Dear Diet Culture Letter: Perfectionism with Food is Not Your Fault

Dear Diet Culture,

It’s me, Sunday.

I’ve been thinking about how much you are inextricable from perfectionism for some time now, and I thought today would be a good day to talk about why.

Y’all are like two peas in a pod.

First of all, your identity is hinged on the existence of things being perfect. While you and I know that there is no such thing, you promote it as such so that you can bring in money and continue doing the same things you have done since you were born: lie.

You lie about the promise of what could be when people buy into your beliefs. You lie about how much people have “control” over what they eat and how they move without talking about the social determinants of health. You lie about dieting and restricting food and promote it as something that will make people happy, healthy, young, loved and so much more. You lie and lead medical institutions and practitioners to thinking that you have the answer about other people’s body, happiness and wisdom.

Second of all, inherent in your ideals is the belief that nothing will ever be good enough. Thus for people, food and the body become a quest, a fleet that they are going to conquer, a prize that they will be able to show to the world, a shield that they can use to protect themselves from pain and suffering. But in the end, you don’t protect people from pain and suffering. In fact, you usually cause more.

Diet Culture, you trick people into thinking that your idea of “perfect” will make them feel better.

And in fatphobic, misogynistic, transphobic, racist, ableist, and classicist culture and world, you use the trauma of other people’s experience to present your way of doing things as being the best way. But it’s not. And it’s harmful.

But I want you to know that we are on to you. We know that what you promote doesn’t work.

We know that you don’t actually care about the health and well-being of others.

Sincerely,

Sunday, aka your most passionate anti-diet Dietitian Katherine who wants you to know that perfectionism is a trauma response and while it is perpetuated by diet culture, it’s not your fault if you identify as a perfectionist