Culture and Its Impact
1. What is diet culture?
Diet culture is a system of beliefs that prioritizes thinness and weight loss over overall well-being. It promotes restrictive eating, labels foods as “good” or “bad,” and equates body size with health and morality. This mindset often leads to guilt around food, body dissatisfaction, and unsustainable dieting behaviors.
2. Is there too much focus on diets in society?
Yes, society places excessive importance on dieting, often portraying weight loss as the key to health and happiness. Social media, advertising, and cultural norms reinforce unrealistic beauty standards, pressuring individuals to conform. This obsession with dieting can contribute to disordered eating, low self-esteem, and a distorted view of health.
3. Why is diet culture harmful?
Diet culture encourages restrictive eating, food guilt, and body shame, which can negatively impact both mental and physical health. It often promotes unsustainable weight loss methods that can lead to nutrient deficiencies, slowed metabolism, and emotional distress. Over time, it fosters a cycle of dieting and self-criticism that can be difficult to break.
4. How does diet culture lead to eating disorders?
Diet culture normalizes unhealthy eating behaviors such as extreme calorie restriction, obsessive food tracking, and excessive exercise. These habits can develop into full-blown eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. The constant pressure to lose weight and fit societal ideals can also trigger disordered eating patterns in vulnerable individuals.
5. How does diet culture affect mental and physical health?
Diet culture can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, and disordered eating behaviors such as food restriction, binge eating, and an unhealthy relationship with exercise. Physically, extreme dieting can cause nutrient deficiencies, digestive issues, weakened immune function, and metabolic damage over time.
6. How can I avoid diet culture?
To avoid diet culture, focus on intuitive eating, which encourages listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues rather than external diet rules. Unfollow social media accounts that promote unrealistic body standards and seek out body-positive or health-neutral content. Prioritize overall well-being by engaging in joyful movement, eating a balanced diet, and practicing self-compassion.
7. When did diet culture start?
Diet culture has existed for centuries, but it became more prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries with the rise of weight loss trends, celebrity endorsements, and the fashion industry’s promotion of thinness. In the 1970s and 1980s, the dieting industry boomed, pushing fad diets and weight-loss products. Today, diet culture has evolved into the wellness industry, often disguising restrictive eating under the labels of “clean eating” and “healthy lifestyles.”
