What Is Diet Culture?

Labelling yourself as good or bad based on the foods you eat can lead to an eating disorder, such as orthorexia, sticking rigidly to consuming food that the person believes to be the "correct" healthy diet. This obsession leads to interference with everyday life, including social, emotional and more.

Examples include avoiding gluten when you're not intolerant or allergic, extreme versions of veganism, extreme low-fat or low-carbohydrate diets, detoxes, cleanses and avoiding all non-organic foods.

While it is impossible to avoid the diet culture due to its pervasive nature in all aspects of society, you can limit your exposure to diet culture and advocate against it.

• Avoid social media, forums, or online groups that make you feel like you are not good enough for the way that you look.
• Practice body neutrality - the idea that you should focus on what the body can do right now, not what you want it to look like.
• Educate yourself on what overall health is. It might help you understand how focusing solely on thinness and food restriction can be detrimental to your health.