The Shift from Sustenance to Morality
Historically, the term “diet” simply referred to one's total food intake, a matter of survival tied to seasonality and availability. The modern, restrictive meaning emerged much later, intertwining with morality and social class. In ancient Greece, fitness was revered, but for its role in developing a healthy mind, not for visual physique. It was in early Christian traditions and later, during the 19th century, that food restriction became a marker of spiritual purity and moral virtue.
The Influence of Sylvester Graham
Among the most influential early proponents of this moralized dieting was Sylvester Graham, a 19th-century Presbyterian minister often cited in discussions of who started diet culture. Graham preached that a strict vegetarian diet of unprocessed foods, like his famous graham crackers, was essential for moral and physical health. He believed that rich, meat-heavy diets over-stimulated the body and led to sin. His followers, the "Grahamites," embraced this ascetic lifestyle, setting a powerful precedent for associating specific, restrictive eating habits with moral superiority.
The Rise of Commercial Dieting and Fatphobia
Following Graham, the 20th century saw the industrial and commercial exploitation of the insecurities planted by early moral reformers. Companies capitalized on the public's anxieties about health and appearance, marketing numerous fad diets and weight-loss products. This commercialization was bolstered by the growth of fatphobia, which has deep roots in racist and sexist ideologies.
The connection between racism and fatphobia
Sociologist Sabrina Strings, in her book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, argues that Enlightenment-era racism played a crucial role. A thin physique was framed as a sign of European intellectual and moral superiority, while larger bodies were associated with racial inferiority to justify the oppression of Black people. This harmful categorization persists in modern perceptions of body size, where larger bodies are often unfairly stigmatized as inherently unhealthy or lazy.
The role of sexism in policing women's bodies
Diet culture is also deeply intertwined with patriarchal expectations for women. Societal pressures historically dictated how women should look and behave, often objectifying and scrutinizing their bodies. The emphasis on thinness as a measure of worth and acceptance pressures women to conform to unrealistic body ideals. This can be traced from the corsets of the Victorian era to the waif-like aesthetic of the 1990s, with each era presenting a new, often unattainable, 'ideal'.
The BMI and the Medicalization of Weight
Another key driver in the normalization of diet culture was the widespread adoption of the Body Mass Index (BMI). While initially developed in the 19th century as a tool to measure populations, not individuals, it was later adopted as a standard measure of health. This metric is deeply flawed and was based on data from white European men, failing to account for diversity in body size, race, and ethnicity. Despite its limitations, the BMI became a powerful tool in framing weight as a medical problem, further fueling the stigma against larger bodies.
The diet industry's financial incentive
As insecurities grew, so did the profitability of the diet industry. Businesses quickly recognized the immense potential in selling solutions to body dissatisfaction. This led to a boom in products, including shakes, supplements, and restrictive meal plans, often promising quick, dramatic results that are rarely sustainable long-term. The industry's economic power ensures that the messaging of diet culture—equating thinness with success and happiness—remains pervasive in advertising and media.
Comparison: Historical Figures vs. Modern Influencers
| Feature | Sylvester Graham's Influence (19th Century) | Modern Diet Culture (21st Century) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Motivation | Moral and spiritual purity; health from natural eating. | Appearance-based validation; health-washing. |
| Ideals Promoted | Ascetic, vegetarian lifestyle; whole, unprocessed foods. | Thin, athletic, or muscular physique; specific trends (e.g., keto, intermittent fasting). |
| Messaging Channel | Sermons, lectures, printed materials. | Social media (influencers, filters), online advertising, product placement. |
| Financial Driver | Limited; sale of graham flour and lodging. | Billions of dollars in weight-loss products, supplements, and programs. |
| Resulting Behavior | Restrictive eating patterns tied to morality. | Obsessive calorie counting, food restriction, disordered eating promoted online. |
Challenging Diet Culture
Counteracting the ingrained beliefs of diet culture requires a multi-faceted approach. Efforts like the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement aim to shift focus from weight to overall well-being, promoting body acceptance and rejecting the moral hierarchy of body sizes. Intuitive eating, an approach developed by dietitians, helps individuals reconnect with their body's natural hunger and fullness cues, dismantling the restrictive mindset.
Steps to push back against diet culture:
- Recognize the harm: Understand that diet culture promotes unsustainable and often dangerous behaviors, not genuine health.
- Unfollow and diversify: Curate your social media feed to include body-neutral and diverse voices, and unfollow accounts that promote unrealistic body standards.
- Reframe your goals: Shift your focus from weight-based outcomes (e.g., losing 10 pounds) to health-based actions (e.g., increasing vegetable intake, moving your body in enjoyable ways).
- Critique the messages: Be a conscious consumer of media, questioning advertising claims and celebrity endorsements that promote quick fixes or weight-loss products.
- Seek professional help: If you struggle with body image or disordered eating, work with a registered dietitian or therapist who is informed about Health at Every Size principles.
Conclusion: The Unspoken Architects of Diet Culture
There is no single person who started diet culture, but rather a confluence of historical, social, and economic forces that laid the groundwork. From the 19th-century moralizing of Sylvester Graham to the racist and sexist ideologies that shaped body ideals, and finally to the capitalist systems that monetized body dissatisfaction, a complex picture emerges. Understanding this history is crucial to dismantling the ingrained belief that thinness equates to health or moral worth. By rejecting restrictive mindsets and embracing body acceptance, individuals can begin to heal their relationship with food and their own bodies. The fight against diet culture is a fight against systemic oppression, demanding a shift in societal values towards genuine well-being over appearance-based judgments. For more information on navigating this space, resources like The Alliance for Eating Disorders offer invaluable support.
