Unpacking the Real Issues Behind Diet Culture's Influence

Explore how modern "wellness culture" can mask harmful messages from diet culture and why it’s time to rethink the issues hidden behind the pursuit of health.

Written by: Cristina Luibil, MS, RD, LDN

What's the issue with wellness?

Truthfully, nothing at all. Wellness, at its core, is a beautiful concept: a proactive, personal pursuit of good health and well-being. The issue arises when the influence of diet culture distorts it, turning what should be empowering into something manipulative and, at times, shame-inducing.

That realization hit me like a ton of bricks while reading Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD. In her brilliant unpacking of our relationship with food and body, she highlights how diet culture has expertly rebranded terms like “wellness,” “health,” and “lifestyle change” to continue selling us the same old restrictions, just dressed in softer language.

Diet companies have caught on: people are tired of diets that don’t work. So instead of fixing the method, they’ve simply renamed it. Now they sell dieting under the disguise of "wellness," and that’s the real issue.

The understated influence of diet culture

As a registered dietitian, I’ve noticed a subtle discomfort even in using the word wellness in professional spaces. What once symbolized holistic care and balance now sometimes triggers suspicion or skepticism. And honestly? That hurts.

I’m not afraid of the term, but I am frustrated that diet culture has infiltrated something that’s meant to support healing and health, not restrict or shame.

So, what can we do?

Listening to Christy’s critique of “wellness culture” stirred some big feelings: anger, frustration, and grief. But I also felt a renewed sense of clarity. We can’t wait for diet culture to play fair. We need to protect and redefine wellness for what it truly is.

Here’s how we start taking it back:

• Use wellness as it was meant to be used—a term that embodies care, balance, and sustainability.

• Stop using "wellness" as code for dieting. Call out restriction and manipulation for what they are.

• Define wellness openly and clearly in your content and conversations. Let’s take back the narrative.

• Check out and support resources like Health at Every Size® and communities like Redefining Wellness.

• Tag your practice under the wellness banner with integrity, so it’s easier for others to find aligned care

Breaking free from diet culture's grip

At Aterra Nutrition, our tagline is Sustainable Nutrition for Lifelong Wellness®. And we stand by it—because this kind of wellness has nothing to do with restriction.

To me, sustainable nutrition means learning how to nourish your body in a flexible, long-term way. Not a quick-fix “plan,” but a relationship with food built on trust, knowledge, and joy.

Lifelong wellness is about honoring your body across all seasons of life through intuitive eating, joyful movement, mental health care, and self-compassion, not chasing a constantly shifting aesthetic.

The pathway to wellness

It’s time to separate wellness from diet culture and remind ourselves—and our communities—that caring for ourselves can be rooted in abundance, not control.

And at Aterra Nutrition, wellness will never be a euphemism for dieting. It’ll always be a path to nourishment, autonomy, and connection.

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Disclaimer: While I am a registered dietitian, the information shared in this blog is for general educational and informational purposes only and may not be tailored to your specific health needs. This content is not intended to replace personalized medical advice, nutrition counseling, or medical nutrition therapy. Any recipes or suggestions provided are meant to inspire and should be used at your discretion. Always consult with your own registered dietitian, physician, or healthcare provider before making changes to your nutrition, lifestyle, or treatment plan. If you choose, Aterra Nutrition would be happy to help you in your own, individual nutrition and intuitive eating journey.