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Home » Diets that Work » Dr. Ebony Butler, Licensed Psychologist, And Food Relationship Strategist Gets Real About The Dangers Of Diet Culture And Social Media For Black Women…

Dr. Ebony Butler hard at work as a licensed psychologist and food relationship strategist.

Medical experts, nutritionists, and others have joined in a chorus rallying against diet culture. Yet, the fixation on diet and body image remains as pervasive and toxic as ever now with social media adding fuel to the fire. Studies show that accessibility to cosmetic surgery and eating disorders have also aided in the troubling compulsion that America has with weight and the female body. Because the Black female body has been commodified and dehumanized throughout U.S. history, Black women are more venerable when internalizing negative and damaging messages about body image and diet culture.

According toDr. Ebony Butler, a licensed psychologist, and food relationship strategist diet culture is an ideal standard of beauty in America that associates beauty with thinness. Dr. Ebony added that diet culture is toxic because it perpetuates preferences of body composition that promotes the notion that happiness is connected with thinness, fitness, or the allusion thereof. Images of thinness are regularly seen on social media, film, television, and overall popular culture. But what happens when a woman does not naturally have a thin torso, rock hard abs, and toned legs?

The sobering reality is that only 5% of women naturally possess the body type that floods American media and is deemed ideal or what some might consider, #goals. Studies suggest that over 90% of women are unhappy with their bodies and diet to achieve their ideal body shape. Similar studies reveal that consuming large amounts of reality television significantly contributes to young girls becoming fixated on their outward appearance and women who consume increased amounts of media place greater emphasis on appearing sexy and physically attractive compared to women who do not.Cosmetic surgery has become a normalized and widely used option for women to achieve their ideal body so much so that many women undergo invasive cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, tummy tucks, and breast augmentation without having a thorough understanding of the possible complications that could arise.

Over 40% of women in a recent study have either previously considered or were currently considering undergoing a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of their body. Granted, cosmetic surgery should be a viable option for well-informed adults who wish to make certain body modifications. That said, doctors caution that cosmetic surgery can be dangerous when it becomes habitual or used as a substitute for leading a healthy lifestyle. Like cosmetic surgery, dieting is also a slippery slope that can lead to a compulsive and unhealthy way of life. Dr. Ebony said, the goal is eating healthy, not dieting. Theres a difference. Its been reported that more than one-third of the people who admit to normal dieting, will transition into pathological dieting, and about a quarter of them will suffer from a partial or full-blown eating disorder.

There has been a common misconception that eating disorders and the devastating impact of diet culture only affect white women, which couldnt be further from the truth. You cant talk about diet culture without talking about Black people, Dr. Ebony said. Eating disorders are a significant issue for Black women. Studies show that recurrent binge eating is more common among Black women than white women and that Black girls are 50% more likely than white girls to engage in bulimic behavior.

Although anorexia is less common among Blacks than whites, Black Americans with anorexia typically develop the disorder at a younger age and struggle with the disorder for longer periods, which in part can be explained by food deserts in inner-city neighborhoods, lack of access to medical and mental health services in the Black community, and a lack of education about healthy eating habits. The prevalence of eating disorders among Black women is also broadly fueled by the impact of mainstream images of white beauty in America that often feature slimmer silhouettes than the curvier bodies of many Black women.

The commodification and dehumanization of the Black female body has been widely documented. Dating as far back as 1814 when Saartjie Sara Baartman, an African slave, was involuntarily put on display throughout Europe for patrons to pay admission to gawk at her curvy silhouette the Black female body has been objectified and looked at as a spectacle and a source of shame. But the degradation of the Black female body did not end with Baartman, whose remains were showcased in a Paris museum in up until 1974 over a century past her death. Many Black women continue to carry the intergenerational trauma of being viewed as abnormal and not good enough.

Diet culture overall, and everything that its associated with, is rooted in anti-Blackness. The Black body has been depicted in mainstream media as hypersexual, greedy, savage, insatiable, and undesirable, Dr. Ebony said.

Black women are typically depicted in media through three select lens: the jezebel trope in which Black women are objectified and depicted as hyper-sexual and overtly promiscuous compared to white women, themammy maternal stereotype, and the angry Black woman (the sapphire) trope; and according to Dr. Ebony, social media has added insult to injury by, uplifting and glorifying non-Black bodies. Interestingly, more recently there has been a slight shift in which some non-Black women are seeking cosmetic enhancements to make their lips appear fuller, their hips wider, and their glutes rounder physical attributes that many Black woman naturally possess but have been a source of shame and oppression. Yet, are accepted and in some cases viewed as desirable when seen on non-Black women. Black women in the same body are viewed as lewd and raunchy, Dr. Ebony explained. This constantly evolving matrix of expectations can lead Black women to, continuously chase the idea of beauty, while also never feeling good enough, Dr. Ebony shared.

Contrary to what some might think healthy bodies do not always have a flat stomach and cinched waistline. Dr. Ebony described a healthy body as one that is mobile, energetic, and functions in ways that promotes less illness. But a healthy mindset must accompany a healthy body and healthy body image.

Its important for Black women to be happy with who and where they are. Not the potential of their body fitting an ideal, but loving their body as it is now. This is key in possessing a healthy body image, Dr. Ebony explained. I dont think its about self-love. Its about acceptance. Without acceptance, you cannot love yourself.

For Black women who wish to lose weight or seek other changes in their body, Dr. Ebony suggested they eliminate deficit thinking. Stop thinking about what you need to take out of your diet and start considering healthy foods that you can begin to include. Overall, Dr. Ebony recommended a holistic approach to physical change that first begins with mental and emotional healing. For example, not only going by the number on the scale and to focus more on feeling healthy and creating positive messages around body image and food.

We as Black women have to understand our trauma and how this happened to us. Once we begin to process and address our trauma we can create space and welcome in grace and compassion. If we dont have grace and compassion we cant do the long-term work needed to have healthy bodies.

Processing body shame trauma can start by seeking the assistance of a mental health professional, researching the history of how Black women have been historically objectified, and being more conscious about the quality and quantity of media consumption. Dr. Ebony suggested for Black women to frequent social media platforms that make them feel positive about their natural bodies and not unworthy or ashamed.

Originally posted here:
Dr. Ebony Butler, Licensed Psychologist, And Food Relationship Strategist Gets Real About The Dangers Of Diet Culture And Social Media For Black Women...

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Home » Diets that Work » Dr. Ebony Butler, Licensed Psychologist, And Food Relationship Strategist Gets Real About The Dangers Of Diet Culture And Social Media For Black Women…