Deconstructing Diet Culture

Why do we use such harsh language with our bodies?

It hurts me to see ads that promote the idea of “controlling” and “fighting” our bodies. The more I move through my recovery journey, the more I realize the wisdom in a concept that I learned along the way: that we cannot hate our way to self-love, and that we cannot hurt our way to health. 

I presume that for most, if not all people, the ultimate goal for their relationship with their body is to be at peace with it. To be satisfied with what it looks like. To finally stop needing to fight it. I don’t think it is anyone’s wish to hate their bodies forever. Even if your goal is to lose weight, I presume that your ultimate underlying goal is to finally reach a place that you become happier with yourself than before. And unfortunately, that is not something that can be achieved through continuing to punish, criticize, and be at war with our bodies. 

Another part of this ad that troubles me deeply is the fact that the spokeswoman speaks about how the product helped her lose the weight she gained after she gave birth. I am saddened to see that our culture has taught women to believe that one of their greatest concerns after giving birth should be to change their bodies. 

To me, a mother’s body, with all its marks and scars are a testament to her strength and sacrifice - it is nature’s work of art. It also saddens me that a new mother’s desire to satisfy societal beauty standards should take precedence over nourishing the body after the taxing and difficult process of giving birth. I wish that new mothers could see that practicing self-love and self-care is the most powerful way to exude confidence, and to teach their children to as well. 

I am an avid supporter of making lifestyle changes to enhance wellbeing and health, and I have so much compassion, empathy and understanding for those of us who still deeply believe that achieving weight loss is a reliable indicator of improved health. 

But could I ask you to consider the idea that it is changes in our health BEHAVIOURS that result in these positive health outcomes, regardless of whether or not weight loss is achieved? That restrictive dieting or taking weight loss pills results in the short-term positive outcome of increased confidence and social approval, but only results in more weight fluctuations and an impaired relationship with our bodies in the long-term? 

Instead of starting another diet or weight loss regime next Monday, could I ask you to consider trying to work on nourishing the needs of your body, treating it with compassion and care in both sickness and health, and trusting that your weight will end up wherever it is naturally predisposed to be when your body is in its healthiest state?

If you are still considering purchasing this product or another one created by the dieting industry, I’d just like to make one last effort, and share one of my favourite, most thought provoking quotes with you.

“If diets really worked, everyone would be thin, happy and the diet industry would go bankrupt.”