You may have noticed a theme in many of my other blogs that I am not a fan of strict rigid diets that primarily focus on weight loss or weight control as the primary objective. And, I am often frustrated at how often the discussion is about smaller bodies being healthier and larger bodies being the cause of illness and poor health. There is research that disproves this, yet it is rarely discussed (You can read more about this topic in my blog Dispelling the Myth that Thinness = Health). So, you might be able to imagine my surprise and utter frustration when I read of a recent decision by a bank to create a sign-in page filled with food superiority and advocacy for a thin, svelte body.
It is KeyBank's sign-in screen and it features a bunch of strategically placed, colorful foods that ooze super food nutritional perfectionism. More disturbing is the fork being wrapped like a snake by a tape measure. "Don't let that fork lead you to gain weight!" is what that message is saying, in a very clever and sinister way. Enjoy the blog KeyBank- Banking on Diet Culture by Ragen Chastain to read more about this marketing stumble. Ragen is a "Speaker, Writer, Dancer, Marathoner, ACE Certified Health Coach and Functional Fitness Specialist, in Training to be an Iron-distance Triathlete, Activist, and Real Live Fat Person!" (info from Ragen's website Dances With Fat). This blog serves as a reminder how pervasive diet culture is and provides some tips on how to navigate living amongst this toxic negative talk about food and our bodies. One of Ragen's suggestions is to express gratitude you are able to notice Diet Culture's BS and call it out! I challenge everyone to consistently Call It Out!!