Culture shifts and changes all the time, but there are noticeable trends that happen across years, decades, or even centuries. Right now, I'm noticing two prominent cultures when it comes to weight management in America. They both have some issues and some benefits, and can be either balanced or extreme. Let's take a closer look at these cultures!
Dieting Culture
Throughout the years there's been a huge emphasis on diets and a culture of food rules. Not all of the "food rules" have been science based either, some just came from what worked in one person's experience that got put in a book or article. You know what I'm talking about- things like a juice cleanse diet, or a cookie diet, or whatever other thing a celebrity tried. Historically, much of the dieting culture was formed around a goal for thinness. So sometimes that ended up promoting a mentality of "thinness at any cost." The combination of harsh food rules alongside a push for thin bodies often is an unhealthy recipe for disordered eating. Thankfully, there is a growing emphasis on quality of health and not just physical appearance.
"Non-Dieting" Culture
Partly in reaction to the harmful aspects of dieting culture, there has been a big shift towards "non-diet" approaches. Ideas such as 'intuitive eating,' and 'health at every size' are much more prevalent now. Often these approaches will intentionally leave diets behind while relying more on things like internal cues and the fostering of self-acceptance. American weight management culture tends to shift primarily based on what's considered beautiful at the time and the messaging found within social media/media/magazines/movies, etc. Thankfully we are seeing a wider variety of body shapes and sizes represented in that messaging, because we are all different! In more recent years, cultural standards of beauty have shifted toward curvier bodies and the non-diet culture is quickly growing in popularity.
At this point, you may be wondering which is better- dieting or non-dieting?
Find Out What's Healthy for You
Because culture has so many voices on these topics, it can feel overwhelming to try and figure out the "right" way to approach your weight management journey. But your true safety is not in picking the right culture to side with, but in how you manage your internal world (your thoughts, emotions, and mindset) along the way. What functions as a healthy approach for one person may not be a healthy approach for the next person. So, don't worry about trying to figure out whether you side with the dieting or non-dieting culture, focus on cultivating a healthy mindset no matter what method you use.
Think about what works best for you, right where you are, and start there. For some that will look like starting with non-diet approaches and gently moving toward more structure, while for others it will look like starting in a structured way and gradually incorporating more intuitive eating strategies. Your process can be as unique as you are! One of the best ways to keep a healthy approach while managing your weight is to make this determination:
"Whatever I do, I'm going to do it for the whole me! Not just for my body, not just for my mind, but for all of me!"
How to Strike a Balance
If you use a diet as one of your tools, think about how you can find social, emotional, and practical support too. Having access to such support will make your journey easier, more enjoyable, and healthier too. While you're making changes to your outer world (your body, habits, and lifestyle), your inner world (your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings) should be taken care of as well! When you put in the time, effort, and resources to get support for the whole-you along the way, you will be more successful in both achieving and maintaining your health goals.
If you start with non-diet approaches to focus more on your mental and emotional health around food, don't be afraid to add in some supportive structure too. Some structure will help support your body toward the goals you've set as you prioritize a healthy mental and emotional outlook. You can stay in tune with your body while also working with guidelines and benchmark goals that you set. Pairing some structured concepts around habits alongside the non-diet methods, can be a really great combination!
Watch Out for Extremes
The truth is, there are unhealthy extremes on both ends of the weight culture spectrum! The failings of diet culture are real, but they should not lead us to demonize all forms of structure when it comes to cultivating health. Nor should we ignore intuitive eating strategies and rely only on rigid rules that leave no room for nuances or humanity. Both sides have pitfalls, so instead of trying to cling to one over the other, draw from the positives of both the diet and non-diet cultures! Regardless of what the TV diet commercial says or what the non-diet social media influencer says, you can choose a balanced approach.
You should always pause and take a second look if something causes you to experience consistent fear, shame, or guilt in your process. If what you're connecting with is bringing those feelings to the surface, allowing you to process what you've already been carrying around on the inside, that can be healthy! However, if what you're connecting with is feeding you messages that inspire fear of food, or shame about your nutrition and health choices, that's not going to be healthy to stay connected to! For example, if you're following an influencer that promotes loving your body but you feel shame for wanting to lose weight for your health, it's time to mute or unfollow. If you're following a health guru that gives you nutrition advice that makes you feel afraid of food, again, it's time to mute or unfollow. Stay aware of what culture is producing in you!
Soapbox Moment
Even with all of the complexities and nuances of culture and nutrition, here's what I can say with confidence and conviction. Fear, shame, and guilt are not your friends and they do not belong! Either philosophy- diet or non-diet- can employ shame, and it's at that point that the paradigm becomes detrimental.
Shame about body size, shame about what you eat, shame about what you don't eat, shame about using certain methods, shame about not using certain methods, shame about you wanting to lose weight, shame about you not wanting to lose weight....etc.
Anything that suggests you're either a better person or a bad person because of what you do with your nutrition is not healthy to connect with- no matter how culturally popular it seems to be!
Culture is Not King
Whatever you do, don't let culture make all the decisions (about you) for you. America's weight management culture is not the enemy, but it's not the king either. Don't let it tell you what your body should look like! Don't let it push you down or prop you up, because the standards in culture will change! Trends in weight management will come and go, but you'll always have your body while you're alive and breathing. So consider what's really important to you about your health and your body, and make thoughtful choices from that place.
Get RD Nutrition's 'Culture'
You may have sorted this out already, but I don't choose the diet or non-diet culture. The best way I can put it is that I choose you! Every person is different, so it's important to me that I offer programs that support you through a combination of the benefits from both cultures. For some people, an emphasis on structure is very helpful, while for others a more flexible approach is fitting. The best thing I can do as a Dietitian is to provide you with personalized care on your weight management journey.
If you'd like to learn more about how I can support you, check out the program options and join me for a Free Discovery Call to learn even more!
Get RD Nutrition is a virtual nutrition practice for residents of North Carolina- offering weight management support, right where you are!
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