Diet Culture & Mental Health

In today’s society, we are surrounded by “diet culture” everywhere we go. Diet culture is a set of beliefs that prioritizes appearance over health and wellbeing (Kennedy, 2024). This belief often results in environments where foods are labeled “good” or “bad.”

Social media is a big example of diet culture, especially since people compare themselves to others and their physical appearances. This can lead to multiple mental and physical health issues such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. 


Eating Disorders
Diet culture thrives on the idea that weight loss is necessary for health and self confidence. However, research shows that dieting is the strongest factor when it comes to developing eating disorders (Konstantinovsky, 2026). Dieting can start a “binge-restrict” cycle by introducing an energy deficiency to the body which can eventually lead to overeating (Konstantinovsky, 2026). Labeling food “good” or “bad” creates negative and unnecessary guilt when it comes to eating which is not healthy for appearance or confidence at all. The “all foods fit” approach is the concept that no food is inherently “good” or “bad” which allows food to be eaten without guilt or fear (Nido, 2025). This can increase self-esteem, and decrease depression. 

Disordered eating is between normal eating habits and eating disorders. Disordered eating includes restrictive eating, compulsive eating, and irregular eating habits (NEDC). Eating disorders are often more severe, more frequent, and more likely to affect daily life (Levinstein, 2026). 

Digital Help
Mobile health apps often use several techniques and strategies. Noom is a weight loss app that takes a psychology-based approach to positively change your eating habits. It not only helps you lose the weight but also makes sure you don’t gain the weight back longterm (Watson, 2024). Noom does not label food as “good” or “bad.” They color-code all foods based on how much of it you should eat in one sitting and calories. They also assign you a virtual health coach that you can chat with anytime and provides you with healthy recipes (Watson, 2024). 

Gym Culture 
Gym culture often serves as a significant reinforcement of diet culture. In recent years, gyms have moved from improving physical health to forming eating disorders and lower body confidence. Studies have shown that people that go to the gym regularly are at higher risk for eating disorders due to intense pressure (Gjestvang, 2024). 

This is not commonly known knowledge because going to the gym is often seen as healthy. This makes it hard for people to know when it has crossed the line. 

Military 
The most overlooked group when it comes to eating disorders and mental health is the military. Members are often forced to operate under harsh physical standards which can result in eating disorders. The pressure of having to maintain certain weight limits can also impact mental health (Mitchell, NEDA). A study done between 2016-2021 showed that 5,189 U.S military service members received eating disorder diagnoses (Bauman, 2023).   

Many military members may keep silent about mental health issues in order to not lose their position or be questioned on if they can do their job properly. This can cause more issues, even after they are no longer in the military.  

Getting Help 
You do not have to struggle with eating disorders and the mental health outcome alone. There are numerous resources on the internet that can provide help. Remember, everyone is going through something even if you do not see it. 

Love A Stranger is the only available eating disorder lifeline that you can text in the United States. They also offer resources, volunteer opportunities, support for loved ones and more. See their website link in the resources below. 

National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) is another great resource for eating disorders. Take the test using the link below to figure out what resources would help you best.

Resources
Bauman, V. (2024). Incidence and prevalence of eating disorders among U.S. military service members, 2016–2021. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 57(8), 1735-1745. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24229

Gjestvang, C., Mathisen, T. F., Bratland-Sanda, S., & Haakstad, L. A. H. (2024). The risk of disordered eating in fitness club members—A cross-sectional study. Sports, 12(12), 343. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11679114/

Kennedy, A. (2024). Diet culture. In EBSCO Research Starters: Nutrition and Dietetics. EBSCO Information Services. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/nutrition-and-dietetics/diet-culture

Konstantinovsky, M. (January 9, 2026). Do diets cause eating disorders? Equip Health. https://equip.health/articles/diet-culture-and-society/do-diets-cause-eating-disorders

Levinstein, A. (2026, January 7). Disordered eating vs. eating disorders: What’s the difference? Eating Recovery Center. https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/disordered-eating-vs-eating-disorders/

Love A Stranger. (n.d.). Our Services. https://www.loveastranger.org/our-services

Mitchell, K. (n.d.). Eating disorders and the military. NEDA.

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/eating-disorders-and-the-military/#:~:text=However%2C%20we%20now%20know%20that,U.S.%20and%20possibly%20more%20often.&text=We%20also%20know%20that%20veterans,ages%20can%20experience%20eating%20disorders.

National Eating Disorders Collaboration. (n.d.). Disordered eating & dieting. https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/disordered-eating-and-dieting

National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). Home. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Nido, M. (October 10, 2025). All foods fit and eating freely. National Alliance for Eating Disorders. 

https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/all-foods-fit/

Watson, S. (October 16, 2024). Noom for weight loss. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/noom-diet