Diet Culture: Its Unseen Effects in Schools and How Children Can Rise Above It [Part 1]

Lift the Shame: Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame

Hey mama, ever felt disheartened seeing your child encounter diet culture outside of your safe home environment? Well, it's time to arm them with critical thinking skills to navigate this tricky landscape. We're about to set out on an exploration of diet culture in schools, understanding its layers, and sharing our thoughts on how to lift this shame together.
When was the last time you thought about the Presidential Fitness Test? Many of us might remember it as a harmless school ritual, but could it be a subtle harbinger of diet culture? This episode exposes the damaging impact of diet culture in our education system, specifically through the lens of such health campaigns. We share personal experiences of how such initiatives could potentially fuel eating disorders, body shaming, and undue comparisons, manifesting not just in schools but also doctors' offices, social media, and other forms of media.
We also turn our spotlight on the unseen effects of diet culture on anti-bullying campaigns, curriculum, and statewide testing. The episode also discusses the pressures children might face when they're food policed at school, and how food shaming can lead to anxiety in children. Parents, we'll be sharing some tips and resources to support your children in navigating these issues. Buckle up for an enlightening journey that tackles the diet culture in our children's schools. Tune in and let's start lifting the shame together.

Questions about today's episode or do you have topic requests for future episodes? Please send your feedback via email to [e-mail] or connect with Crystal on Instagram.