Diet culture normalizes dysmorphia and eating disorders for teenagers
Food and appetite are a personal and cultural journey for each individual. The increased bias and misinformation on the health and regulations for young teens is growing and has been growing at an alarming rate for decades. Throughout campus at lunchtime and among the youth of our community, there has been a normalization of unhealthy eating behaviors. From skipping meals to competition among peers, there is little room for individual understanding of nutrition and how to healthily maintain energy and satiation.
According to a study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] “in the U.S. approximately one-third of adults consume fast food on a given day, and on average, it accounts for 12% of their daily calories.” With this as the set example for teenagers and young adults, it is no wonder that there is distortion in the producer and consumer industry. The normalization of the lack of health awareness and understanding is deeply rooted in the systematic and societal ignorance of individual health itself. There is a simple lack of education in food and diet culture.
Individuals from lower socioeconomic disparities face significant health literacy issues compared to teens and young adults with advantages within social determinants, according to the “International Journal for Equity in Health.” When schools, social media and places of education fail to use their platforms to cultivate general health and nutritional education, there are increased dietary barriers. In low-income neighborhoods, there is a high concentration of unhealthy options void of any nutritional resources, known as food deserts. America has structured an overuse and overreliance on food deserts. If you go on a road trip or typically anywhere in Southern California, the majority of food advertised is fast food or another type of food stripped of nutritional value, further contributing to misinformation on dietary health.
Another source of misinformation that vastly affects teenagers’ views on health and ultimately their bodies is social media. Social media amplifies the pressure to conform to beauty standards. Influencers often build platforms through posting videos of what they eat in a day—many of which infiltrate young viewers with restrictive eating and unrealistic standards for the growing body. These videos can send a message to viewers that in order to achieve the content creator’s body, they must also eat like the creator. Strong TikTok algorithms also push this type of content towards audiences who are vulnerable or susceptible to disordered eating because, as they interact with these unrealistic “what I eat in a day” videos, their feeds will increasingly populate with similar content. Trends such as “legging legs,” “hourglass figures” and “cocaine skinny” also send a message that bodies need to conform to fads and change rapidly to fit the trend of the moment.
Furthermore, fad diets such as keto intermittent fasting encourage young consumers to go on diets that stray from what the growing body needs to develop healthily. Not one diet will work for everyone, and teenagers are at a key stage for physical and mental growth. The body requires a stable supply of nutrients to properly develop, energize the body and mind and support academic and athletic performance. Trending diets push restricted eating and promote dangerous eating habits with little to no research behind the benefits and side effects on teenagers. Rather, the CDC states that one’s diet should be specific to age, sex, weight, physical activity and how much they’re still developing.
However, it is vital that teenagers have adequate nutrition and a substantial diet. Nutrition, food and consumption is entirely individual. Restricting food and skipping meals can cause fatigue, poor concentration, a weak immune system and an increased risk of developing serious eating disorders.
The pressures for teenagers go beyond the screen. For instance, it is incredibly normalized for teenagers to eat small, snack-like breakfasts, just coffee, or none at all. According to a study reported by the National Institutes of Health, breakfast is vital for efficient cognitive function, energy and reviving metabolism. Eating a balanced meal, including carbs, proteins, fiber, healthy fats and fruits and vegetables, will improve the quality of a student’s day by supporting mental and physical health. Instead, most grocery stores in America advertise sugary cereals, pastries and energy drinks as breakfast, while many skip eating breakfast altogether.
Furthermore, even without the implementation of excessive diets, some teenagers do not eat adequate amounts, or they simply want to fit in with students who are not eating either. For many students, eating habits are competitive to see who can eat the least. Even if one doesn’t realize it, these habits make them an active participant in this underlying war of who has the skinniest body or flattest stomach.
Between the pressure to diet, look a certain way and the limited education and access to nutrition, teenagers are struggling to understand how to nourish themselves properly. The American youth must be educated about nutrition so that social media and peer pressure do not shape their perceptions of their bodies.
