Start 2026 Without Diet Culture: Choose Compassion and Authenticity

January often feels like a cultural starting line where we are told to make radical changes to our bodies. Everywhere we look there are messages to diet, lose weight, earn a “new” body

or chase some ideal that usually ends up making us feel worse about ourselves. This pressure can leave us exhausted before the year even begins.

Instead of repeating the cycle of unrealistic goals I want to invite you to explore a different approach this January. One rooted in self compassion, authenticity and rejecting diet culture.

What Diet Culture Really Does

Diet culture refers to a set of societal beliefs that equate thinness with health, worth, and moral virtue. It promotes the idea that body size is a reliable indicator of personal responsibility, discipline, and even character, and that weight loss is a primary pathway to confidence, success, or belonging. These messages are especially amplified in January through advertising, social media trends, and wellness marketing.

While these beliefs are widespread, decades of research suggest they are not supported by evidence and may contribute to harm.

Large population studies show that attempts to control weight are extremely common. National survey data indicate that a majority of adults report trying to lose or manage their weight at some point in their lives, often through dieting behaviors (Kant & Graubard, 2014). However, long-term outcomes of dieting are poor. Longitudinal research and systematic reviews consistently demonstrate that most individuals who lose weight through dieting regain a significant portion of it over time, with sustained weight loss being relatively uncommon (Mann et al., 2007).

At the same time, body dissatisfaction is pervasive. Research suggests that approximately half of adult women report dissatisfaction with their body or weight, and concerns about appearance often begin early in life (Frederick et al., 2016). Additional survey data indicate that many people experience moralized thinking around food, including guilt or shame after eating and viewing foods as “good” or “bad,” which are patterns associated with disordered eating and psychological distress (Ipsos, 2021).

Together, these findings highlight a troubling pattern. Dieting is widespread, long-term results are limited, and negative body image is common across the lifespan. Rather than improving health or well-being, diet culture often reinforces cycles of dissatisfaction, self-criticism, and disconnection from internal cues.

The Emotional Toll of Weight Focused Resolutions

When January starts with a focus on weight loss or changing our appearance it often shifts our attention away from what really matters. We end up thinking less about meaningful goals like improving mental health, building community, finding joy and learning new things.

Stressing about weight can make us feel anxious, discourage us from social events, and distract us from deeper fulfillment. Research shows that weight focused goals can even lead to negative eating attitudes and poor self image long term.

Choose Compassion and Authenticity Instead

Here are some ways to reclaim your January and reject the messaging of diet culture:

Focus on What Makes You Feel Good

Think about what nurtures you. This could be movement that feels joyful not punishing, sleep that restores your mind and body, or time spent with people who lift you up.

Set Intentions Rooted in Well Being

Instead of goals about weight or size, try goals like cultivating gratitude, learning to listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues, showing your body respect, or practicing kindness toward yourself when you struggle.

Tune Out Toxic Messaging

Reducing exposure to advertising, unfollowing accounts that make you feel bad about your body and being intentional about what you consume can help you hear your own voice instead of the noise.

Be Patient With Yourself

Self compassion means acknowledging that change is a process. It is okay to have setbacks. What matters is that you are learning to treat yourself with dignity and respect.

Celebrate What Your Body Does

Our bodies allow us to hug loved ones, walk in nature, dance, work, create art, care for others and so much more. Shifting attention to what our bodies do rather than how they look can radically change our relationship with ourselves.

A Different Kind of New Year

This January you do not need to make your worth dependent on changing your body. You can choose a year that is kinder, grounded in authenticity and driven by goals that nurture your mind and spirit. When we start from compassion instead of criticism we give ourselves the space to grow in ways that truly matter. This year let kindness be your resolution.

If you are feeling tired of diet culture and want support in building a more compassionate relationship with food and your body, you do not have to do this alone. My Anti-Diet Group begins February 2026 and offers a supportive space to unlearn diet culture, reconnect with your body, and practice self compassion alongside others on a similar path. You can learn more about the group and see if it feels like a good fit for you on my services page.

Happy New Year!

-Courtney

References

Kant, A. K., & Graubard, B. I. (2014). Prevalence of weight-loss attempts and strategies for controlling weight in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association, 312(7), 677–679.

Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A. M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. American Psychologist, 62(3), 220–233.

Frederick, D. A., Daniels, E. A., Bates, M. E., & Tylka, T. L. (2016). The shifting landscape of body image: A U.S. population study. Body Image, 19, 91–100.

Ipsos. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on Americans’ relationship with food and body image.

Disclaimer:This blog post is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or nutritional advice. The information provided is intended to support awareness, self-reflection, and general understanding of eating disorders, recovery, diet-culture, body image, and self-compassion. If you are experiencing distress, struggling with an eating disorder, or have concerns about your mental or physical health, please seek guidance from a licensed healthcare or mental health professional.