Diet Culture is Clever Than Ever

Diets. We’ve seen them all. From Weight Watchers, to South Beach, to Keto, to intermittent fasting, countless diets have trended through society over the years. When one fades out, another one rolls in. They’ve continued to evolve, all spreading diet culture's message that thinner is better.

In more recent years however, diet culture finally got some much needed backlash. With body positivity campaigns, the anti-diet movement, and companies like Dove and Aerie working to debunk their message, diet culture had to rethink - and rebrand. Now, cleverly disguised as wellness and cloaked in claims of “being healthy” vs “losing weight”, wellness is found just about everywhere. Social media feeds are bombarded with ads for detox teas, workout routines, and meal plans. Non-licensed influencers and celebrities continually offer us unsolicited nutrition advice. From tracking sleep, logging miles, or counting macros there’s an app for that. The wellness industry is massive and unavoidable, and with social media as its ally, diet culture, aka wellness, isn’t going anywhere.

In recognition of National Nutrition Month – which happens to kick off during Eating Disorders Awareness Week – Focus dietitian, Kaitlyn Tucker, MS, RD, LDN, shares her approach to nutrition and how to combat diet culture in today’s world.

Q: What are some misconceptions in our society about nutrition?

A: One big misconception is that in order to live a healthy lifestyle, you have to be strict and regimented, when actually an intuitive, relaxed approach with a foundation of simple nutrition principles actually has greater health outcomes. Another is that nutrition is one-size-fits-all, when really it is very individualized. Just because something works for a celebrity, does not mean it will work for someone else.

Q: How should people combat those types of mixed messages?

A: Diet culture and social media are difficult to comb through. To find accurate nutrition information, check with a dietitian or other internet resource such as a university. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a good place to fact check before taking the word of someone on social media.

Q: What made you decide to be a dietitian?

A: I decided to become an RD because of my own disordered relationship with food and body when I was younger and was a collegiate athlete. I saw how nutrition education was so powerful and helpful in my personal life, as well as my athletic performance, so I wanted to use what I had learned to help people who were in a similar situation to me.

Q: Looking back, what do you wish you could tell your younger self about nutrition?

A: I wish I could tell my younger self that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and spending so much time using food in a restrictive way to change my body and be more socially acceptable, only leads to more problems. I wish I would have known how to support my body through healthy behaviors and nutrition education, not just listened to fitness models and Instagram influencers.

Q: What approach do you use with your clients when helping them with nutrition goals?

A: I pride myself on taking a very individualized approach. I believe our relationship with food is foundational in changing/bettering our nutrition, so I will take my clients back to their earliest food memories and start there. I meet them where they are currently, then create a nutrition plan based on their unique background and future goals. We navigate barriers together and eventually their confidence increases to manage their relationship with food independently.

Q: What keeps you inspired in this field?

A: I’m continually inspired by other dietitians in the disordered eating and intuitive eating space. There is so much shared passion and knowledge among this group of professionals that you always feel encouraged to keep going on hard days in this field.

Kaitlyn Tucker, MS, RD, LDN, is accepting new clients for outpatient nutrition. You can read her full bio or request a consultation with Kaitlyn here.

Written by Lauren Sterritt, BA, Marketing & Community Relations for Focus Integrative Centers and Focus Treatment Centers

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