11/26/2025
Older generations can make a lot of cringe-worthy comments about food and bodies, especially around holidays like Thanksgiving. Before sharing the many reasons for this, hear me out… they are not trying to cause harm or trigger you, even if they do. Older generations are making diet culture comments because that’s how they grew up.
In the mid-late 20th century, body image ideals changed from fuller bodies to excessive thinness, and the media was saturated with fad diets and weight loss messaging.
Many of that generation were also raised in scarcity, which can lead to both guilt for consuming food or guilt for wasting food.
Aging alone also causes many older adults to think more about their health, which can lead to an increase in food and body talk that ends up over-valuing thinness.
AND… many in late adulthood suffer from eating disorders and disordered eating without even knowing it, and their symptoms get explained away because “they’re just old and don’t eat much.”
If you are suffering from an eating disorder, be prepared. Your ED will 100% try to take advantage of these comments made around the dinner table to get you to engage in behaviors or just feel sh*tty about yourself. Talk to your team and create a plan. Because regardless of what is said or not said, your healing matters the most.
