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If you’ve spent energy this year worrying about how to shrink or tone your body, you are a victim of diet culture – a system designed to make you feel broken.
Defined by dietitian Christy Harrison, author of Anti-Diet and The Wellness Trap, diet culture refers to the harmful belief that our health and value is defined by our body size and shape. This system insists that worth is tied to weight, leading to deep food shame and the marginalization of anyone who doesn’t fit a narrow “ideal.” It functions by labeling food as “good” or “bad,” eventually tricking us into believing we are “good” or “bad” based on what we eat.
Diet culture influenced Veronica, who grew up with this “good food, bad food” mentality and was often praised in her early 20s for her “discipline” because she followed a rigid meal plan and rarely missed a workout.
It took a mental toll when Veronica began declining social invitations, and social isolation set in. Plus, she was consumed with judgments about food that were exhausting.
While Veronica may have looked healthy, by societal standards, she was often tired, cranky, and had “brain fog.” Her doctor, who was also influenced by diet culture, congratulated her on what were perceived to be positive health patterns.
Now and then, Veronica would “give in” or break her diet, and that resulted in a sense of moral failure. These breaks would lead to binging, followed by even more restrictive dieting.
Outside of the physical and mental toll diet culture stole from Veronica, she wasn’t living into her full potential. She was so focused on shrinking her body that it left no room for career ambitions and pursuing meaningful relationships.
Many can relate to Veronica’s story. For Veronica, diet culture stole almost everything. Like a mosquito, it kept attacking and sucked her dry. For others, diet culture is less like a mosquito and more like a buzzing fly. Those whose bodies already align with societal ideals often possess a layer of protection, experiencing diet culture’s pervasive messages as mere background noise – a manageable buzz – rather than a direct threat.
Whether you’ve been severely harmed by diet culture or experience it as a minor annoyance, 2026 is a good year to break up with diet culture altogether. It hasn’t been a good friend. So here are eight reasons to send diet culture packing in the new year:
1. Diet culture drives weight bias, stigma and discrimination
Diet culture causes folks to make assumptions about other people based on their size. The truth is, you can’t tell a person’s health status or health behaviors based on body weight, shape, or size. That’s because there are many other factors that drive body weight, such as genetics, illicit drug use, disease, and prescription medications.
2. Diet culture interferes with social outings or vacations
As Veronica experienced, diet culture often causes folks to put their life and dreams on the back burner. They are driven by inner dialogue that says, “As soon as I lose X pounds, then I will…[insert desired outing or vacation].” It robs us of joyful experiences and exciting adventures.
3. Diet culture creates food worries
Looking at food through the lens of diet culture results in dichotomous thinking and even places moral value on the simple act of eating, which creates an unhelpful guilt-shame cycle.
Veronica put foods into “healthy” and “unhealthy” categories, despite the fact that food is more nuanced than that. Eating too much of any one food (even fruits and vegetables) is going to cause GI problems and possible nutrient toxicities. And often the foods that get placed on the “unhealthy” or “bad” list have some useful nutrients, give the body energy or fuel, or connect us to our culture and each other. Restricting favorite foods creates stress and anxiety around eating, and some might argue that stress and anxiety are worse for your health than any one food.
4. Diet culture drives the food industry
Food manufacturers are always trying to create new products that will sell. Currently, diet culture is driving a high-protein food wave. The shelves are covered with chips, bars and breakfast cereals that claim “added protein.” In actuality, most Americans consume plenty of protein. Protein-fortified products are a prime example of diet culture driving the food system.
5. Diet culture causes people to skip exercise when weight plateaus
For many, the primary reason to exercise is to attempt to change their body shape or size. So when weight is the primary motivator, and the scale won’t budge, then many throw in the towel and say, “Ugh, this isn’t working!” They may skip the gym or their daily walk despite the many other physical and emotional health benefits of being active.
6. Diet culture frames exercise as punishment for eating
If you’ve ever had the thought, “I really need to burn off what I just ate,” then you’ve been impacted by diet culture. With that mindset, it’s tempting to select forms of movement that burn the most calories instead of activities we actually enjoy.
A “calories in, calories out” mindset disconnects us from our bodies, turning nourishment and movement into a balance sheet rather than a source of pleasure. Exercise is not a punishment for eating. It’s a form of self-care. Being active can lower stress and anxiety, boost mood, improve mental clarity, and improve sleep.
7. Diet culture empties bank accounts
Those who pursue weight loss typically regain the weight, and the diet industry profits from each failed attempt. Therefore, diet companies want repeat visitors. And they will use false promises along with fake before-and-after photos, filters, and AI to lure and trick consumers into spending more money on pills, potions, cleanses, teas, and programs.
8. Diet culture invades conversations
Gather around the table with friends, family, and co-workers, and the conversation often lands on the topic of dieting. It’s a cultural obsession. You’ll hear things like, “Dude, you have to try this creatine powder. I’ve gotten so shredded.” and, “Honestly, I don’t usually eat like this. Today is my cheat day.” and, “I couldn’t take the perimenopause weight gain, so I just eliminated bread from my diet.” It eats up the conversation (no pun intended) and leaves little room for more meaningful topics.
