"Defined by dietitian Christy Harrison, author of and The Wellness Trap, diet culture refers to the harmful belief that our health and value is defined by our body size and shape. This system insists that worth is tied to weight, leading to deep food shame and the marginalization of anyone who doesn't fit a narrow "ideal." It functions by labeling food as "good" or "bad," eventually tricking us into believing we are "good" or "bad" based on what we eat."
"Diet culture influenced Veronica, who grew up with this "good food, bad food" mentality and was often praised in her early 20s for her "discipline" because she followed a rigid meal plan and rarely missed a workout. It took a mental toll when Veronica began declining social invitations, and social isolation set in. Plus, she was consumed with judgments about food that were exhausting."
Diet culture is a restrictive ideology that equates health and moral worth with body size and shape, labeling foods as "good" or "bad." It creates food shame, weight stigma, and chronic preoccupation with eating, exercise, and body image. The ideology reinforces cycles of rigid dieting, moral failure after "breaks," bingeing, and even stricter restriction. It undermines physical and mental health, causing fatigue, crankiness, brain fog, stress, anxiety, and social isolation. Medical professionals can perpetuate the same beliefs, validating harmful patterns. The "calories in - calories out" mindset reduces pleasure in eating and movement and prevents meaningful social connection.
Read at Psychology Today
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