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(Diet) Culture & Society

Understanding EDs

News & Research

Treatment & Recovery

Body Image

Food & Fitness

For a large portion of her illness, Equip Peer Mentor Stacy Jones blamed herself for her eating disorder. “I spent several years thinking I just had a problem with willpower,” Jones says. “I read so many books about developing willpower and became more and more discouraged—I figured I must've been the problem.”

Jones describes a feeling many people with eating disorders are familiar with—particularly those who struggle with 

 Despite the fact that BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States, it’s arguably one of most misunderstood and stigmatized. There's often a misrepresentation of binge eating disorder facts. 

The uncontrollable urge to eat large amounts of food (bingeing) characteristic of BED is often considered a personal failure in our 

-entrenched society, though we know it’s almost always a biological response to food deprivation. And because BED is more common among people in larger bodies, those with the disorder may feel even more exposed and vulnerable to 

People with BED might be used to hearing that binges — a symptom of their eating disorder — are the result of a lack of willpower. Not only is BED 

 an issue of willpower, but it’s a complex neurobiological mental illness, just like all eating disorders. The physiological, psychological, and emotional components of the disease are powerful and can’t be overlooked. Here’s what everyone should know about binge eating disorder facts.

Binge eating disorder facts: Why BED has nothing to do with willpower

: the most common eating disorder in the U.S., affecting about 2.8 million people; an illness that, unlike other EDs, affects males and females fairly equally; a 

 influenced by myriad genetic and environmental factors. Here’s what BED is 

: the manifestation of any sort of personal shortcoming.

“Let's remember that eating disorders provide a ‘false sense of control’ over our lives, starting with what we choose to eat or how our body looks,” Equip Dietician Gabriela Cohen says. “That ‘high’ or feeling of ‘pride’ from restricting gives a false sense of success. Ultimately, you are failing to actually take care of your body. Depriving the body of nourishment often leads to binge eating behaviors which are simply the response to that restriction.”

Cohen is describing one of many potential root causes at the heart of 

eating disorders: restriction. While food deprivation is considered one of the hallmark symptoms of anorexia, restriction is also a significant component of binge eating disorder because of something known as the “

, most binges are preceded by a period of restriction, because the physical hunger and mental exhaustion of food deprivation is unsustainable. In BED, the never-ending list of food “rules” and attempts to “be good” (i.e. restrict) result in inevitable “slip-ups” (i.e. binges), leading to a frustrating and potentially dangerous cycle of restricting, bingeing, feeling shame, and restricting again.

“That idea that binges are due to a lack of willpower can cause feelings of guilt, defeat, and anxiety, which in turn trigger even 

 binge eating disorder behaviors and the continuation of the binge-restriction cycle” Cohen says.

Jones agrees that any form of restriction can contribute to the difficulties of BED. “Oftentimes people address physical restriction but not 

 restriction,” she says. “Labeling food as ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ avoiding ‘unhealthy’ foods, and other forms of mental restriction are also likely to increase binge urges.”

Equip Therapy Lead Brittney Lauro also says the willpower mindset goes against our primal human need for nourishment. “In truth, our brains haven’t evolved all that much,” she says. “So when we apply the willpower mindset to something like cutting out sugar or carbs, it activates the deprivation fear in our brain. We were designed to operate this way because it’s what helped us survive: we would increase our intake of food when resources were available so we could survive when resources weren’t, like in a harsh winter. Even when we can intellectually understand that food is available, this primal fear of deprivation gets activated, leading us to binge eat, or feel out of control with our eating.”

It’s also possible for BED to serve as a form of emotion regulation. “For some, it might be a form of grounding, for others it might serve as a way to check-out or desensitize ourselves when painful memories or experiences are prompted,” Lauro says. “For those who are neurodiverse, binge eating might be associated with ‘stimming,’ or self-regulating.”

“Diet culture loves to moralize foods, thoughts, and behaviors, such as how restricting ‘bad foods’ should be viewed as a sign of strength that one should be proud of,” says Equip Dietician Gabriela Cohen. “When you restrict your diet, the body craves an influx of food. Giving in to this natural response through overeating or binge eating, is then is looked at as ‘failure’ in the eyes of diet culture.’”

Because this diet culture mentality is woven in the fabric of our modern society, it plays an undeniable role in the shame spiral. “We live in a society where we are conditioned to believe that if we just work harder we can do anything, like losing weight,” says Lauro. “The reality is that life isn’t that simple. The myths around willpower generate billions of dollars in revenue to the diet industry.” When willpower is marketed as the solution to everything, those with BED can be consumed with shame that their eating disorder behaviors are the result of their own lack of discipline.

Lauro adds, “In nearly all instances where I have professionally treated BED, as well as when I worked in the fitness industry, I have seen folks come in with the idea that their willpower will change it all,” she says. “I can see so clearly how this idea is normalized. We see it in the media, written on the walls of workout centers, and we hear it from healthcare professionals, colleagues, friends, and family.”

How to overcome the “willpower” mindset and actually heal BED

Considering the diet culture we’re all immersed in, separating from this mindset might be difficult — but it’s possible. Accepting and understanding the need for self-compassion and actionable steps toward treatment will help ensure long-lasting recovery from any eating disorder.

“The good news is, nearly all effective strategies for coping with and treating binge eating don’t require or involve willpower,” Lauro says. “Moreover, they don’t involve removing certain food groups from your life or home—in fact, this is often a surefire way to increase the probability of binge eating in the future.”

Because the restrictive behaviors at the root of BED inevitably perpetuate the cycle of 

, experts say establishing or re-establishing consistent patterns around food is critical to recovery. “First and foremost, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a regular pattern of eating,” Lauro says. “What that means is three meals and two to three snacks eaten at regular intervals of time throughout the day, making sure to never go more than three to four hours without an instance of eating.”

While the contents of those meals and snacks may differ from person to person, the goal is to adequately satiate the body and brain to prevent the fear of deprivation. “For some people, having consistent eating instances as well as dietary variety will resolve or quiet down the binge eating,” Lauro says.

Cohen agrees that the primary treatment strategy for BED must focus on building regular eating patterns with the support of a team. “Yes, you actually need to eat to overcome BED,” she says. “With the support of a team, you’ll also be challenged to break your food rules and restrictions, and eat your fear foods consistently, because if restriction persists, the binge-restrict cycle will continue.”

Working with a team using enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy

Another effective strategy experts used to treat BED in an evidence-based modality called 

 or CBT-E. This modality is a multi-stage, highly individualized approach that includes monitoring and noting thoughts, which is vastly different from a typical food log or what you might see in a fitness app says Lauro. Monitoring is designed to be completed in the moment, which in and of itself serves as a way to slow down, or disrupt, the process of binge eating. Oftentimes, folks describe feeling like they get into a ‘spiral’ during binge episodes that leads to feeling out of control. By utilizing an evidenced-based tool like a monitoring record, you can intervene with the spiral and create an ‘in the moment’ pause.”

Establishing distress tolerance techniques

While binges can often occur as a result of longtime restriction, there are other potential psychological and emotional factors at play that people should be aware of as they move toward recovery. “Many people end up binge eating as a way to avoid emotions—and this can even serve as a survival technique, like in cases of trauma,” Lauro says. “Healing from binge eating involves learning to sit with discomfort and tolerate distress. You can certainly practice this on your own if you feel it’s accessible and safe, but if you’d like more support, or binging is tied to more intense experiences, I highly recommend working with an eating disorder specialist to assist creating a strategic guide to building up distress tolerance.”

Jones says it’s imperative to explore the emotions that arise in the moments leading up to, during, and after a binge from a place of curiosity to help better understand the causes behind it. To truly work through the challenges of the illness, confronting and navigating the unpleasant feelings underlying the disorder is paramount. “One of the foundations for recovering from BED is working through shame and learning binge eating disorder facts,” she says. “If you experience shame, know that society has placed it on you and it’s not yours to carry. When we relate to binges from a place of compassion it holds less power. This creates space for healing and moving beyond BED.”

If you or someone you love might be struggling with binge eating disorder, know that there’s support available. 

 with our team to learn more about virtual eating disorder treatment at Equip.

Bray, Brenna, Chris Bray, et al. “Mental Health Aspects of Binge Eating Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Perspectives.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 13 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.953203.

CBT-E. Accessed October 24, 2023. https://www.cbte.co/.

Binge Eating Disorder Isn’t About Willpower. Here’s What It Is About.

If you've made it this far through the holidays, take a moment to celebrate. This time of year can be hard for anyone, and especially so for people navigating 

. But just as the major December festivities pass, it’s time to get ready for the bombardment of “new year, new you” messaging on TV, social media, subway ads, and more.

Although setting goals to improve yourself isn't a bad thing, per se, New Year's resolutions often have two problems: First, people don't tend to follow through on them. According to one recent study, about 

 of people abandon their commitments within a month—and failure to reach your resolution may make you feel worse about yourself. Second, the vast majority of year-end goals are centered around diets, weight loss, and fitness, which makes the whole resolution business particularly problematic for those in eating disorder recovery. If you or a loved one are working toward recovery (or in recovery), this might be triggering, or even cause a slide back into disordered eating and 

If you feel tempted to “improve” yourself this January with diet or fitness-related resolutions, we encourage you to keep reading. Learning why so many resolutions are rooted in physical appearance—and how to successfully strive for something more meaningful—can help you create resolutions that are aligned with your values and put you on track to follow through with those goals.

Why diet-focused New Year’s resolutions are harmful

“It’s totally understandable in our current culture why, when we think about a time of change and transformation, we think about changing our bodies to be more ‘acceptable’ and ‘healthy,’” says Equip therapist Kirstin Quinn Siegel, LMFT. “We have so many messages—constantly, every day—bombarding us with false ideas about health, body size, and what will make us happy.”

The desire to be accepted is completely natural. The problem, Siegel says, is that 

 has co-opted and capitalized upon these very fundamental and basic human needs. “Diet culture tells us that thinner bodies are better in every way and larger bodies are potential projects to be changed and ‘transformed’ by any means necessary,” she says. This mindset is damaging for anyone with a body, and particularly for people living with an eating disorder or 

.See, whether a resolution is about a particular weight, a fitness goal, or simply being “healthier”, many of these ambitions are associated with achieving a specific number, following certain “rules” about eating or exercise, and other rigid practices. These things are common 

 and, in turn, may fuel unhealthy habits that people in recovery are working so hard to let go of.

On top of all that, body-centric resolutions are often unsustainable. As many of us have experienced, 

 can often lead to bingeing and an unhealthy relationship with food; and your body can handle only so much exercise before it starts causing injury, messing with your sleep, or leaving you tired all the time, 

. Adding insult to injury, failing to reach a goal can 

trigger or increase anxiety and depression

If “new year, new you” messaging is so harmful...why is it everywhere? Because it sells, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect for those looking to profit.

At the end of the year, we celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, New Years, and often more. For most people, 

 are not only a time to gather with loved ones, they're also a time to connect over food. And the message we tend to hear about this eating centers around guilt and “overindulging.”

No matter how little or much we actually eat, companies know we may 

 we “overdid it”—so they take advantage of that opportunity to sell us their weight-loss program, cleanse, workout plan, detoxification, or other “quick fix.” And since January 1 is approaching, they promote their product as a way to kick off the new year with a bang and “improve” yourself.

focusing on external changes like weight loss

 detracts from holistic health goals. When you fixate on a number, it not only casts a lot of gray area into black and white, it’s also arbitrary and fleeting: no specific weight or size makes you “healthy” or “unhealthy,” and all too often, the target for these goals keeps moving (you continue to want to lose more and more).

On the other hand, resolutions that promote positive 

, a healthy relationship with food, and simply feeling good support both your physical and your mental health, and help you listen to and trust your inner voice. These are the types of changes that ultimately lead to confidence, fulfillment, and real well-being.

In a world where “clean” eating (whatever that means) and a “more-is-more” attitude about exercise are so widely considered to be good things—despite evidence otherwise—it can be tough to know what a “healthy” resolution actually entails.

For starters, it helps to remember that “health” is not about a number on the scale or arbitrary body-based goals. It’s about doing things that positively impact your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. With that in mind, here are some tips to help guide you toward resolutions that promote 

“A key aspect of a supportive resolution is that it comes from an intrinsic desire and is aligned with your values,” says Equip Peer Mentor Stacy Jones. “Having resolutions that are intrinsically driven means they aren't about others seeing you a certain way, or about what you ‘should’ do. It is something truly for you that will support your most expansive and aligned life.”

As Equip co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Erin Parks, PhD puts it, no one should be “should”-ing themselves when setting their resolutions: “A healthy resolution is one that makes you happy when you think about doing it—and doesn't make you feel guilty when you think about not doing it.” To her point, Parks picks a resolution each year that's based around learning a new skill or engaging in an activity she’s always wanted to try. One year it was knitting, another year it was surfing. “It’s not about changing myself—I certainly am not becoming a knitter or a surfer. Instead, I wanted to have the experience of learning how to do something,” she says. “And if I hadn't followed through and didn’t actually learn to surf, I wouldn't have felt guilty about it.”

To prevent slipping into the “should” mentality (even when setting non-body-based goals) Siegel suggests finding the reason behind the resolution and asking yourself what purpose it serves. Park agrees, adding that you may have to ask yourself several times to help you set the right intention. “When making a resolution, ask yourself why you're resolving to do it, and when you think you've answered it, ask ‘why’ again,” she says. “So if your answer is ‘to be healthy’, what does healthy mean to you? Why do you want to be healthy? Maybe it’s, ‘I want to be healthy so that I can have the energy to play with my grandkids.’ If it’s, ‘I want to drink more water,’ and you say it’s because you want to ‘be healthy’, maybe what you really want is to feel in control of your health. So maybe that means trying to have a regular sleep schedule, and it's not actually about drinking more water. Figure out what you're really saying and be honest with yourself.”

Resolutions don’t have to be about physical health; your mental health matters just as much. “Characteristics of a ‘healthy’ resolution might include practicing daily acceptance of where you are, just as you are, and turning focus inward to the state of your nervous system and mental well-being first,” says Equip Family Mentor Inga Yanoski. “‘Healthy’ goals might include gratitude, intentional rest, and achievable resolutions that don’t have anything to do with physical transformation or diets. Like focusing on 

 rather than movement that is coming from a place of ‘I should,’or a resolution of giving oneself permission to say ‘no’ instead of always saying ‘yes.’”

 or an eating disorder or have in the past, be honest with yourself about whether it’s you or the eating disorder setting goals. Take the time to have a heart-to-heart with yourself (and any professionals or loved ones who are part of your support team). You'll know in your gut who's controlling the steering wheel.

If you're in treatment for an eating disorder, loop your therapist and other healthcare providers in on your resolution-making process. They can work with you to help you determine whether setting resolutions could be helpful or harmful in supporting recovery. And if it could help, together you can brainstorm ideas of resolutions that promote your physical and mental health.

If we can agree that weight loss- and appearance-focused resolutions are more likely than not to result in disappointment at best—and trigger or exacerbate disordered behaviors at worst—how can people (both in recovery and otherwise) go about setting end-of-year goals that will help them feel happier and healthier?

Jones believes it may help to initially switch up the language that describes New Year ambitions. “What I really like to do is set ‘intentions’ for the New Year instead of ‘resolutions,’” she says. “This allows me to view my life in a holistic way and consider how I want to feel in it.”

Yanoski agrees that the semantics can make a big psychological impact: “Setting an intention takes the pressure off of ‘resolving’ to do something. It softens the rigidity and the rules that come along with a resolution,” she says. (This is particularly important for those in recovery, as 

rigidity is often characteristic of an eating disorder mentality

Only you know which intentions are best for you. To help you, here are some goals to inspire your brainstorming:

Develop hobbies, like gardening or learning a new skill

Take a cooking class with a friend or partner

Setting resolutions is one thing. Sticking to them so you reach your goals is another. While you should allow yourself grace to not “achieve” everything on your list, these tips can help you continue moving toward your intentions for the year:

 Sometimes, an end goal can seem far away. But if you record your progress daily or weekly, you'll see the small improvements that you're making, and that will eventually lead you to achieving your big goal. As a bonus, this process helps you stay motivated, because success inspires success.

 It's easy to ditch a resolution when nobody else knows about it. But when you tell one person (or more), suddenly you're accountable for your goal. You could schedule regular check-ins with your accountability buddy or reach out when you need support. Either way, just by them being aware of your intention, they’ll help keep you on track.

 If you find yourself struggling to stick with a resolution, pause for a moment and have another honest conversation with yourself. Do you truly want this intention, or have your desires shifted? It's perfectly acceptable to change your mind and drop or adjust a resolution at any time of the year, especially if doing so aligns with your inner values.

Tips for dismantling diet culture in January and beyond

Let's face it: Although the new year is one time when diet culture is particularly rampant, it can make an appearance in our lives any day of the year. The tips below can help you stay strong and avoid its influence.

Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms can be sources of knowledge and connection, but there's also a lot of misinformation and deception. Unfollow any accounts that make you feel worse about yourself, promote unhealthy behaviors, or produce weight-centric content.

 is a mindset where you appreciate and respect your body for what it can do, rather than focusing on how it looks. This can help you better value yourself based on your internal worth, not your external appearance.

This practice helps many people develop a more positive relationship with food. With 

, you give up any “food rules” and instead listen and respond to your body's cues about what and when to eat. This practice embraces all the reasons we eat: for nourishment, pleasure, socialization, and more. If you’re in eating disorder treatment or recovery, talk with your care team or a dietitian about whether intuitive eating is a good choice for you. It can be a very supportive and empowering practice, but it’s not for everyone at every stage of recovery.

If friends or family engage in diet or weight talk, you can let them know you don't want to be part of that discussion. Simply say, “I'd rather not talk about food. Let's talk about [other topic].” Or you could try something like, “I'm trying to keep a positive outlook about my body. Can we change the topic?” If they ask questions, you can explain your feelings—but you don't have to.

How to support loved ones in avoiding diet-centered resolutions

If New Year's resolutions are triggering for a loved one (and especially if they struggle with body image or eating) you can be a source of solace this time of year. By being more mindful of resolution-related triggers, you can help them set intentions that align with their true selves.

Foster positive conversations about goals

Making resolutions can cause us to focus on what's “wrong” with us and what “needs” to change. This doesn't make anyone feel good. Instead, center these discussions around how your loved one can feel even better than they do today. It may help to begin their resolution brainstorm by having them think of all the awesome things about them, then considering how they might build upon those things.

Remember, we want to avoid diet or weight talk. If your loved one brings up a resolution that's even somewhat related to these things, help them off the slippery slope. You can ask them why they want to set their suggested resolution. Once you get at the real underlying intention, you can suggest a body-neutral goal. Such resolutions may be about starting a new hobby, practicing self-compassion, or doing something each day that makes them happy.

The Equip takeaway: Embrace intentions over resolutions

While experts advise avoiding any “shoulds” in resolution-setting, there’s one exception: at the end of the day (or year!), your resolution “should” be rooted in your true values and inspire feelings of joy, excitement, and inspiration. Body-focused goals don’t take these feelings into consideration, stemming instead from a diet culture mentality that often evokes feelings of shame and unworthiness—feelings that are awful for everyone, and possibly dangerous to those affected by eating disorders.

Instead, lean into activities, hobbies, and behaviors that enrich your life, your relationships, and your sense of self, goals that are much more likely to stick and that help you evolve into the person you’re striving to be. “Clean slates can be really exciting,” Parks says. “I think the new year is an opportunity for us to be introspective, to be reflective, and to look back on the previous year. And it's an opportunity to celebrate, give ourselves grace, and then think about what we want to do next.”

Sign up for the Equip newsletter to get more expert guidance and resources. 

Get Expert Resources Delivered To Your Inbox

1. Dickson, JM et al. “Self-Regulatory Goal Motivational Processes in Sustained New Year Resolution Pursuit and Mental Wellbeing.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health vol. 18,6 (2021):3084. 

2. “Are you getting too much exercise?” MedlinePlus [Internet] (updated 2022). Available from:

 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000807.htm

3. Johnson, Judith et al. “Resilience to emotional distress in response to failure, error or mistakes: A systematic review.” Clinical Psychology Review vol. 52 (2017):19-42

4. Wang, Shirley B. et al. “Cognitive rigidity and heightened attention to detail occur transdiagnostically in adolescents with eating disorders.” Eating Disorders vol. 29,4 (2021): 408-420. 

New Year’s Resolutions Around Diet Can Be Harmful — Here’s What to Do Instead

I was 17-years-old when I bought my first Victoria’s Secret bra. The year was 2001: 

 swept the Emmys, and I dove head-first into an 

 that would claim the better part of my next two decades. But back to that bra. It was shiny, black, and padded to such a comically cushioned point, my quickly diminishing breasts almost created the illusion of cleavage. But the straps were really the main attraction with every millimeter bedazzled in gaudy, era-appropriate rhinestones. I was obsessed with it. It represented everything I wanted to be at that point of time: sparkling, seductive, and—as the retailer assured me I would be if I kept investing in their products—

No seriously, that was the name of the bra: the Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy™ Push-Up Bra. But even with that absurd level of in-your-face co-opting and marketing of female sexuality, I never connected any dots between my own lifelong struggle with 

 to the largest lingerie retailer in the United States. That is, until Hulu released the three-part docuseries 

In all honesty, from the perspective of an obsessive pop culture analyst and women’s health advocate, the series was somewhat disappointing in that its main focus was on the misdeeds of the rich, white men behind the scenes—an important story to tell of course, but it felt like adding insult to injury to see the likes of Jeffrey Epstein stealing the spotlight from the victims in this re-telling. And while I’m referring to the literal victims of Epstein’s horrific crimes here, I’m also talking about others who suffered as a direct result of Victoria’s Secret's booming success: its female executives, its models, and the millions of consumers who bought into the dangerous fantasy it perpetuated.

Even though the villainization of Victoria’s Secret is well-deserved in so many ways, it’s imperative to understand that the company was not the first to equate thinness, whiteness, and a very specific allowance of curves to the notion of beauty. It is true that the retailer has been hawking that extremely narrow definition of sexiness 

 (doubling and tripling down on these efforts in 1982 and onward when controversial businessman Les Wexner took the helm). But 

 had been peddling a similar image since 1953, and Barbie’s unfathomable measurements debuted in 1959. And 

, women had been bombarded with weight, size, and shape ideals that were largely unattainable for the majority of bodies. Victoria’s Secret is not solely responsible for the creation of an impossible-to-most ideal, but the company is without a doubt one of the main contributors to the proliferation of body dysmorphia that has afflicted generations of women in record numbers. And it’s the culmination of all those images and messages over time that has played a part in the 

There’s another important truth to keep in mind here, however: eating disorders are not the inevitable by-product of an adolescence spent absorbing unrealistic, altered, and airbrushed bodies in the media. These potentially fatal 

 are rooted in biological, psychological, and social risk factors and triggers. In other words, to point a finger at a corporation like Victoria’s Secret, suggesting that the images it perpetuated are the single cause of these potentially fatal illnesses is ridiculously simplistic and just plain wrong. 

, and more. The bodies we see glorified in movies, television shows, and advertisements inevitably serve as our default standard, whether we consciously make that choice or not. And as 

 in our real lives can be for our mental and emotional well-being, it’s impossible to ignore the profound impact repeated, daily exposure to media images portraying one specific body type can and does have.

 that exposure to media images of ideal bodies is related to depression, stress, insecurity, and body dissatisfaction, which in turn is also related to eating disorder symptoms. While it's certainly not a direct and universal link that seeing these images will cause an eating disorder—if it were, everyone would have one—they are a clear part of a common cascade of risk factors setting someone on the path. If someone has genetic and brain-based risk factors, frequent media exposure to 'ideal' bodies can be the extra push,” says Cara Bohon, PhD, VP of clinical programs at Equip.

Besides being a potential trigger to those vulnerable to eating disorders, the imagery put forth by Victoria's Secret is a prime example of the underrepresentation that leads so many people to feel unworthy. Forty-plus years of Victoria’s Secret marketing would suggest the only characteristics worth pursuing are six-pack abs, voluptuous breasts, and able-bodiedness. The fact that only a sliver of the human population will ever embody those attributes has allowed Victoria’s Secret and other retailers to maintain a customer base all these years; by feeding consumers an incredibly limited notion of “beauty” defined by features 

 deemed beautiful (“they,” by the way, being mostly those aforementioned rich, white men who 

 hiring transgender or plus-size models), then they’ve ensured shoppers will keep coming back, shelling out money in hopes of getting a little closer to that seemingly successful supermodel smiling back at them from the pages of a magazine. 

But an unknown, incalculable number of individuals won’t just pursue that beauty ideal through their credit card; those predisposed to developing eating disorders due to genetics, health history, stress, or any number of 

 will sacrifice their lives in hopes of achieving that fantasy.

"I spent countless hours planning what I would do with my life once I finally achieved the thinner version of me. ‘Thinner Ally’ would graduate college, get married, love her job and finally feel confident—all things I was told wouldn't be possible until I stopped eating and exercised constantly,” says Ally Duvall, senior program development lead at Equip.

"Except, ‘thinner Ally’ was just a fantasy created by people in power hoping to make more of a profit from my body distress. I did graduate college, I am getting married and love my job—and none of that has anything to do with how my body looks or what brand of bra I wear,” she says.

And that airbrushed, glossy image of the Victoria’s Secret “Angel” really 

 fantasy—so much so that even the supermodels themselves weren’t “perfect” enough to fulfill it. In 2011, Angel Adriana Lima 

 she abstained from solid food in the nine days leading up to the brand’s annual fashion show. Last year, model Erin Heatherton 

 about using diet pills during her days as an Angel, and her former colleague Bridget Malcolm has been open about her 

. Add to all these extreme and life-threatening measures the fact that most catalog and advertising 

 anyway, and the result is a maddening, impossible-to-attain standard that no human could possibly meet—but many might die trying.

Mercifully, the Victoria’s Secret “Angel” concept 

, and with new leadership in place, the company has finally evolved past its myopic vision of beauty and brought in a group of 

 including inclusivity advocate Paloma Elsesser and gender equity campaigner and soccer star, Megan Rapinoe. It remains to be seen whether this rebranding effort can save the company’s tarnished reputation, but one thing’s for sure: it can’t undo the decades of damage it’s inflicted on countless women. Had I known at 17 what I know now, I may have reconsidered buying that bedazzled black bra circa 2001—or I would have at least known that abusing my body wasn’t a prerequisite to wear it and feel worthy.

If you or a loved one are struggling with body image distress, disordered eating, or other 

, it's important to get prompt help. Talk to your medical provider or 

Stice, E., & Shaw, H. E. (1994). Adverse effects of the media portrayed thin-ideal on women and linkages to bulimic symptomatology. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 13(3), 288–308. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.1994.13.3.288

Victoria's Secret Commandeered the Term 'Sexy' and it Contributed to the Millions Who Develop an Eating Disorder

Growing up in the golden age of teen magazines (aka the late ‘90s and early 2000s), I absorbed countless messages about what bodies “should” look like and how I could make mine look that way. Looking back at that time with modern-day vision, I can now clearly see that the majority of those messages were cringeworthy at best, and downright dangerous at worst. And while I like to think our society has come a long way in terms of how we think about and talk about bodies, I only have to go as far as Instagram or TikTok to see that we still have a lot of unlearning to do when it comes to diet culture.

Though it may not be as blatant today as it was in the ‘90s, 

—which is a set of beliefs that values thinness and weight loss above all, and often masquerades under the guise of “health” or “wellness”— has a significant impact on how we view and treat our bodies. To better understand the pervasive diet culture myths that continue to haunt us, I spoke with Equip Lead Dietitian Kristin Quill, RD and 

licensed psychotherapist Tessa Gordon, LMFT

. Here’s what they had to say about some of the most common myths they routinely debunk, where these ideas originated, and how to tune out diet culture noise, no matter where it’s coming from.

Myth #1: Carbohydrates are bad for you and you should avoid them

: From Atkins to Keto to Paleo and many others, fad diets have long villainized carbohydrates as the ultimate health underminers. In actuality, media figures have mostly had it out for this macronutrient because of its supposed hindrance on weight loss, not any real health effects. But not only are carbs 

 the enemy when it comes to nutrition, they are absolutely essential to overall well-being.

“Despite all the fear mongering done by diet culture, carbohydrates are actually very important to include in your intake throughout the day,” Quill says. “Glucose, the breakdown product of carbohydrates, is the 

most efficient source of energy for your body

. Your brain depends on glucose as its main energy source!”

Quill also points out that labeling certain foods as “bad” tends to increase fixation on that food and increases the likelihood of experiencing guilt or feeling “out of control” when eating it. “When you move away from rigidly labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ you create space to listen to your body and eat in a way that feels good for you, both mentally and physically,” she says.

Myth #2: You can never drink too much water

 It seems every magazine article I’ve ever read and every TikTok I’ve ever consumed has professed the benefits of ingesting water all day, every day, with no limit in sight. Those “benefits,” of course, typically revolve around weight loss. The truth, however, is that while water is vital, you 

 drink too much water!” Gordon says. “And it’s surprisingly easier than you may think.” Gordon isn’t just relaying this info as a professional: she’s actually lived the experience of chugging down too much H2O. “Take it from someone who learned this the hard way many years ago and found herself in the ER for simply drinking too much water,” she says. “While not my finest hour, I will say, I never ended up back there for that again.”

Influencers may claim that the more water you drink, the more aesthetic benefits you’ll see, but overhydration can lead to a severe electrolyte imbalance known as 

. “When you consume too much water in a certain amount of time, it dilutes the levels of electrolytes the body needs to function,” Gordon says. “The kidneys, which regulate the body’s balance of water and electrolytes, can’t get rid of the excess fluid fast enough. So the electrolyte level becomes diluted.”

One of the biggest risks of drinking too much water is 

, a condition that occurs when the blood concentration of sodium is abnormally low. “When sodium levels become low—hyponatremia—the extra water enters the cells and they start to swell, which leads to even more severe symptoms,” Gordon says.