The term "diet" has pervaded society so much so that "diet culture" is a well-known term of its own. This culture and mindset can damage the way we view food. According to the US National Library of Medicine, dieting/eating less/food choices are the second most commonly addressed topics in women's health and fitness magazines (the first most common is exercise and workouts). Constant coverage on the topic of dieting leads women and girls to believe that it's normal to have low self-esteem and a strained relationship with food.
With so much pressure from mainstream media to conform to certain beauty ideals, one of our favorite celebrities is speaking out against diet culture.
Riverdale star Camila Mendes tells her followers why she's #donewithdieting.
She says on an Instagram post, "When did being thin become more important than being healthy?"
She writes about going to a naturopath who told her, "What other things could you be thinking about if you didn't spend all your time thinking about your diet?" She realized that thinking about dieting had become an obsession for her, and her obsession took her attention away from her passions and things that really matter to her.
She "stripped [herself] of all the pastimes that brought [her] joy." That's when she knew that if she gave up her diet obsession, she could really start to live again.
If, for example, you find yourself zoning out at dinner with friends or family because you're too busy counting calories or worrying about your food selection, that's when you know it's time to be #donewithdieting too. Camila Mendes uses her social media platform to encourage her followers who are also struggling to join her on her journey.
Camila Mendes uses her social media platform to encourage her followers who are also struggling to join her on her journey
Your body is your home, and Camila Mendes isn't the only one who preaches this message. Instagram blogger Rini Frey is an advocate for healthier lifestyles that don't include diet mentality.
In an Instagram post she says, "Dieting, restricting, and depriving our bodies for the sake of weight loss is not something I stand behind anymore."
Her adorable puppy Bruce also makes a feature in this post as she mentions, "Does Bruce think about how much food he's allowed to eat, or if he was a 'good boy' for not eating dessert? Nope, he is way too busy living in the moment, smelling the roses."
Rini Frey's puppy, Bruce, Camila Mendes and her naturopath can teach us all a lesson: The time spent obsessing over dieting could be spent doing the things that make us happy, i.e. "smelling the roses."
Once you let go of an unhealthy obsession with dieting, you'll finally be able to focus on the conversation with your family at a restaurant instead of the calories in your meal. You'll be able to enjoy dessert without feeling like you cheated on a strict diet.
Camila Mendes said it best, "A healthy body is the ideal body type, and that will look different for every person. I'm #donewithdieting."