Figuring out how diet culture has shaped your lifestyle — from your eating habits to how you talk about your body — is a crucial first step in avoiding its negative effects on your well-being, Zumpano says.
If you feel diet culture has had a negative effect on you, here are six ways you can shift your mindset and learn to treat your body and mind better, even in the face of body shaming and diet scrutiny.
1. Talk to a Registered Dietitian, Especially if You Have a Health Condition
If you feel diet culture has caused you to struggle with food or weight-related issues, consider consulting a registered dietitian, say Zumpano and Cordella.
This is an especially important step if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other medical conditions that may affect your appetite, metabolism, and physical activity. It’s in these instances that participation in fad diets or other unhealthy trends around weight loss and fitness on social media or elsewhere could be even more harmful to your health.
“My No. 1 recommendation would be to see a dietitian,” Zumpano says. “We’re educated in nutrition, we can tailor people’s diets to their goals, and we make sure you’re meeting all your macro- and micronutrient needs.”
Registered dietitians can factor in insulin, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides if you have diabetes or heart disease, for example. They can fine-tune your eating patterns in a medically supervised way and help you with any nutrition-related goals you have.
If you need help finding a registered dietitian, consider using the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) Health at Every Size provider directory. Note: ASDAH owns the trademark to Health at Every Size.
2. Be Skeptical About What You See on Social Media
Don’t believe everything you see on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media sites. Think critically about the content you’re viewing and who created it, says Nasrawi. Social media platforms are often inundated with brands trying to sell you something and influencers who are paid to promote certain products and lifestyles to you.
“See their credentials before taking what they say at face value if they’re giving out nutrition advice,” says Nasrawi. “People can be motivated by sponsorships over the health of their viewers.”
Or shift away from diet and lifestyle content altogether on social media, says Zumpano. Instead, go to trusted, science-based organizations for credible information, such as the Cleveland Clinic or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she suggests. If you have a health condition, seek information from relevant organizations like the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.
3. Don’t Fall for ‘Quick Fixes’ or One-Size-Fits-All Approaches
Diet culture promotes a stark black-and-white stance on nutrition and body ideals — food is either “good” or “bad” and you’re either “slim” or “fat.” This limited thinking doesn’t work, and it could damage your health in the long run.
Any person, company, or diet that promises you’ll lose weight quickly or forces you to commit to strict calorie restriction or cutting out entire food groups is not sustainable. “Spreading the message that there’s just one universal way of eating that will solve everyone’s problems is really, really dangerous,” says Cordella.
“It has to be a lot more individualized, and there are a lot of nuances that you have to consider,” Cordella explains. “We all have a unique makeup, so just because one diet works for one person doesn’t mean it’s going to work for someone else.”
If you want or need to make weight changes, your goals should be slow, steady, and sustainable. Remember: As mentioned earlier, restrictive diets can lead to weight cycling patterns that are hard to stop.
4. Choose Whole Foods, Not Diet Foods
Instead of forgoing carbs or counting calories, shape your meals around whole foods. You’re better off adopting an eating pattern that steers you away from packaged, highly processed diet foods as a rule of thumb, Cordella says.
For instance, rather than load up on things like protein bars, low-carb crackers, or sugar-free ice cream, instead reach for nutritious, whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and lean meats, and nuts, seeds, and olive oil, Cordella suggests.
She points to the Mediterranean diet as a general guide to use when you’re grocery shopping. It’s important to note that the Mediterranean diet is not a restriction-based or fad diet. Rather, it’s a science-backed, heart-healthy eating pattern centered on nutritious, plant-based foods in your diet. It also emphasizes eating meals with family and friends and enjoying conversation together.
There are many ways to incorporate these types of foods into your life, and there’s no one right way to do it. These foods can be prepared many different ways with a variety of different seasonings.
5. Reframe the Way You Think About Food
It’s important to center your eating patterns and your mindset on fueling your brain and body rather than simply trying to be as thin as possible.
One way to do this is by asking yourself if what you’re eating makes you feel energized, helps you focus on work or exercise, and lifts your mood instead of making you feel lethargic, Cordella suggests. A holistic approach like this can help you reframe the way you view food and weight, she adds.
According to Zumpano, other important questions to consider, beyond weight loss or the number on the scale, include:
- “How’s my mental health?”
- “How are my memory and cognition?”
- “How’s my sleep?”
- “How well am I recovering from exercise?”
- “How are my blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol?”
6. Work Toward Body Acceptance
There are a lot of different ways to practice body acceptance. For instance, work on catching yourself anytime you engage in “fat talk” (talking about body weight or size in a negative or disparaging way) with yourself or with friends and family, and replace these words with kinder, more complimentary thoughts about your body.
Try not to edit your photos before posting them on social media, and understand that there are many different body types that are healthy, Cordella says. Or, instead of creating a goal to lose 10 pounds, consider a goal to strengthen and tone your body or to cook more at home instead of dining out.
Finally, remember that there are many factors at play when it comes to weight. Genetics, lifestyle, and socioeconomics are all moving parts that can play a role in one’s health journey.
“Believe that ‘healthy’ comes in every size, and that it’s not necessary to fit societal expectations,” Cordella says.
