We Need To Talk About Diet Culture

Healthy comes in all shapes and sizes, but the toxic diet culture had convinced us otherwise.

Warning: This article talks about eating disorders and mental health, which may be triggering to some.

From Keto to Atkins to Paleo, diets are and always have been a big part of our society. One can’t scroll down their social media feed without seeing a celebrity or an influencer promoting products such as diet teas or waist trainers that promote weight loss. Why is that?

For years, women have always been told that “skinnier is better”, “skinnier is healthier”, or “you’ll look so much prettier if you were skinny” – as if gaining a few pounds is a crime. From your tita’s “parang tumaba ka” comment to thinking “If I could just lose the last 5 pounds before summer”, thinness has been imprinted in our minds as the measure of beauty, attractiveness, and health. This is the diet culture mindset. Diet culture focuses more on a person’s weight and size, rather than their overall health. This culture, whether we’re aware or not, has affected all of us in many ways. So much so, that the diet industry is reportedly worth $192.2 Billion US Dollars worldwide in the year 2019 alone.

With a society that looks solely on shape and size, many turn to different types of diets which can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. People with anorexia tend to starve themselves or eat low calorie diets, while people with bulimia tend to binge eat then purge (usually through vomiting or taking laxatives). Over time, these eating disorders can result to other health problems that may be life-threatening, as dieting is a never-ending cycle.

Diet culture can also affect a person’s mental health. With unattainable body ‘goals’ shown in the media, body image and self-esteem issues can arise. This greatly impacts one’s mental health and could trigger issues starting from anxiety to suicidal thoughts, according to The Guardian.

Despite the growing body positivity movement, the toxic diet culture still plays a big part in our society today. And while it may be difficult to instantly change our mindset and views towards health, we must aim to continuously educate ourselves regarding the matter. Plus, we should always remember to be kind to our bodies and that ‘thin’ does not equal ‘health’.

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