Your Body Isn’t Broken—Diet Culture Is.

In this episode of The Group Chat Therapist, Betty unpacks why modern society is so obsessed with dieting—and why restriction is often disguised as discipline, wellness, and self-control. From an eating-disorder-informed, anti-diet lens, this conversation explores how diet culture fuels rigidity, underfueling, shame, and disconnection from the body.We talk about the difference between therapeutic diets and diet culture, why weight loss does not equal health, the physiological and psychological costs of chronic dieting, and why fitness actually requires fuel. This episode also examines how before-and-after culture can reinforce harmful beliefs, why stopping dieting can feel scary, and how identity, control, and belonging get tangled up in food rules.This is not a “try harder” episode. It’s a reframe—inviting curiosity, awareness, and self-compassion around food, body image, and health without numbers, rules, or guilt.Campbell, N., De Jesus, S., & Prapavessis, H. (2013). Physical fitness. In M. D. Gellman & J. R. Turner (Eds.), Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1167Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Diet. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dietMerriam-Webster. (n.d.). Fitness. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fitnessMerriam-Webster. (n.d.). Health. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/healthPsychology Today. (2025, May). Before and after photos: A cultural obsession. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/body-image-and-stigma-bias/202505/before-and-after-photos-a-cultural-obsession