Weight-loss Culture is toxic

I am tired of the ‘weight-loss culture’. Coined in 1864 by William Banting the term is meant to describe how obesity is stigmatised and pathologised in Western society. More specifically, its use pertains to the values of body size held by individual people and what they think should be done about those who are obese (i.e., weight-loss).

Everywhere on the internet there’s advice on how to lose weight. We’re told that losing weight is the one and only answer to feeling good about ourselves. It starts with friends, family, and society at large judging us for not fitting into society’s ideal of what we should look like. That judgement turns into antagonism when we struggle to lose weight. We are told that it is our fault. That there is some kind of self sabotage keeping us from losing weight.

Weight loss is always a tricky topic. It’s impossible to know who is telling the truth about what they do to stay in shape, how they did it, or if they even have any qualifications at all.

Weight-loss Culture is harmful. Some people may not believe that this is true, but the evidence is undeniable. We are addicted to a weight-loss culture that is constantly telling us how to live our lives using food as a reward for good behaviour and punishment for bad ones. Weight-loss culture tells us that we deserve everything we want and can have it with the simple click of a button, but only if we work hard enough for it. We are told by this same society how to value ourselves and what worth looks like.

Everyday we are bombarded with images of what is beautiful and what is not. Television shows and advertisements show us how to be happy by buying the products of a “healthy” lifestyle. We are told that if we work hard enough, we can lose weight and become successful just like the people on television. We are told that we need to buy into a way of living that seems so unattainable that it is nearly impossible to achieve without professional help. We are told that losing weight will change everything about our lives, but once we do it, everything else will remain exactly as it always was.

Weight-loss diets are expensive. You know this. I know this. And yet we continue to do everything in our power to subscribe to the latest, greatest trend and spend all of our time and money trying to maintain it. A study done by Harvard found that eating a healthy diet only costs about $1.50 more per day than an unhealthy diet does

So why do we even bother? Why subject ourselves to restrictive diets that have little chance of long-term success?

I’ll tell you why – because we have been told they work!

In many cases, the way that weight loss is presented over-stimulates people about it, leading them to obsess over weight loss at an alarming rate. Diet culture has transformed into a social norm where a huge majority of the population feels pressured towards losing weight.

Body shaming as a result of the weight loss culture has been on the rise in recent years. More and more people are facing ridicule as they fight the stereotype that being “overweight” is dirty, shameful, or unattractive and greedy. This weight-loss-related bullying that exists among adolescent girls is more than an issue of self-esteem, it’s a serious problem that leads to other social issues and health risks.

You will always hear about a certain diet being effective and how it can help you burn that body fat fast. The problem with diets is they are created by companies who are in the business of making money on your desperation to lose weight. You want to believe that any diet can work, so you see a diet and start. But then it gets hard or you hit a plateau where the weight starts coming back on… it’s no wonder why many diets fail.

The truth is that just because you’re following a diet doesn’t mean that your body will be any healthier, or even thinner. Weight loss culture has made it so hard for people to lose weight and maintain health, many of them resorting to drastic measures like gastric bypass surgery, which is not only majorly expensive but can also lead to serious complications.

So what should we do about this?

Weight loss culture should be treated as a disease. The diet culture is toxic and should be removed from society. Actually, this ideology should be made illegal. It is false advertising. There is no weight loss formula that exists that is any good. So stop looking for it! You will never find it. If you want to lose weight and be healthy then you need to live by this simple rule: eat right, exercise, and watch what you eat. That’s not a hard thing to do and it will get you the results much quicker than any fad diet ever could. It’s not about the number on the scale, it’s about feeling better and having more energy to live life to its fullest each day.

I’m not advising you to diet or deprive yourself of anything, but I am suggesting that you make smart and healthy decisions about what to eat and when. This helps get you to a healthy weight over time. That means steering clear of processed foods with tons of added sugar, salt, and oil as well as cooking from scratch where possible. It also means eating smaller portions throughout the day with no snacks in between meals.

Exercise is really important too! Include some form of activity in your life everyday – whether it’s a brisk walk after work or a workout before bed, take care of your body by making this commitment. Remember weight loss alone does not mean you are healthy.

Self acceptance and less body shaming is key. Weight-loss culture is not the answer to your weight problems. The food industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and the people most interested in the weight loss game are the ones who want to sell you their products.

I applaud Pinterest for banning weight loss advertisements on their platform. Weight loss is a sensitive issue and it’s important to create a safe, respectful environment.

Body positive messages help destroy the weight loss culture. Messages like “love the skin you’re in” and “strong is the new skinny” are powerful tools to combat dieting, self-doubt, and anxiety. It’s time for us to live without shame of our bodies and the food we eat.

The dieting industry tells us that we’re not enough, largely by way of the food we eat. When we buy into this idea, we’re hurt in ways that are difficult to see. It becomes imperative to lose weight, not for ourselves but so that others will approve of our bodies and love us!

It does not matter if you’ve never been on a diet or had an eating disorder. The weight loss culture harms all people. We’re brainwashed with ways to think about our bodies that act against our own best interests. The weight loss culture is about self-denial. The diet industry is killing people, and we all need to see this. It’s time for us to live without shame of our bodies and the food we eat.