In “Seems Like Diet Culture,” Mallory Page, a registered dietitian, teaches you how to identify diet culture and challenge it through casual conversations and ramblings.
Mallory Page, a registered dietitian with an anti-diet focus, has finally created her own podcast! Page has been posting about food, movement, nutrition, intuitive eating and the like on Instagram and YouTube for years. Her content is informative with a conversational tone that makes the information more easily accessible to those with all levels of familiarity with diet culture.
The first two episodes of this podcast came out last Thursday and they did not disappoint. In the first episode, Page defines diet culture and anti-diet culture, using clear, direct language. She has always been thoughtful and compassionate with her content and it shows through in these first couple episodes. She recognizes that the anti-diet culture movement comes directly from the work of marginalized women, who are disproportionately impacted by the effects of diet culture.
Page explores the gray space in between diet culture and anti-diet culture. She talks about how some influencers have co-opted language from anti-diet culture and to make their content more acceptable, even if that content has remained largely the same as it was when they were not speaking about anti-diet culture.
For example, she discusses how some influencers might post highly curated pictures of their bodies that still feed into ideas of conventional beauty but pair it with an anti-diet culture statement to make the post more trendy.
In episode one, Page gives tips for recognizing where diet culture is creeping in on your own life as well as what you can do to help alleviate the stress it can cause. She uses contemporary examples, such as the feta-pasta trend, to demonstrate how food and health fads can become widespread and accepted as something everyone should do or like, despite the fact that a single trend will not be a good fit for everyone.
Episode two is all about Page’s own experience with an eating disorder, exercise and obsession with all things health. Although she has discussed this in the past on her Instagram and YouTube, she tells all in this episode. Mental health and eating disorders are difficult to talk about, but she does so with grace. Her story serves as a reminder that you are never alone.
This podcast is not designed to attack those who are still upholding diet culture, as everyone has different relationships to fitness, food and health.
Rather, Page is interested in having legitimate conversations about nutrition and health trends. It makes for an informative podcast that also feels like a big hug for anyone who is struggling with their relationship to food and fitness.
