Throughout history, humans have used physical aspects of bodies to communicate value, morality, and power (Alicke, Smith, & Klotz, 1986). Dating back to 5th century BCE, restriction of food has been viewed in some cultures as a symbol of moral superiority (Letts, 2013). Over the course of colonization, the Industrial Revolution, and urbanization of the United States (U.S.), the cultural ideal of the female body has evolved through many shapes and sizes (Martin, 2010). In recent decades, this ideal body has become one of thinness, and women who attain it are often assumed to have great self-control, submissive nature, and morality (Harrison, 2019). With increased access to media, images and messages promoting this ideal female body are widespread and rampant. The ability to achieve a body that is deemed acceptable by society is often associated with various forms of unhealthy physical and psychological behaviors, such as caloric restriction, excessive exercise, and preoccupation with food and weight (Peat, Peyerl, & Muehlenkamp, 2008). Pharmaceutical companies and entrepreneurs have capitalized on these behaviors and marketed innumerable nutrition plans, exercise regimens, and supplements to help individuals lose weight (Oliver, 2006).
Diet Culture Dieting, the intentional act of manipulating exercise and eating for the goal of improving health by losing weight, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years (Harrison, 2019). As recently as 2016, 68% of Americans reported having recently engaged in dieting behaviors or dieting lifestyles (NPD Group, 2016). The pressure to diet to achieve a more culturally acceptable body is experienced across race, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status (SES). Men and boys are susceptible to diet and body image concerns; however, these concerns are particularly salient among women and girls across the lifespan (Lam et al., 2009). Abramovitz & Birch (2000) discussed that girls as young as five years old developed beliefs about dieting and engaged in intentional weight loss behaviors. In another study of children in grades three through six, 50% of boys and girls reported wanting to weigh less, and 77% had been exposed to the concept of dieting by their parents (Schur, Sanders, & Steiner, 2000). College women identified a high prevalence of conversation around dieting, exercise, and weight loss among their peer groups (Faw et al., 2021; Bardone-Cone et al., 2016). Women reported experiencing pressure to lose weight even during the post-partum period, a time immediately following a woman's significant and necessary weight gain to ensure the survival of her baby (Incollingo Rodriguez, Dunkel Schetter, & Tomiyama, 2019). Large proportions of older women reported body dissatisfaction as a motivation to engage in intentional weight loss through dieting (Thompson & Bardone-Cone, 2019).
