The Role of Dieting in Eating Disorders
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2023 is taking place from February 27 – Sunday, March 5.
Detoxes. Intermittent fasting. Keto. These are just a few of the fad diets you’ve probably encountered at least once in your life. In today’s society, diet culture, and weight loss have grown into an ever-so-popular, multi-billion dollar industry. Although dieting companies and weight loss programs claim to promote a confident, healthy lifestyle, they are actually doing the complete opposite.
I attribute diet culture to be the catalyst for the beginning of my Eating Disorder. I would see ads in the media persuading people to “cut carbs” and skip meals, showing before and after pictures of customers looking their thinnest and happiest selves. As many would, especially a young vulnerable pre-adolescent girl like me at the time, I began to believe that if I did those things maybe I could finally have a better life if I was thin like them. As a result of following these programs and “buying” into these false claims, my relationship with food and my body became very toxic. Diet culture and the media’s idea of thin as the “perfect” body is one of the major reasons why I and nearly 9% of the world population develop an eating disorder.
Your body, no matter your weight, shape, or size, is neither “wrong” nor “flawed.”
After nearly half a decade of treatment, therapy, and help from my family and friends, I was able to make a full recovery. I was lucky to have accessible care and a strong support system. I recognize there are many who do not have this privilege and are unable to seek support. Let us work on providing affordable and effective Eating Disorder treatment with the goal of ending the negative impact of diet culture. Together we can normalize healthy relationships with our food and body image.
Through my own recovery process, I learned to negate the deeply-rooted beliefs I held about food and my body. Our society perpetuates the false claim that we will not be enough until we “just lose this much weight” or “start eating clean.” Internalizing this has the opposite effect, causing self-loathing and disordered eating habits.
So what can we do to decrease the harmful messages about dieting to achieve the ideal body? We need to challenge these messages in order to create new norms. Your body, no matter your weight, shape, or size, is neither “wrong” nor “flawed.” Social media platforms do not fully represent the vast diversity of body types that exist. One amazing aspect of humanity is that we have the ability to celebrate our unique appearances. It is important to remember that your weight is not an indicator of your worth, it is merely just a number. Everybody is different therefore requiring a different amount of food. Focus on what your body needs and wants. You deserve to nourish yourself so your body can function to its full potential.
In a society that tells us we need to look a certain way in order to “fit in,” we must use this as motivation to empower ourselves to challenge this unrealistic standard. Our bodies are incredible structures that, when treated with gratitude and care, can help us attain our hopes and dreams. Let us strive for a new societal norm that includes the representation of all bodies.
Shayna Crasnick
Guest Blog
Resources
If you or someone you know needs help, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor.
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For additional help, please visit our resource page.
