Why It’s Time to Reject Diet Culture

In a world obsessed with diets, fitness challenges, and the pursuit of “the perfect body,” it’s easy to get swept up in the idea that dieting is the key to happiness, health, and self-worth. Diet culture tells us that if we just lose weight, our lives will be better—more successful, more fulfilling, and more socially acceptable. But the reality is that diet culture is not only ineffective, it’s also harmful to our mental and physical health.

As a therapist, I work with individuals who have been deeply affected by the pressures of diet culture. From chronic dieting to eating disorders, the obsession with weight loss and body control can have a lasting impact on both mental and physical well-being. Let’s break down why diet culture is harmful, why diets don't work, and how they can ultimately lead to disordered eating and other long-term issues.

What Is Diet Culture?

Diet culture is a set of beliefs and practices that glorify thinness, promote restrictive eating, and prioritize body weight above all else. It teaches us that our worth is tied to our size and that eating less (and exercising more) will lead to happiness and health. The messages are everywhere: on social media, in advertisements, and even from well-meaning family members or friends who are “just trying to help.”

Some common elements of diet culture include:

• Moralizing food: Labeling food as "good" or "bad," or assigning moral value to eating behaviors.

• Overemphasis on weight loss: The idea that losing weight is the key to achieving health and happiness.

• Shaming body diversity: The promotion of one ideal body type (usually thin) while stigmatizing larger bodies.

• Restricting or controlling food: Following specific diets, cutting out food groups, or obsessing over calories.

  
  

Diet culture tells us that if we follow the rules—eat less, exercise more, cut out sugar, or avoid “junk” food—we will achieve the ideal body and, in turn, achieve happiness and success. But in reality, diet culture promotes unrealistic, unsustainable practices that ultimately cause harm rather than healing.

Why Diet Culture Doesn’t Work

1. It Ignores the Complexity of Health

Diet culture simplifies health into a narrow view: lose weight, feel better. However, health is far more nuanced than just body size. True health is a combination of physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Focusing solely on weight loss ignores the importance of mental health, quality sleep, stress management, and emotional wellness—factors that are just as important as physical health.

Studies have shown that weight loss does not guarantee better health. In fact, people can experience significant mental and emotional health challenges from chronic dieting, including anxiety, depression, and a distorted relationship with food.

2. It Sets Unrealistic Expectations

Diet culture promotes the idea that achieving the “perfect body” is a universal goal and that we should all be striving for it. But the reality is that every body is different—our genetics, metabolism, and hormones all play a role in determining our size. While some people may be able to lose weight and maintain it long-term, for many, diets simply don’t work.

In fact, research shows that 95% of people who lose weight through dieting regain it within 1-5 years, and often gain even more weight than they initially lost. This leads to what’s known as the "yo-yo effect" or weight cycling, which can be harmful to both mental and physical health.

Additionally, dieting often leads to restrictive eating that can result in feelings of deprivation. When we eventually break that restriction (as our bodies naturally crave what they’ve been denied), the result is often binge eating. This cycle of restriction and bingeing reinforces feelings of failure, guilt, and shame, but diet culture continues to tell us that we simply haven’t "tried hard enough."

3. It Neglects the Psychological Impact

Dieting isn’t just about food—it's also about our relationship with food and our bodies. When diet culture is internalized, it becomes a source of shame and guilt. We may feel like we’re not enough if we don’t fit the “ideal” body type or if we fail to stick to restrictive eating patterns. Over time, this pressure can lead to a disordered relationship with food and body image.

For people already predisposed to eating disorders, diet culture is often a catalyst that triggers disordered eating patterns such as:

• Anorexia: Restricting food intake to an extreme degree, often driven by the desire to attain a certain body size.

• Bulimia: Engaging in binge eating followed by purging behaviors (vomiting or using laxatives) to compensate for overeating.

• Binge Eating Disorder (BED): Repeated episodes of consuming large amounts of food, followed by feelings of guilt, shame, and loss of control.

  
  

Diet culture normalizes disordered eating behaviors by encouraging restriction, portion control, and obsessive thoughts about food. For those struggling with eating disorders, this constant pressure to lose weight or follow restrictive diets can be damaging and often leads to a full-blown eating disorder.

How Diet Culture Leads to Disordered Eating

1. Reinforcing the Restriction-Binge Cycle

When we’re told that certain foods are “bad” and we must avoid them to be “healthy,” we’re essentially setting ourselves up for failure. Restriction leads to intense cravings, which often result in overeating or bingeing when we finally allow ourselves to have those forbidden foods. This creates a cycle of guilt, shame, and more restriction, making it difficult to find a balanced, healthy approach to eating.

People struggling with disordered eating often experience food obsession—constantly thinking about the next meal or snack, counting calories, and trying to follow food rules. The cycle of restriction and bingeing can be emotionally exhausting and harmful to one’s relationship with food and body image.

2. Diminishing Body Trust and Intuitive Eating

Diet culture encourages us to ignore our body's natural hunger cues in favor of external rules. We may begin to lose trust in our body’s ability to tell us what it needs, which can lead to disordered eating patterns. When we no longer listen to our body’s signals of hunger and fullness, we may resort to extreme eating behaviours, such as skipping meals, bingeing, or overeating to the point of discomfort.

In contrast, intuitive eating—which encourages listening to the body’s natural cues for hunger and satisfaction—is a more sustainable, healthy approach. It involves breaking free from food rules and cultivating trust with your body.

3. Focusing on Thinness Instead of Health

Diet culture promotes thinness as the ultimate goal, associating it with health and success. But true health doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. People can be healthy at a variety of body sizes. When diet culture equates thinness with worth, individuals begin to define their value based on the number on the scale, which can reinforce negative body image and increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.

How to Break Free from Diet Culture

1. Challenge Dieting Beliefs: Start by questioning the messages diet culture has taught you. Understand that your worth is not tied to your body size. The idea that thinner equals healthier is simply untrue.

2. Practice Body Kindness: Learn to accept and appreciate your body for what it does for you, not just how it looks. Self-compassion is key in rejecting the shame that diet culture instills.

3. Seek Support: Working with a therapist or registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders and body image can help you develop a healthier relationship with food. Therapy can also help address the emotional and psychological effects of dieting and eating disorders.

4. Embrace Intuitive Eating: Intuitive eating allows you to reconnect with your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, eliminating the need for rigid food rules and diet plans.

Final Thoughts

Diet culture is a toxic, pervasive force that distorts our relationship with food and our bodies. It teaches us that we must constantly strive for weight loss and control, even at the expense of our mental and physical health. The truth is, dieting doesn’t work in the long run and can set the stage for eating disorders and unhealthy relationships with food.

If you’ve been trapped in the cycle of dieting and disordered eating, know that healing is possible. By rejecting diet culture and learning to listen to your body, you can cultivate a healthier, more balanced approach to food and body image—one that leads to lasting well-being and self-acceptance.

References

1. Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2017). Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works (4th ed.). St. Martin's Press.

2. Tylka, T. L., & Subich, L. M. (2013). Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. Beacon Press.

3. Fairburn, C. G. (2008). Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders. Guilford Press.

4. Hayes, S. C., & Wilson, K. G. (2019). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.