GROWING UP AROUND DIET CULTURE

by Abbigale Kernya, ​for The 44 North

Our Youth Editor, Abbigale Kernya, is a first-year University student with a passion for music, art, reading, and film. 

A fork with a measuring tape wrapped around it like spaghetti noodles, against a yellow background.

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“...diet culture is strangers telling you what you should and should not look like. It does not care how kind you are, what makes you interesting, how you love or how you create - diet culture does not care about what makes you, you.”

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I remember vividly standing in a Walmart checkout line several years ago looking at a photo of Chrissy Teigen on the front page of some celebrity gossip magazine with the title “Chrissy flaunts rolls at the beach.”

As Florence Pugh recently said, “it isn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last time a woman will hear what’s wrong with her body by a crowd of strangers.”

I cannot even begin to explain the implications that one moment had on my young mind. Seeing a photo of someone who, like me and most people, have rolls, being painted as this negative, gross, and unworthy portrait is something that I am still recovering from. Diet culture is everywhere. It silently tears apart children’s minds leading them into fractured adulthood that repeats this vicious cycle. 

A child’s mind is so impressionable. For me, seeing that tabloid of Chrissy Teigen taught me that my body was gross, that my natural rolls should not be there and that I need to have this perfect thin and smooth body if I ever want to be liked. I was no older than 10 years old. After that moment, everything became a blur until suddenly I was a young teenager scrolling on social media where content like that gossip magazine was more accessible and more frequently in my feed. This notion that diet culture has continuously been promoting for years is one centred around conformity. That people must fit into this unattainable box modelled by celebrities who paid to fit themselves into that box. Throughout middle school, high school, and even university, some nagging voice in the back of my head kept reminding me that if I only looked like that, then maybe people would like me more. Somehow, the natural curve and genetic makeup of my body was wrong because it didn’t fit what I had seen in every piece of media I had consumed as a child.

Diet culture, in its most basic form, is a silent killer.

As many things often are, social media has proven to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, there are deliberately facilitated fashion trends and brands that promote unhealthy eating to vulnerable consumers, but there is also this blooming community of creators online that demonstrate and fight against this notorious fad of dieting that has been circling around the media for years. Lizzo, Florence Pugh, and Jonah Hill to name a few, have all recently opened up about their struggles with their bodies as a result of diet culture and the forced upon desire to be thin and delicate. Though social media can have harmful effects, creators like these have shed new hope on the future of social media to help end this breeding ground for harmful content. 

The truth about diet culture that took me nineteen years and several long nights to realize, is that it’s made up. It is a made-up notion that has very real consequences. Nothing about the ideas, models, and latest low-carb meal plan is based on anything substantial. To rephrase Florence Pugh: diet culture is strangers telling you what you should and should not look like. It does not care how kind you are, what makes you interesting, how you love or how you create - diet culture does not care about what makes you, you. To the corporations and companies benefiting from this unforgiving cycle, you are just another number. I recognize that saying this is easier said than done, but the reality that diet culture has preyed on me, and millions of other vulnerable people. Chances are, it has preyed on you too. 

But there is hope wound up in all of this. The barrier that is slowly being broken between the real world and the online world can help to reintroduce young children and even adults to a world where they do not have to feel guilty for existing as they are. Improving tabloids, removing unhealthy diet advertisements, and having real conversations can help the world move into a place where children don’t have to grow up ashamed of who they are, and adults who feel confident enough to live life unafraid of a mirror. 

Life is simply too short to let strangers dictate how you live. There is so much beauty in this world that exceeds the box diet culture has convinced us we belong in.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP: You'll Ever Have

by Hailey Hechtman, ​for The 44 North

Contributing Writer

Twitter: @HaileyHechtman IG: @hailey.hechtman

Hailey Hechtman is a social impact leader, mental health advocate and Executive Director of Causeway Work Centre. She is passionate about inspiring positive change through community collaboration, constant learning and self-reflection. Watch her interview on 'Life Outside the Box' here.

Someone holding a red neon heart

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“It’s in these captivating entanglements with my own reflection that I see all of the people I have been. I see the little girl who spent hours singing to herself full of the purest joy. I see the awkward teenager making sense of her own needs while standing on the tightrope of everyone else’s.”

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I stare into the mirror. In an instant all of it comes flooding forward. 

The things that I love deeply about myself — the curves of my smile, the brightness in my eyes, the warmth that I showcase with a quick hello. The things that I have been through – the darkest moments where I have felt invisible, unworthy and insignificant. The strengths that I embody, the talents that I showcase, the failures that I have sulked over. All of it becomes apparent with the gaze I take towards myself. 

It’s funny how we can spend days, months, even years without really looking at ourselves. Without appreciating the complexity of our layers, without acknowledging the evolution that we have been through no matter if we are 15 or 50. We are not right now where we started. 

It’s in these captivating entanglements with my own reflection that I see all of the people I have been. I see the little girl who spent hours singing to herself full of the purest joy. I see the awkward teenager making sense of her own needs while standing on the tightrope of everyone else’s. I witness the young woman battling with self-hatred for a body that is only trying to house her safely and yet she tosses words of disdain, punishing herself with reduced calories and endless hours of exercise. I see the one in her 20s who is building her career, finding the scope that she can sink her teeth into and the confidence to sell the vision for collaboration she wants to bring into the world of work. And I gaze lovingly at the now 30-something who has let herself feel the feelings that she for so long desperately avoided, who is finally starting to love the angles, crinkles and glowy spots that make her up. 

If you, like me, are a person, one with thoughts and feelings, I encourage you to take a few moments to map out your road to here. The things that you have been able to build, the barriers that you have stepped over or through, the insecurities that you are still polishing and the glorious features that make up your shell and the goo that lives within. The most impactful, realest, deepest, darkest and stunning relationship that you will ever have in this life is with yourself. Appreciate that human, the one who is imperfect, who is trying and most of all, who is you.

LET'S DITCH DIET CULTURE

by Rebecca Fulp-Eickstaedt ​for The 44 North

Rebecca Fulp-Eickstaedt (MS, CNS, LDN) is an anti-diet nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor from the Washington, D.C. area. You can follow her on Instagram at @lookwithinnutrition

An avocado with a measuring tape wrapped around it

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“At its core, diet culture promotes the idea that thin bodies are “better” bodies. It tells us that some foods are “good” and that others are “bad.” Diet culture also has a lot to say about “health,” and about what “healthiness” entails. Because only certain foods and body types meet diet culture’s standards, many of us feel guilt and shame when we fail to comply.”

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If you’re active on Instagram or TikTok, you may have come across posts or videos about “diet culture.” Over the past several years, hashtags like #dietculturedropout, #ditchdietculture, and #dietculturesucks have been trending more and more. But what is diet culture, and why is it worth ditching?

My favorite definition of diet culture comes from another anti-diet clinician named Christy Harrison. According to Harrison, diet culture is a “life thief”—a powerful force that loves to steal our time, our energy, and our money. At its core, diet culture promotes the idea that thin bodies are “better” bodies. It tells us that some foods are “good” and that others are “bad.” Diet culture also has a lot to say about “health,” and about what “healthiness” entails. Because only certain foods and body types meet diet culture’s standards, many of us feel guilt and shame when we fail to comply. 

"What diet culture doesn’t tell us is that trying to live up to its standards can take a toll. It doesn’t tell us how exhausting it is —both physically and mentally — to stick to a restrictive diet or an intense workout routine. It also doesn’t tell us that 95% of diets fail, and that an estimated 25% of dieters go on to develop eating disorders."

Diet culture thrives off this guilt and shame. Fundamentally, it uses these emotions to keep us working towards unrealistic ideals, like the “hot” body or the “healthiest” diet. In pursuit of these ideals, people invest a significant amount of brain space, effort, and money. Why? Because diet culture has taught us that by eating the “right” foods and achieving the “perfect” physique, we can also attain acceptance, love, and happiness.

Spoiler alert: This isn’t true. What diet culture doesn’t tell us is that trying to live up to its standards can take a toll. It doesn’t tell us how exhausting it is —both physically and mentally — to stick to a restrictive diet or an intense workout routine. It also doesn’t tell us that 95% of diets fail, and that an estimated 25% of dieters go on to develop eating disorders.

Clearly, diet culture can cause a lot of harm. That said, it can also be hard to ignore—especially when friends or family members are stuck in it. If you’re trying to ditch diet culture—or want to start doing that now—just know that it’s okay to take your own path. Know that diet culture doesn’t have your best interests at heart, and that it’s okay to prioritize your own wellbeing. 

So, how can you separate yourself from diet culture, and take care of yourself?

• Eat foods you like and that make your body feel best. Despite what diet culture may say, there are no “good” or “bad” foods, and all foods can have a place in a healthy lifestyle. 

• Move your body in ways you enjoy! Exercise should be a fun, enlivening expression of what your body can do—not a way to “make up” for eating.  

• Unfollow social media accounts that promote dieting, weight loss, or unrealistic beauty standards. A good rule of thumb is that if an account makes you feel bad about your body or your eating habits, unfollow! Instead, follow “anti-diet” accounts that make you feel good about yourself. 

While these practices are helpful for many of my clients, the reality is that letting go of diet culture is a highly personal process. It can also be a challenging process, but one that is so worth it. If you’re on this journey, I encourage you to keep going! Let’s ditch diet culture—and help our society to ditch it as well.