The Truth About Diet Culture: Why You Should Care
Diet culture is a term that has been thrown around a lot in recent years—but do we really understand what it means? Most people assume it simply refers to dieting and the well-documented fact that diets don’t work. While this is partially true, diet culture runs much deeper than that. It’s not just about being on a "diet" or making choices about nutrition; it’s about the societal standards and ideals that dictate what bodies should look like and how we should relate to food.
Diet culture is not a modern invention—it has existed for centuries. The ancient Greeks were among the first to coin the term "diet," though their understanding of it was more holistic, encompassing lifestyle and well-being. Over time, however, the concept has evolved into a system of control, deeply embedded in Western society.
What Is Diet Culture?
There are many definitions of diet culture, but I find this one by Christy Harrison particularly concise:
“Diet culture is a belief system that worships thinness and equates it to health and moral virtue. It promotes weight loss and maintaining a low weight as a way to elevate social status, and it demonizes certain foods and eating styles while elevating others. Diet culture also oppresses people who don’t match up with its supposed picture of ‘health,’ which disproportionately harms women, femmes, trans folks, people in larger bodies, people of color, and people with disabilities.”
A History of Extreme Dieting
The 1920s marked a shift in beauty standards, with women resorting to extreme measures to conform to the new, smaller body ideal. Diet companies seized the opportunity, marketing laxatives and even soaps that claimed to "wash away fat." Some people went as far as swallowing tapeworm tablets to lose weight or attending "spit parties," where guests would chew food and spit it out rather than swallow.
These practices may seem shocking today, but have we really come that far? Fad diets, juice cleanses, weight loss drugs, and laxatives are still widely used in the pursuit of a smaller body. Diet culture persists—only now, it’s been rebranded under the more socially acceptable label of "wellness." But don’t be fooled—many modern wellness trends are simply diet culture in disguise.
How Deeply Is Diet Culture Embedded in Our Lives?
Diet culture is so ingrained in Western society that most of us don’t even recognize it. Consider these everyday examples:
When was the last time you watched a movie where a larger-bodied person played the romantic lead—and it wasn’t a comedy?
How many magazine articles have you seen promising ways to "shrink your body" or achieve the "perfect summer body"?
What apps do you have on your phone? If you’ve ever tracked your calories, steps, or macros, you’ve likely engaged with diet culture in some way. (At one point, I was using three tracking apps at once!)
When you think about health, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If it’s weight or the number on a scale, that’s diet culture talking.
When you see someone in a larger body, do you make assumptions about their health, habits, or lifestyle?
How often do we greet people with, "You look great—have you lost weight?" as if weight loss is the ultimate compliment?
These subtle but powerful influences shape how we view our own bodies and the bodies of others. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that thinness equals good health, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Health Is an Inside Job
No two bodies are identical—not even those of identical twins. Yet, we continue to chase an unrealistic, ever-shifting ideal, often at the cost of our mental and physical well-being.
True health isn’t about how your body looks on the outside—it’s about how it functions on the inside. The number on the scale doesn’t determine your strength, resilience, or overall well-being.
This is just a small glimpse into the complex issue of diet culture, but I hope it sheds light on why this topic matters. My goal is to spark conversations, challenge ingrained beliefs, and help dismantle the harmful narratives we’ve been taught.
If you’re interested in learning more, I’ve included a list of books that explore these ideas in depth. Let’s keep the conversation going.
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