7 Ways How Diet Culture Can Impact Women

The concept of ‘Too many carbs. ‘Maybe just a black coffee instead.’ has lately become quite common amongst women of all age groups, especially after becoming a mother. Yes, we’re talking about the diet culture, which has made a huge impact on the way new moms think about food, body image, and self-worth.

Diet culture has eventually turned out to be a billion-dollar industry that’s merely standing on insecurities. According to a survey, nearly 50 percent of American women are trying to lose weight at a specific time. And nearly 91 percent of women, including teens and mothers, are unhappy with their bodies. The unfortunate truth is—that diet culture is beyond food; it is also about control, guilt, and unrealistic expectations.

Here are seven surprising ways diet culture is impacting women mentally, emotionally, and physically.

The truth is—diet culture is actually selling restriction as willpower. And this is making unhealthy eating patterns seem normal. Skipping meals, over-exercising, and fearing certain food groups are nowadays praised rather than being considered as red flags.

Did you know that nearly 20 million women in the U.S. alone suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives? And surprisingly, many of these disorders start as ‘just a diet.’

Ultimately, diet culture has turned into a mental battle.

There must have been a moment in your life when you must have thought that you would be happier if you had lost 10 pounds. Diet culture unknowingly convinces women that their self-worth is directly tied to their appearance.

It's no hidden fact that from a young age, society teaches girls that being thin means worthy. Surprisingly, almost 40-60 percent of elementary school girls worry about gaining weight. In short, girls as young as six years old are already fearing fat. Moreover, after becoming a mother, this fear further amplifies.

This pressure is ultimately leading to chronic stress, anxiety, and body dysmorphia.

It's not uncommon for women to immediately regret depriving themselves of their favorite junk food on a weekend. Yes, that’s diet culture doing its job.

However, the very truth is—food is meant to power your bodies. But diet culture has actually turned it into a moral issue with concepts of good foods and bad foods and the clean eating trend. Suddenly, eating has turned into a mere test of self-discipline.

At the end, know that life’s too short to feel bad about a slice of cake.

It's time to recall the size-zero trend of the early 2000s. Yes, that popular one. Or the thigh gap obsession? Every decade, diet culture makes women chase an impossible ideal figure.

Furthermore, social media has only made this worse. According to a study, teen girls who spend more time on Instagram are at a much higher risk of developing eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. Filters, Photoshop, and impossibly sculpted influencers have left women feeling just not enough. The thing is—even those influencers don’t look like their own photos, in reality.

You must have heard the phrase—no pain, no gain. These ideas are actually promoting a toxic relationship with fitness. This is a major reason behind exercising turning into a punishment rather than self-care.

However, your approach should be—when you move for joy, not guilt, it sticks. Otherwise, you’re most likely to quit your fitness routine.

Yes, diet culture is messing with your minds too. Constantly worrying about weight, calories, and portion sizes is resulting in chronic stress. And eventually, anxiety, depression, and hormonal imbalances.

To add more, long-term stress can lead to fatigue, sleep disturbances, and emotional burnout.

Remember, at the end of the day, a peaceful mind is much better than a perfect diet.

It's time to realize how much time, energy, and money you spend every day worrying about their weight. But if all that effort went into career growth and personal passions, things would have been different.

In short, diet culture is keeping women preoccupied with shrinking themselves and encouraging the concept that being pretty is more important than being powerful and successful.

Under the veil of wellness trends, diet culture is sneaking into every aspect of your life unknowingly. However, at its core, diet culture has now turned more about control, not health.

It's time to opt out of this trend by eating what makes you feel good, moving your body because you love it, and rejecting those unrealistic beauty standards. It's time to love yourself for who you truly are.