Diet culture, living with an emphasis on eating right, is a huge contributor to body image and self-esteem issues. Whether we realize it or not, diet culture affects many of our diet choices. It’s all around us. How often do we see magazines that say something about “getting back your bikini body,” or “it being time to get slimmer and fitter?” Social media isn’t any better – diet culture is all over the screens we look at with a constant emphasis on making changes to your diet.
Because of this, many individuals switch from one diet plan to another on a regular basis in order to feel like they’re doing what’s best for their body. The problem with this mindset is it leads to thinking that starting the latest fad diet will lead to a healthier lifestyle when there is much more to leading a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few things you can do to keep your exposure to diet culture to a minimum and focus on eating what’s best for your body.
- Unfollow people on social media that make you feel bad about your food choices or your body
- Talk less about what and why you’re eating
- Delete fitness apps
- Reduce negative self-talk
Say goodbye to those constant messages from the media that the only acceptable size is thin. It’s time to re-evaluate and be aware of when you’re doing things just to satisfy the diet culture. Once you identify behaviors that lead to turning to diet culture and can begin to step away, you will be in a better position to put yourself on a path to healthy eating.
Nutritional Therapy Services
Nutritionists at Behavioral Nutrition understand it can be tough to stop behaviors linked to diet culture. It’s okay to acknowledge feeling lost and sad while working to develop a sustainable diet that works for you. You might miss the excitement and rush of hope of starting the new latest and greatest diet or “lifestyle” change but sticking to a diet built specifically for you will help you stay healthier and happier.
Behavioral Nutrition specializes in helping patients that struggle with eating disorders. Our Dietitians offer nutritional therapy services to empower patients with healthy eating behaviors that will be sustainable long term and lead to a healthier lifestyle. Contact us today for more information on how Nutrition Therapy can help you improve your diet and develop a plan to eat healthy.
