Diet Culture...it's not me, it's you.
It's everywhere you look: Kim Kardashian cutting calories to fit into Marilyn Monroe's dress, the girl from high school posting about her red bell pepper sandwiches, or that TikTok of a fitness influencer telling you what she eats everyday. It makes you stop and think: am I not doing enough for my health? Should I be changing my eating habits? Eventually leading to a short-term lifestyle change of restriction and guilt.
Then, reality and science kicks in.
Fact: your body hates when you diet. Specifically, weight loss activates inflammatory responses in fat tissue, directly affecting immune function, reducing bone density, disrupting hormone balances and so much more. In fact, in one large study reviewing 29 large and reputable studies on caloric deficit diets, found on average more than half of the weight that was lost was regained after 2 years and more than three-quarters was regained after 5 years. So why are so many people still falling for diet culture's lies?
The diet culture message is hidden.
After decades of yo-yo dieting, you may decide to embark on your food freedom journey that so many people are talking about. You watch a couple inspirational TikToks and feel ready to start "listening to your body". Suddenly you're going from counting carbs to eating your favorite foods, going out with your friends to restaurants you never thought you would go to, and finally enjoying the pleasures of food. Yet diet culture still lives on and hides itself in the most unpredictable places. It may be as simple as an anecdote from a friend telling you how much her recent "detox" changed her body, or the front of a magazine cover advertising a miracle supplement that will help you shed 10 pounds in 5 days. Diet culture will trick you, to think, "this isn't a diet, i'm just doing a detox", making it veeeeeery hard to spot.
How to spot an unsustainable fad diet/trend:
Dietary supplement advertisements that claims target weight loss, fat burning, detox, appetite suppressant, stops cravings, etc. It's important to keep in mind that these supplements can come in forms of powders, pills/supplements, juices, shakes, etc., and can have harmful and untested ingredients.
Non-reputable sources: fitness influencers, trainers, health coaches, etc. are not qualified professionals who do not have the proper education to give out advice. Avoid claims that are not backed by a reputable body of science.
Claims of "miracle cures" or promises of dramatic weight loss without exercising or eating a sustainable balanced diet, are unreliable and unsafe.
Diets that have you restrict any food groups: there is room in your lifestyle for ALL FOODS.
Rapid weight loss claims: rapid weight loss can lead to malnourishment, reduced recovery, headaches, hair loss, menstrual irregularities, decreased immune system, muscle loss, and more.
It's important to remember that diet culture is a form of oppression, and destroying its narrative is essential for creating a world that's just and peaceful for people in ALL bodies.

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