8 Disordered Habits Our Culture Normalizes

It's no secret that diet culture is all around us. There are many disordered eating habits that are normalized or promoted as healthy in our culture.

Social media has further complicated what the "picture of health" looks like (I use quotation marks because, at the end of the day, health is subjective and there are SO many reasons a person may consider themselves healthy or unhealthy. Health does not have a look or body size!).

What I Eat In A Day videos, before and after pictures, body checking, comparison...the list goes on. Don't get me wrong, I'm obviously a social media fan as a good chunk of my job is spent on Instagram and TikTok, but it can certainly take its toll on mental health.

Here are 8 disordered eating habits that are normalized in our culture:

#1: Avoiding hunger by drinking coffee, carbonated water, soda, exercise/ movement, etc. The more we ignore, fear, and suppress hunger cues, the more stress and strain we place on our relationship with food. If you are hungry, the best thing to do is eat.

#2: "Burning off" or "earning" food via movement. While movement can provide several health benefits, these can be overshadowed by using movement for punishment.

#3: Skipping meals to try and lose weight or save up calories. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, in an attempt to save calories or lose weight can disrupt our metabolism and cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels that may lead to symptoms of dizziness, light-headedness, difficulty concentrating, more easily irritated or anxious.

#4: Avoiding certain foods or food groups. Embracing extreme diets that eliminate entire food groups can deprive our bodies of essential nutrients and lead to nutrient deficiencies.

#5: Extreme diet plans/ routines. 75 Hard and juice cleanses are two common examples. A question I ask my clients is, "What happens on day 76?" or "What do you eat the day after the cleanse?". The answer typically lies between, "I'll go back to what I did before!" or "I'll eat all the food!". Extreme plans are rigid, stressful to follow, and restrictive. They can lead to nutrient deficiencies, extreme hunger, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, and further suppress hunger/fullness cues.

#6: Never allowing sweets. We often crave the foods we mentally and/or physically restrict. Guilt and shame are difficult emotions that are commonly felt around restrictions.

#7: Replacing meal(s) with a bar or juice. You most likely are not eating enough food. No matter what or how much you ate yesterday or the meal prior, you still need to eat when you are hungry again.

#8: Not eating if you're hungry at night. The best thing to do for your body when you're hungry is to eat. There is no time of day where food is "bad" or your metabolism isn't "working properly".

Intuitive eating follows framework to help you reconnect with your hunger-fullness cues, view food as food, and still reach your health goals. It is possible to break free from the diet cycle that's been consuming your life and pursue health in a way that feels pleasant physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

The Fork Diet Culture group coaching program is exactly the way you'll do this. As a non-diet dietitian, I use proven frameworks with Intuitive Eating and Health At Every Size to help make food only one important aspect in your life. 

The best part: you'll be working alongside like-minded members who understand and want to heal, too. 

CLICK HERE to apply today and get on the waitlist. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE. [Applying does not lock you in. You will book a free call with me to determine if it is a good fit so that you can be CERTAIN this is for you!]