Is the 'thinness' of diet culture making a return?

Something I realized years ago, but took time to accept, was that trying to lower the number on the scale was one of the worst strategies for my health. Weight does matter, but there is something far more important: health. That number doesn’t show the whole picture. What really matters is the quality of your sleep, your energy, brain alertness, digestion, recovery, and inflammation. Those are the true indicators.

In the end, a body that moves regularly, eats mindfully, and has enough fuel will outlive one that starves itself to look smaller. It won't help to destroy yourself in the gym with a dumbbell in one hand and a toxic protein shake in the other. There is no balance in that approach. Diet culture doesn’t talk about this. It feeds on shame and the false idea that being a size 2 is healthy without any context. It also fails to explain that most "weight loss" plans aren’t real plans. They often trap you and bring you right back to where you started, or even worse.

Let’s be honest about what happens when you are strict or heavily restrictive eating plans. Your body quickly sees a threat and goes into survival mode. Hunger hormones increase, fullness cues decrease, and your body becomes stingier with energy. You suddenly crave the foods you promised not to eat and struggle to understand why when you started the day with the best intentions. No one warns you about this biological backlash. Once you lose weight, your body remembers it and doesn’t just settle into a new "normal." It keeps asking, "Are we safe yet?" So, if you find yourself regaining the weight repeatedly, it’s because you never allowed your body to feel safe. You can’t.

Your body isn't made to fit the desired pant size; it’s built to survive scarcity, whether physical or emotional. Am I saying you will always gain the weight back? Absolutely not! But if you don’t address why you gained the weight in the first place, it will return—maybe not tomorrow or next week, but it will come back. Your body always returns to where it last felt safe; that’s how we are wired.

Then there’s BMI. That outdated number we’ve been taught to view as the ultimate truth. It was never meant to diagnose individuals, especially not women. It oversimplifies, stigmatizes, and misleads. I’ve seen metabolically healthy women in larger bodies who show more resilience than some lean gym-goers who live on caffeine and protein shakes (myself included!). So, no—BMI is not the standard. You are the standard.

Just when things started to change, what happened? Thinness snuck back in quietly. “Shrinking girl summer,” celebrity weight loss drugs, and the same old body shame wrapped in new labels. You’re not imagining it, the pressure has returned. It’s more subtle now, but it’s the kind of pressure that makes you doubt yourself. It whispers, “Maybe I should try that injection. Maybe I need to get serious again.” But being serious doesn’t mean starving yourself. Being serious means keeping your peace, supporting your nervous system, and eating to nourish yourself. Move your body because you want to feel strong, not because you’re trying to earn your food or make up for it.

So, what actually works? Walking, lifting weights, dancing in your kitchen, or even on the table! Just move! Eating meals rich in protein and plants helps keep your gut and blood sugar steady. Have fewer ultra-processed foods and more that your body recognizes. Get restorative sleep. Find stress relief that isn’t just another glass of wine or endless scrolling. Track what truly matters: mood, menstrual cycles, inflammation, energy, and mental clarity—not just weight. This builds resilience. Not by becoming smaller, but by becoming safer, stronger, calmer, and well-fed. If you’re tired of the cycle of shame, hunger, and exhaustion, start with understanding, not more restrictions. That's my focus in my work. I don’t offer another diet plan; I help you understand the system that taught you to distrust your body and how to finally unlearn it. You don’t need to be perfect. You need peace.