July 21 Is National Junk Food Day, But The Fact That We’re Still Villainizing Food Is A Problem | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

July 21 Is National Junk Food Day, But The Fact That We’re Still Villainizing Food Is A Problem

Food is not an end-all, cure-all – it won't solve all of your problems and in the same light, food can't deliberately hurt you.

253
July 21 Is National Junk Food Day, But The Fact That We’re Still Villainizing Food Is A Problem

Media loves to hate on certain foods and health junkies buy right into it. But, we are all being fooled. We eat food to nourish our beautiful bodies and to make sure we have enough energy to fulfill our hopes and dreams. And, unlike what diet culture says, food is not evil.

Would you believe me if I said there are no "good" or "bad" foods? If I were to guess, your response would be, "What are you talking about? There is junk food and healthy food."

But, food is food. Yeah, you read what I wrote.

There is no reason to villainize that burger and fries and put your kale juice on a pedestal. Every food item can fit into your diet. Even using the word "junk" in front of food, rubs me the wrong way.

We are not at war with food, we are on the same side.

Who said that we are at war with food? Oh yeah, million-dollar diet industries who thrive on your insecurities. Ask any professional dietician and they would disagree with everything diet culture has to say.

See also "27 Health Myths That Are Actually Incredibly Harmful To Yor Wellbeing."

When we villanize food, we are giving certain foods power over us and saying that they are "responsible for causing us trouble, harm, or damage." This is a clear fear tactic that diet companies depend on to manipulate consumers. Food is not an end-all, cure-all – it won't solve all of your problems and in the same light, food can't deliberately hurt you.

By villanizing certain foods, you are giving it an uncalled for power over you, which will only make you crave this so-called untouchable food more. We all know you want what you can't have.

Once you throw the labels away and stop demonizing food, your body will naturally crave nourishment. You will find freedom and satisfaction away from diet culture. That sounds like a breath of fresh air, doesn't it?

Report this Content
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1623
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1074
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

269
winter

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1684
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments