Trigger warnings for mentions of disordered eating and weight loss!
Diet and weight loss culture has always been around. Right now, though, it feels like our culture is once again shifting to a place where dangerous weight loss is glamorized. I can’t scroll TikTok without seeing someone promote appetite suppressants. I can’t read the news without the bodies of celebrities being a front and center topic. It is exhausting to live in a world where it feels like your body is the most important thing about you. But this is the reality for so many girls in this country.
This article is dedicated to the girls who struggle with seeing toxic content like this. Below are some reminders and ways we can protect our mental health from diet culture.
First off, I want to remind anyone struggling with body image that the way your body looks is the least interesting thing about you. Think about the people you love. Do you love them because of the number on the scale? Or do you love them because of their hearts, minds, and souls? I promise the same logic applies to you and the people who love you.
At this moment in our country, our culture and our government want young women to be quiet and complicit in the atrocities happening around us. What better way to do that than to push food restriction? That way, we don’t have the mental energy to notice current events. Our biggest priority should be fueling our minds and staying strong, not taking up as little space as possible.
Weight loss and diet are a multi-million dollar industry. It comes in many forms, from WeightWatchers to Ozempic. All of them quite literally profit off of you hating yourself. Don’t buy into their propaganda and make yourself part of a system that profits from the misery of young girls.
Everything you see online is fake or enhanced. Filters and angles can change so much about the way a person’s body looks. So many influencers are aware of this and push completely unattainable standards on purpose to build an audience. Don’t be afraid to block content that makes you hate yourself! It is wrecking your mental health more than you know.
Finally, I want to say focus on how your body feels, not how it looks. There are so many better reasons to exercise besides just making your body smaller or different looking. Strength, endurance, and better sleep are just a few. Focus on eating foods that fuel you and make you feel good instead of just trying to eat the least amount of calories possible.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available for you!