When the desire to be healthy becomes disordered: the emergence of toxic wellness culture and orthorexia in diabetes [replay] E.48

The desire to be healthy is ubiquitous in our cultural climate, but especially so within the diabetes space. This need to pay even closer attention to health, because of diabetes can create more hyperconsciousness surrounding food choices and other associated health behaviours. Behaviours, that for some can turn into an obsession, leading to the development of disordered eating and eating disorders, including orthorexia.
Given the prominence of diet culture within our cultural climate, and given our increasing backlash in its weight focused messaging, it is no wonder that diet culture has learned to shape shift into a more outwardly acceptable pursuit - optimal health. A pursuit however, that still idealizes smaller bodies and demonizes food choices.
Although wellness culture is relatively new within mainstream dieting spaces, I'd argue undertones of this health movement have been ever present within diabetes care. And with its emergence into mainstream culture, the ways in which we as a diabetes community have come to view food and health have shape shifted with it.
Now not only are we concerned of making food choices to support our blood sugars, but also making food choices that support this idea of optimal health. Now an apple may no longer simply be an apple. Before we can eat it, we find ourselves needing to qualify - where it came from, how it is grown, and if it should be eaten alone to best support insulin sensitivity. We worry whether it will support our digestive and intestinal health. We question whether it is inflammatory and could contribute to additional autoimmune conditions etc etc etc etc...
Ultimately, we are creating a society of obsessed and stressed eaters - which ends up taking us further away from reaching and sustainably supporting that healthful existence we may have envisioned.
On this episode you'll learn:

• What is orthorexia
• How diet culture is shape shifting into wellness culture
• How living with diabetes can facilitate our transition into wellness culture
• The increased prevalence of orthorexia for those living with diabetes
• Steps you can take to move away from obsession and create more flexibility

Mentioned in the show:
Shoemaker, C (2020). Orthorexia Nervosa Prevelance in US Adults with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes [Thesis Submission], The University of Minnesota.
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https://www.lindsaysarson.com/work-with-me