The Diet Culture

We are currently living in a world that is overwhelmed by diet culture. We are much more aware of what we are consuming and of the ways that we are treating our bodies than any generation before us. It feels as if we are constantly looking for the next big thing, the next fad diet, the next perfect fitness routine that will provide an easy fix.

And how do we weigh our successes? A scale.

Our society has an undeniable obsession with weight loss. An article by the Washington Post, “Why You Should Stop Trying to Lose Weight”, mentions a quote from neuroscientist, Sandra Aamodt: “‘It’s crazy that as a society we have chosen to focus on weight loss rather than improving fitness and nutrition, which are easier and more important.’” We are holding ourselves to impossible standards in pursuit of a certain image of health. Of course it isn’t a bad thing to be conscious of our fitness levels or of our diets; we just have to do it in a different way. We have to use a different scale.

Instead of weighing yourself, weigh your choices. What’s more important- eating that fast food or sticking to your vow to eat clean? Sitting on the couch all day or growing closer to accomplishing you fitness goals? You don’t need a quick fix- you need a lifestyle change (hyperlink to article about new normal). You need to learn how to make smart decisions. Not because of a number on a scale, but because you only get one body and it needs you to care of it! So begin measuring success in a new way. Ditch that old scale and pick up this one.