Is Wellness Culture the New Diet Culture?

Is Wellness Culture the New Diet Culture? A Dietitian’s Perspective

Written By Devon Kroesche

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Trigger Warning: Discussions of diets, weight loss, diet culture and body image. Please read at your own comfort level.

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Bovine colostrum, greens powders, balancing your hormones, healing your gut – these are some of the trends I have been seeing on social media and, as a result, hearing about from my patients. Seemingly every day there is a new food that is “toxic” or “inflammatory”, and a new product you need to heal your hormones or gut or liver or whatever else may be ~unbalanced~. So, I have to ask myself the question: Is wellness culture the new diet culture?

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As a 27-year-old woman who has now lived through multiple iterations of the social media space, I can’t help but notice how much of the health and fitness content has moved from an obsession with weight loss and “toning,” to a fixation on “clean eating” and “detoxification”. 

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I remember early Pinterest boards being filled with 5-minute ab routines to get you a 6 pack in 30 days, along with diet challenges to cut out all the foods that bring us joy for, again 30 days. Heck – I’d be lying if I myself didn’t save some of these pins for my own health and fitness board. There were also a lot of what I call “thinspiration” – images, workouts and diets geared towards helping you achieve a thigh gap, remove a double chin, or whatever other type of anatomical miracle was circulating that day.

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Looking back, I cringe at what that content was promoting – obvious disordered eating behaviors, harming body checking, and touting a very specific, very lean body type as the pinnacle of beauty standards. There was no room for the very real and natural differences in body types – everyone seemed to be striving to achieve the same one.

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More recently, and likely in response to a body positivity and acceptance movement, creators have been largely shifting away from this type of content. Not that it doesn’t still exist – I do come across it from time to time – but it seems a bit more of a social faux pas. But what has taken its place is arguably just as damaging – a striving towards purity of eating, masked in medical jargon to make it sound scientific. Think terms like “cortisol face, lectins, leaky gut, metabolic adaptation”.  

I have a mixed perspective on this. On one hand, I am excited to see people taking an interest in improving their health and better understanding how their bodies work. On the other hand, lots of the content being shared is simply not evidence-based. Many of the creators sharing this content are not licensed medical professionals, and while they may be able to quote a research study and sound convincing, they don’t have the same type of training in interpreting scientific data. They also lack the training and skills required to draw practical applications for human health.   

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As a provider that works mainly with women, and often on helping them better understand their metabolic and hormonal health, I know how challenging it can be to not be comfortable in your body. When we are feeling unwell, we are vulnerable to marketing that we may otherwise see as BS. And that is why I am passionate about giving evidence-based information and recommendations free of paid partnerships. As your medical provider, it is imperative that you know I am making a recommendation based on my professional opinion, not for a kickback from a supplement company.

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If you find yourself down the Instagram or TikTok rabbit hole on a trend like “cortisol face”, I want you to know I don’t blame you! In our current healthcare climate of waiting months to see a specialist, and then only getting 15 minutes at most and often leaving feeling dismissed and unheard, I know how intriguing these protocols can be. 

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But please know there is a better way.

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Working with a dietitian is always the right move before you start any new diet or supplement. We are the experts, and we will take the time to help you better understand your body and the most evidence-based approaches to improve your diet and health. We also have relationships with incredible physicians to help you combine lifestyle with medications and other treatments when necessary. 

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If you find yourself deep into “What I Eat in A Day” videos and other aesthetic videos promoting different diets and supplements, I also want you to check in on your intentions and desires with your body. Often the wellness trends are still very much in lockstep with the original aim: to have a perfect body. We know logically this doesn’t exist, but I think it is worth saying out loud. 

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It is normal to feel frustrated at certain points of a health and fitness journey, and start to question if there is something hormonally or physiologically wrong. Often, incorporating more healthy habits and developing a better relationship with food and our bodies just takes time. Much more time than you probably imagined. 

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Don’t get me wrong – if you don’t feel like yourself, it is worth doing some digging. I often will order labs for clients or refer them to a specialist if I suspect there is an underlying issue. But the key is having an expert listen to your concerns and giving you options for evidence-based treatment (sidenote: notice how many times I use the term “evidence-based?” That is for good reason).

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I empathize with the desire to change our bodies in some way, and also want you to know that there is no one right way to have a body. It is by no means my place to tell you what you should want for your body, but I do want to explore where these desires came from. I also want to help you find ways to appreciate your body, even if you still desire to change it.

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