Communicating Diet Culture: Anti-Diet Talk and Relations of Resistance

This chapter explores the significance of women’s relations of resistance, or the way they use their connections with family, friends, colleagues, co-workers, clients, and health professionals to challenge different aspects of diet culture. I discuss the role that capital plays in enabling some women to engage in relational forms of resistance over others: in confronting diet conversations, building communities, changing one’s own methods of interacting with patients/clients, and engaging in education and advocacy. I refer to these examples as forms of anti-diet talk, and emphasise that regardless of their position in the field, and the capital they possess, most women are able to challenge the myths and moralities that define diet culture in their everyday interactions. I emphasise that while relations of resistance are a potentially awkward or difficult experience for most, that some women experience greater difficulties than others.