Save Your Appetite, Spare Diet Culture
In a world where 80% of women don’t like their bodies and girls begin dieting as young as eight years old, I have to wonder, “Where does the stigma come from?”
True beauty has nothing to do with size– I know it, you know it. Yet, there is a $71 billion industry that profits off women, preying on the idea that has been taught and reinforced for decades, if not centuries… Be smaller. Take up less space.
The comments from family and friends are all too familiar. They’ll joke, “I’ll put on a bathing suit when I lose twenty pounds” or beg “don’t post any of those pictures on social media”. This mentality is dangerous for so many reasons, the most prominent being the weeks, months, and years wasted just waiting for your body to attain the unattainable. Fluctuations in weight are natural– and whether we gain the freshman fifteen or the midlife thirty, we are worth being seen. All of us, all the time.
Nevertheless, young girls are being raised in an environment that emphasizes their flaws. Adults too often use negative language regarding their own appearance, consequently normalizing this type of self-degradation. Children model the behavior they are exposed to – young girls will learn to hate their bodies just as their mothers did. This generational cycle is called diet culture. And do we really want our daughters growing up with the same toxic relationships we have to our food and our bodies?
So, you may ask yourself, "What really is dieting?” Susan Hyatt, certified life coach, author, and weight loss expert, cites dieting as “any form of eating that’s unsustainable and unpleasurable.” And it is unsustainable. As many as 95% of people gain weight back and more.
When results are proven ineffective time and time again, why do we do it? Well, as I touched on earlier, we as women have a tendency to want to shrink ourselves. And it’s not entirely our fault— it’s been deeply ingrained in our society. With the prevalence of social media in 2022, there is a heightened gaze on the bodies of women in the public eye. Take former first lady Michelle Obama: she’s beautiful, but that is the least interesting thing about her. Yet for Jim Sensenbrenner, former United States representative, Obama “lectures [Americans] on eating right while she has a large posterior herself”. The media has called Scarlett Johanson “lumpy fat”, has said ‘jumbo’ Jessica Simpson “[packs] on the pounds”, and following Jennifer Hudson’s rapid weight loss after being badly body-shamed, the media regarded her as “too thin”. These are just a few of countless examples depicting how women are reduced to their bodies and physical appearance.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
The ‘cancel diet culture’ cause is not helped when other celebrities with more of a following than people inhabiting a small nation spend time on their feed endorsing meal replacements, fat burning supplements, and unreasonable diets. Not to mention, it is rare to see a raw, unphotoshopped picture of a celebrity. It is no wonder why women obsess over how they look when comments similar to those stated above occur daily and relentlessly.
People with health concerns or food sensitivities should of course observe the diet of their doctor’s discretion. A problem arises, however, when people choose not to give into a craving or make rules for themselves like “only 1200 calories a day” or “no carbs after 2pm”. These bodily regulations very well could lead to intense cravings later. Intense cravings could initiate a binge, then guilt, and the cycle continues.
Good news– there is hope! We, the ones so heavily entrenched in diet culture, have the power to break the cycle. By supporting brands that encourage diversity and body positivity (like Aerie and Madewell) and assert disapproval against brands that continue to sell “one size fits all” clothing, you are assisting in the initiative to end feelings of embarrassment and perceptions of inadequacy surrounding women of all ages. Compliment women on their style, their intellect, their perseverance, and their creativity. Show women that we see through their physical bodies into their delicate hearts and strong minds. A very wise friend of mine once said, “We are worth more than our bodies, but that doesn’t mean our bodies are worthless.”
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
I am no life coach or dietician, but I do know that losing weight won’t provide the long-term satisfaction or acceptance that women so desperately crave. Acceptance starts from within. Take that picture. Wear that bikini. Never apologize for the space you take up– you deserve every inch of it.
After all, sexy is not a size and beauty is not measured on the scale.
Strike Out,
Gabriela Lefkovits
Editor: Sophie McLeod
Athens