The Trauma of Diet Culture: Why It’s Not Just “About the Food”
When we talk about diet culture, it’s easy to think of it as a series of personal choices: what to eat, how to exercise, or which jeans to fit into. But the truth is, diet culture is much bigger (and much more harmful!) than a set of individual decisions. It’s a system that teaches us to fear our bodies, mistrust our hunger, and measure our worth in pounds and inches.
And for many, that system has left real scars. Not just in eating habits, but in how safe, seen, and whole we feel in the world.
Diet Culture as a Form of Collective Trauma
Trauma isn’t always about one defining moment. Sometimes, it’s the slow drip of harmful messages repeated over years. “You’d be prettier if you lost weight.” “You can’t trust your appetite.” “Health equals thinness.” These ideas become the background noise of our lives, shaping how we show up, what we allow ourselves to enjoy, and even how we connect with others.
This constant messaging can lead to disconnection from your body, as a survival strategy in a world that told you your body wasn’t good enough. Over time, that disconnection feels normal, even though it keeps you from feeling truly at home in yourself.
It’s Not Just About Food
If you’ve struggled with bingeing, restriction, or obsessive thoughts about food, you might think the problem lies in willpower or self-control. But often, these behaviours are coping strategies and ways of finding safety in a culture that has made your body feel unsafe.
This is why simply “fixing” your eating habits rarely works in the long term. If the root is shame, fear, or unworthiness, no diet or quick fix will heal what’s underneath.
Finding Your Way Back to Yourself
Healing from diet culture’s impact isn’t about eating perfectly or loving every inch of your body overnight. It starts with awareness: noticing the messages you’ve internalised, recognising how they shaped your relationship with food and self-worth, and beginning to ask—what would I choose if I didn’t believe those lies?
It’s a slow process, and that’s okay. Every small act of self-trust (e.g. a meal eaten without guilt, a mirror passed without criticism) is a step toward reclaiming what diet culture took from you.
A Final Note
If this resonates with you, know that you are not alone. Many people are only now beginning to see diet culture for what it is: not a pathway to health, but a system of control that thrives on your self-doubt.
Ready to start healing your relationship with food and body image?
My Coaching Workbook Collection offers gentle, therapist-designed exercises to help you explore your history with dieting, challenge internalised shame, and begin to build a more compassionate connection with yourself.
