As we celebrate Mother’s Day, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the many ways our mothers have influenced us. They have shaped our dieting history, not just in the big, obvious ways, but in the subtle, everyday moments. These moments have shaped our relationships with food, our bodies, and ourselves. The lessons learned in the kitchen or through casual conversations around the dinner table have lingered far beyond childhood, and truly show how our mothers shaped our dieting history.
This Mother’s Day, let’s take a moment to honour not just the love and care our mothers gave us. Let’s also acknowledge the ways they may have unknowingly influenced our dieting history. We can use those lessons to reshape our own narrative for ourselves and future generations.
Before we dive in, it’s important to acknowledge one thing: our mothers were simply passing down what they had been taught. They grew up in diet culture before we even had a name for it. Their own mothers likely passed it down to them. It was influenced by an era where thinness was tied to morality, and self-worth was measured by dress size, very much like it is now.
History is repeating itself, however that doesn’t mean the outcome has to remain the same.
They weren’t trying to harm us. They were simply repeating what they had learned, because, for them, dieting wasn’t just a choice, it was the norm. From magazine covers to television ads, women were told that their bodies were always a “before picture,” waiting for transformation. And when society drills that into you from a young age, how could they have known any different? How can many of those around us know any different?
For a lot of us, the kitchen was the heart of the home. It was where meals were prepared, traditions were passed down, and food was so much more than just sustenance. It was where we saw our mothers carefully plan meals, avoid certain foods, count calories, or chase the latest diet trend.
These early lessons shaped how we later approached food. Did we learn to savour meals with joy, or associate food with guilt? Did our mothers’ habits influence our own relationship with nutrition and body image? The way they navigated food became the foundation of how we would later see ourselves and our worth.
As we grew up, we didn’t just hear the clatter of pots and pans. We also heard the way our mothers spoke about their own bodies and shaped our dieting history.
🙁 “I need to lose weight.”
🙁 “I can’t eat that, it’s bad for me.”
🙁 “I wish I looked like I used to.”
To them, these were just passing comments. To us, they were messages that shaped how we viewed our own reflection. If the women we looked up to were constantly criticizing themselves, what did that mean for us?
Many of us internalised these beliefs before we even realised it. We learned that bodies were something to shrink, control, and obsess over rather than something to live in, move in, and enjoy.
For many of our mothers, dieting was part of their daily routine. It wasn’t questioned, it was just something women did. Whether it was cutting carbs, counting points, or joining weight loss groups, these behaviours were seen as acts of discipline and self-control.
So, without even realising it, dieting became a family affair. We picked up on the unspoken rules. Some foods were “good,” others were “bad,” and eating the wrong thing meant failure. And so the cycle continued.
But here’s the thing: we don’t have to keep the cycle going.
This Mother’s Day, let’s acknowledge the past without letting it define our future. Our mothers did the best they could with the knowledge they had. However, we have the power to rewrite the narrative.
❤️ We can embrace food as nourishment, not punishment.
❤️ We can move our bodies for joy, not for shrinking.
❤️ We can teach the next generation that their worth has nothing to do with their weight.
If we want to end the cycle of diet culture, we have to take intentional steps. We need to change the way we speak about food, exercise, and our bodies. This is important both for ourselves and for those who come after us. Here’s how we can start:
Avoid calling foods “good” or “bad.” Food is not a test, and eating a certain way does not make you a better or worse person. Instead, try:
✅ “All foods fit in a balanced life.”
✅ “This food fuels me in different ways.”
✅ “I’m allowed to enjoy my meals without guilt.”
Kids pick up on everything. When they hear adults constantly complaining about their weight or appearance, they learn to do the same. Instead of focusing on body size, try:
✅ “I love how strong my legs feel today!”
✅ “My body does so much for me.”
✅ “Bodies change, and that’s okay!”
Exercise isn’t a way to “burn off” food, it’s a way to celebrate what your body can do! Instead of framing movement as a chore, try:
✅ “What kind of movement feels fun today?”
✅ “Let’s dance just because it feels good!”
✅ “Rest is just as important as movement.”
Be critical of what you see in media and social conversations. Challenge statements like:
🚫 “I need to earn this meal.” → ✅ “Food is fuel, I don’t have to earn it.”
🚫 “I feel so guilty for eating that.” → ✅ “Food doesn’t have morality.”
🚫 “I need to get my summer body ready.” → ✅ “My body is already summer-ready.”
Be the role model you needed when you were younger. If you have kids, nieces/nephews, students, or young people in your life, show them that their bodies are worthy as they are. Let them see that food is not a battle, and movement is not a punishment.
This Mother’s Day, let’s acknowledge the past without carrying its burdens forward. We can appreciate everything our mothers gave us while also choosing a different path for ourselves and future generations.
🔸 We can be the ones who break the cycle.
🔸 We can be the ones who unlearn and heal.
🔸 We can be the ones who say: Enough. It stops with me.
This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate not just where we came from, but where we’re going.
