TRUE LIFE // THE DIET CULTURE DIARIES part two

A few months ago, Weight Watchers announced their children’s diet app and it ignited a fire within this entire community. I asked you all for your diet culture stories, and this is part two. My hope is that by sharing these, we will continue to fight the weight stigma that has affected all of us medically, emotionally, physically and mentally. To read a little more about my story and the first round of anonymous stories, click here.

“I was never small enough, never thin enough, never good enough…”

“It taught me that I would never be done losing weight…”

“I learned to eat my feelings…”

“All I could think about was how “bad” the food was…'“

“She told me I was too fat to have an eating disorder…”

“I ended up in the hospital…”

“I was forcing myself to throw up, starving myself and taking laxatives…”

“All Weight Watchers did was trigger full blown bulimia…”

“My doctor only wanted to discuss my weight"…”

“I was terrified of not losing weight…”

“I was given appetite suppressants by adults…”

“I’m realizing experiences don’t have points…”

“I convinced myself that I was worthless because I was overweight…”

“They told me to pour dish soap on my food…”

“I find myself feeling guilty because my journey is different.”

“I don’t want to pass my disordered eating to my kids.”

“I dropped almost 40 pounds just to fit into their family…”

“I still feel judged almost every time I eat in front of someone.”

“Most parents don’t see how detrimental diet culture can be…”

“I passed out at the pool…and everyone commented on how skinny I was.”

“My mom put me on a diet at 7…”

“I stopped seeing my dietitian because I wanted to restrict more…”

“Who cares about my double chin?”

“Weight Watchers made me feel insane…”

“I viewed myself as fat and viewed it as a terrible thing that I should be reprimanded for.”

“After having children, I finally appreciate my body…”

“I lost weight but I was miserable!”

“I was shamed and I felt like a loser…”

“Therapy did more for me than any weight loss program…”

“I’m still what the standards would call “big,” but I’m happy and healthy.”

“Why wasn’t there a red flag…like my 12 year old shouldn’t be drinking slim fast?”

“I look in the mirror and feel disgusted…”

“WW is preying on insecure parents…”

“I didn’t see myself in other people…”

“I said ‘HELL NO’ to shame”

“I was struggling and I didn’t like the way it felt…”

“I have so much anxiety about weight gain…”