A TikToker Explains What Diet Culture Would Be Like If It Was a Person (Hint: It's Greedy!)

If you've heard a friend talk about the "quarantine 15" in the last few months, you know diet culture is alive and well, even in the midst of a pandemic. Diet culture thrives off the insecurity it ignites in society, with the weight-loss industry benefitting financially every time someone gets pulled into another fad diet that never seems to work quite the way they hoped it would. Given everything else happening in the world, we should all try to focus less on the scale.

But athlete and activist Victoria Garrick knows how challenging that can be, which is why she created a TikTok — which she later reposted on Instagram — told from the point of view of diet culture. In the video, she plays an all-too-familiar character that sets a standard of beauty that's impossible and unattainable, then tries to sell you a variety of products aimed at achieving it. The problem: the standards are constantly changing, because you feeling "good enough" would eliminate the need for diets, teas, and other products purported to help you lose weight. Garrick notes that, as a result, weight loss is a $70 billion industry.

If you're struggling with body image, remember that your worth doesn't come from your body size and that the people telling you it does just want your money. Instead of trying another fad diet, read these therapist tips for learning to love your body — or if body positivity doesn't feel right to you, give body neutrality a try. Watch the full video above.