I was reading the February edition of The Psychologist and an article by Emily Renolds about Fake News caught my attention. Within the article, Renolds discusses how ‘familiarity creates the feeling of truth’. Today I want to talk to you about repeated exposure to messages and how you can use this concept to reduce the negative effects of Diet Culture.
Previous research has evidenced how repeated exposure to a message can make us more likely to accept that message. Renolds discussed the implications of repeated exposure to Fake News and I thought it would be interesting to discuss Fake News when it comes to our bodies.
Diet culture has its own Fake News. The kind of news that makes you feel inadequate. Messages that make you feel like you’re not trying hard enough. ‘Ideal’ bodies that suggest your body rolls aren’t supposed to be there. From a young age, we’re repeatedly exposed to these kinds of messages which has left us with poor body image and low self-esteem.
The body positive community is calling Diet Culture out on its Fake News but in order to start repairing your relationship with your body, you have to Make News about your own body. If repeated exposure to diet culture can break your relationship with yourself then repeated exposure to kindness towards yourself can help it to heal. We need to take back control of the messages that we’re absorbing.
How to reduce the negative effects of Diet Culture
Here’s what I want you to do:
- Go over to your social media and unfollow the accounts that make you feel inadequate. Unfollow that influencer who pretends to take meal replacement shakes when actually, their body is a product of genetics and a personal trainer.
- Write down 3 things that you love about your body and leave those messages in clearly visible places. Put a sticky note on your kettle. Write it on your bathroom mirror. Somewhere in your home where you will see it often.
- Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself 5 times that your body does not define your worth. Go ahead. Do it right now (and then come back to the blog.)
By unfollowing accounts that make you feel like you’re not enough, you’re reducing your exposure to negative body image. Through leaving yourself messages, you’re reinforcing body positive ideology. In telling yourself that your body does not define your worth several times in the mirror, you are building a stronger self-esteem.
Expose yourself to positive messages and take back control of your self-worth. We’re all in this together and with enough noise and movement, we will win the fight against Diet Culture.
Take a Paws and tell me:
What do you do to cover the noise of diet culture?
Interesting that I’m reading this now when I’m already contemplating removing some from my Instagram account.
It’s so important that we put ourselves first! Thanks for reading!
This is so true ☺😍💕 I love your opinion and you day it super well.
Thank you so much!
Aw I love these tips! I felt weird doing the speaking to myself in the mirror thing but it is actually so powerful. I love the idea of putting messages around the house for yourself which is something my mum and dad used to do for me before I moved out! Thank you so much for sharing another great post Charlotte 🙂
So pleased you felt empowered! Thank you for reading, Millie xox