Dieting And Diet Culture Ruined My Relationship With Food

Diet Culture Ruined My Relationship With Food
Five fresh fruits and vegetables, part of the daily recommended healthy diet, held on the prongs of forks, on a white background.
Five fresh fruits and vegetables, part of the daily recommended healthy diet, held on the prongs of forks, on a white background.

I remember the first time I realized that I was fat. I was in fifth grade, and it was time to pass out the class pictures. The teacher handed me my photos, which featured a chubby Amy in a sweet-ass bowl cut and a necklace that said "DIVA." The kid sitting in the desk next to me said, "Hey, your arms are pretty fat." Of course, I was mortified.

I pulled my sleeves down to cover my fat arms, and little did I know, began a cycle of lifelong dieting. Food restriction and fad diets have been a fixture in my life since I was 15, when I went to my first diet doctor. I dropped 50 pounds in college by existing on diet pills and cigarettes, but the weight came back with a vengeance.

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