When planning out a day, food should never dominate the conversation, never consume the mind’s every thought, and never measure our worth.
The obsession surrounding food, however, arises in almost every teenager’s mind.
“If I know that I am getting dinner at my favorite restaurant later, I make sure my lunch is small and I don’t snack,” says Sophia Solomon, a sophomore at Wilton High School. “It’s just to make sure that my habits are healthy and balanced.”
The normalization of eating disorders has destroyed teens’ health. The prevalence of subtle signs desensitizes our youth to unhealthy eating habits, plaguing the minds of generations to come.
When the term “eating disorder” comes up, our minds immediately think of diseases such as anorexia, conjuring up extreme images of emaciated bodies. However, our concept of healthy eating has become so intertwined with diet culture that we lose sense of what an actual healthy relationship with food looks like and begin to exhibit the warning signs of these disorders.
Teens no longer simply skip meals or attempt fad diets; they attach their self-worth to what they eat and don’t eat. Terms like “cheat days” and “clean eating” saturate everyday language, while masking habits that fuel a cycle of disordered eating and disconnect from their body’s true needs.
Boys, too, fall victim to this epidemic, no less than girls.
While the ideals of female diet culture glorify unhealthy thinness, muscle dysmorphia in teenage boys promotes dangerous habits.
Psychiatrist Dr. Smith of the University of Toronto explains that “It might be because they want to be fitter for hockey, or because they want to be more muscular or “cut” from an appearance point of view” Their obsession drives relentless workouts and dangerous patterns of restriction, all in pursuit of a physique that, to them, stands as the pinnacle of health and fitness. “We see the obsessive exercise. We see eliminating certain types of food. We see marked dietary restraint.” The signs stand out, but the cries for help often drown in the silence that surrounds them.
On the outside, teenage boys may display their “accomplishments” but beneath their idea of fitness lies the fact that they push their bodies to unhealthy limits.
“When your body is constantly exerting more energy than it is taking in, that can lead to a starvation state where your vital organs begin to shut down,” says Dr. Nagata, a co-researcher of Dr. Smith. Protein shakes replace meals; hours in the gym replace time spent with friends or family.
In light of this, however, some argue that focusing on fitness and disciplined eating encourages healthy habits, not disordered behavior. The National Parent Teacher Association teaches you to encourage exercise instead of eating when bored, frustrated, or sad. While this idea attempts to promote healthy habits, it ignores the fine line between discipline and obsession.
In reality, these habits morph into rigid, harmful routines. Critics insist proper education can guide teens in navigating diet culture safely, yet what happens when these “healthy goals” spiral into obsession? When do exercise and meal plans become chains rather than tools for growth?
To encourage true growth, a line needs to be drawn between healthy habits and obsessive behavior. Education must shift, focusing on intuitive eating and body positivity. We must promote balance in the impressionable minds of our youth instead of allowing them to succumb to societal pressures.
Here’s some food for thought: stop thinking about what you eat and why, and start living a life where you are in control. A life where you eat what you want and exercise when you want while embracing how you live without comparison and without apology.