10 Dangerous Diet Culture Myths Part 1
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There’s a lot of BS out there!
One of my main aims when I started CMooMuses, was to dispel a lot of the bullshit out there that perpetuates fatphobia. So let’s explore 10 dangerous diet culture myths that need to end now.
Myth No 1 — Our Weight Is Entirely Under Our Control
If I hear “Move more and eat less” one more time, then shit is gonna get real! It is such a stupid and harmful oversimplification of a tremendously complicated issue. Weight control cannot be defined by the formula of calories in vs calories out.
The National Institute of Diabetic and Kidney Diseases in America lists twelve factors that can affect your weight, and none of these is nutrition-related. They are:
- Family History or Genes
- Race or Ethnicity
- Age
- Sex
- Eating and physical activity habits
- Where you live, work, play, and worship
- Family habits and culture
- Not enough sleep
- Certain medical conditions
- Certain medicines
- Binge eating disorder
- Stress
You’ll note none of these factors suggests people are fat because they’re all greedy, lazy slobs who live on chocolate, fries and pizza and take no exercise.
Myth №2 — There Is An “Obesity” Epidemic
I am not disputing that the population in western countries is now fatter than it used to be. High-calorie foods and their almost 24-hour availability, as well as high car ownership and more sedentary jobs, have meant that the average weight has risen. Saying increased weight is solely responsible for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a whole host of other illnesses is just plain wrong. It’s one of the biggest and most widely accepted dangerous diet culture myths.
Diet companies sponsored many of the existing studies into the dangers of…
