Unpacking the Harmful Messages Behind Diet Culture
We live in a world where messages about bodies are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. From TV shows and movies, to TikTok ads, social media trends, celebrity culture, and diet and wellness commercials, we are constantly exposed to ideas about what bodies “should” look like. Over time, these messages can shape the way we see ourselves, often without even realizing it.
Media has long promoted narrow beauty standards, and this is not a new concept. One prominent example is how larger-bodied characters are portrayed in films and television. They are often cast as the funny friend who is lazy, undesirable, lacking control, or simply there for comic relief. On the other hand, the glow-up storyline often includes a character losing weight and suddenly becoming desirable.
We can look at magazine covers that say, “Lose 10 pounds fast,” or “The Secret to Flat Stomachs.” Pictures of celebrities next to each other, asking who looks better. Ads focused on anti-aging, as if getting older is something to fear. Supplements and products promising you will feel confident, happy, or worthy once you achieve a certain appearance. All of these messages reinforce the idea that our bodies are projects that need fixing.
Diet culture can also show up in quieter, more normalized ways:
Complimenting someone’s weight loss
Using moral language around food such as “good,” “bad,” “cheat day,” or “clean eating”
New Year’s resolutions focused around a “body reset” or “70 day challenge”
Pressure to lose weight for an upcoming vacation or wedding
Parents criticizing their own bodies in front of their children
Feeling like you need to “earn” dessert through exercise
Because these messages are so normalized, many of us do not even recognize them as part of diet culture. They can sound motivating, healthy, or even caring on the surface. Over time, though, these messages can teach us to view food through guilt and morality, disconnect from our body’s natural cues, and believe that our worth is tied to appearance or productivity. When these beliefs are repeated consistently through family, friends, media, and social environments, they can become deeply internalized. This is one reason why healing our relationship with food and body can feel so difficult. Often, we are not just unlearning personal beliefs, but years of cultural conditioning.
If reading this brought up difficult feelings, you are not alone. Many of us grew up surrounded by messages that taught us to distrust our bodies and tie our worth to appearance. Healing from diet culture is not about loving your body every moment of every day. Sometimes it begins with body neutrality, curiosity, and self-compassion.