There is a major force standing in the way of a trusting relationship with our body – Diet Culture.
We hear about diet culture a lot and probably have a good idea of what it means. But when we want to actively engage in reclaiming our body sovereignty it can be helpful to pause with concepts like these and take some time to unpack it. Let’s start with food. Instead of a means of enjoyment, nourishment and wellbeing in a dieting culture food becomes a barometer of morality- a way to decide how good or bad we are doing as people based on what we eat. And because most people assume they can tell what kind of foods (and thus how healthy a person is) by their body size, whether someone is considered fatter or thinner can play a major role in how we asses others and ourselves.
What this gets us is an unhealthy relationship with food leaving us at risk for eating disorders and rampant body shame. The driving force behind diet culture is to have us all feeling so ashamed of our body that we want to change it. And with so much at stake, our feelings of self worth and ability to make and maintain loving relationships, we become willing to do anything, to spend anything to be seen as a worthy person. Diet, Fitness and Wellness Industries are all reaping huge profits from our lack of ability to recognize and resist diet culture. Which means, they are willing to significantly invest in keeping the status quo, cementing Diet Culture deeper and deeper into our psyches through advertising and other media. The Diet Culture myths become ingrained so deep that we believe them to be truths. It feels like like that is the way things are supposed to be.
So the first and hugely important step in resisting Diet Culture is to be able recognize it. How do you know if you’ve been influenced? Here are just a few ways Diet Culture may be showing up in your life:
Indicators of Diet Culture influence
-you have rules around food including what, when and how you should eat
-you tend to group food into either being ‘good for you’ or ‘bad for you’
-your feelings of happiness and wellbeing are tied up in how well you feel you’ve kept to your food rules
-you see food as the enemy and exercise as punishment
As an Act of Body Trust I invite you to explore if and how your relationship with food and your body has been impacted by Diet Culture. What has that looked like in your life? How has diet culture impacted our emotional welling? What can you learn from your experiences? Are there any next steps you can take?
Read more here: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/recognizing-and-resisting-diet-culture
Sydney is a psychotherapist providing online counselling with a focus on healing body shame. Her approach is grounded in Health at Every Size principles, supporting a reclaiming of Body Sovereignty, where we once again experience peace, trust and respect of our body. To learn more about Sydney and her approach, check out her website: www.sydneybell.ca or send an email: sydney@sydneybell.ca