How to respond to negative comments about food and bodies during the holidays
Plus: What’s “speech-language pathology” + Find out when you need to start screening for colorectal cancer
Welcome to Doing Well. Today:
An interview on building a healthier relationship with food and our bodies, even during the holidays
Word(s) of the week: speech-language pathology
When should you start screenings for colorectal cancer?
Happy Tuesday. Let’s get started!
We Asked: How can we unlearn diet culture?
You can see and hear it everywhere—in advertisements, social media feeds, and casual conversations. Diet culture is woven into the foundation of our society, impacting how we think about food, movement, and our bodies. It idealizes thinness, and encourages people to participate in food and exercise practices to attain an “ideal” body. But this can impact both our physical and mental health, and is amplified during the holidays.
Food is at the center of many holidays and is often a source of comfort, tradition, and connection. But when loved ones and distant relatives all gather around the table, it can open the door for comments about weight, body size, or what’s on someone’s plate, turning a shared meal into a source of discomfort.
Then enter Jan. 1—the season of New Year’s resolutions and nonstop marketing. Gym promotions, juice cleanses, detox teas, supplements, and quick-fix diets flood our feeds, all promising a “new you” that’s somehow smaller. For anyone who’s struggled with their body image or weight, it can feel impossible to escape. So how do we push back?
We spoke to Dr. Michelle May, a physician, the founder and CEO of Am I Hungry?, and associate professor in the ASU Department of Psychology, about the history and normalization of diet culture, and how we can rebuild a healthier relationship with food, even during the holidays. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Short on time? Here’s what to know:
Diet culture thrives on moralizing food. Labeling foods as “good” or “bad” makes eating feel like a moral test, but those definitions constantly shift. Foods that were once criticized can later become trendy. This moral framework keeps people stuck obsessing over what they “should” eat instead of listening to their bodies.
Dieting often leads to guilt, overeating, and renewed restriction. This loop is what Dr. May calls the “eat, repent, repeat” cycle. It feels productive in the moment but ultimately keeps people disconnected from real well-being and long-term balance. Check out this eating cycle assessment to see where you fall.
Mindful eating means paying attention to why and how you’re eating. This includes tuning into hunger, fullness, and sensory experiences without judgment. It’s not about control, it’s about awareness—which allows for less fixation and more satisfaction from your food.
Comments about food or body size can do real harm, especially during the holidays. Dr. May suggests addressing them directly, such as by calmly asking loved ones not to comment or redirecting the conversation. Protecting your relationship with food is worth the discomfort of setting that boundary.
Natasha Burrell: Where did diet culture come from and how did it become so normalized?
Michelle May: Diet culture has been around for more than a century. There is historical evidence that people were using various methods to change their body size probably many centuries ago. But what we’ve really seen in the last couple of decades, maybe more, is just this obsession with body size. And now that’s translated into “healthy eating” and “good eating” and all kinds of various methods of controlling what you eat. Of course, the availability of the internet and social media has just caused this to expand exponentially.
NB: You mentioned “good eating.” What do you think it is about that kind of language that is so attractive to us in conversations around food?
MM: It makes foods easy to define. It either falls into the “good” pile or the “bad” pile. And if we know what those definitions are, it’s easier to avoid certain things and lean toward the other things. However, in practice, that is not very effective.
The definition of good and bad foods changes. I was dieting during the time when fat was considered bad. Right now, one of the most popular diets is keto, which is highly fat-based. It blew my mind when I looked at what they were recommending people eat, because that was exactly the list of things I wasn’t supposed to eat back in the ‘80s. So nowadays, carbs are considered “bad,” but even that is just a funny phrase because carbs include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and other things that we commonly think of as being foods that are healthy.
So I think our problem with making things either good or bad is that ultimately we end up spending a lot of time thinking about what we should or shouldn’t eat. Then when we give in and eat something that is on the “bad” list, we might feel guilty about it, or we might think, Well, I’ve already blown it, I might as well just keep eating all the bad foods, and then I’ll be good tomorrow. So that perpetuates something that I call the eat, repent, repeat cycle, where you are eating what you want and feeling guilty about it. And then you pay the price by restricting your food or exercising more. Then it feeds back into repeating the cycle over and over again.
NB: How do we break free from this cyclical relationship with dieting?
MM: What we want is something that’s sustainable. This pattern of being “good” or being “bad” and then starting over is not sustainable. It’s not getting us any closer to our goal of feeling well and living a vibrant life.
Holiday times really are a big time when people struggle with this because of the abundance of foods that are on the “bad” list and the prospect of starting a new diet on Jan. 2. So we really see diet culture magnify itself. I encourage people to think about an inside-out approach, rather than an outside-in where somebody outside of you has defined the food as being “good” or “bad.” When I say inside-out, I’m talking about using your natural cues of hunger and fullness to help guide you; use your ability to balance a variety of foods throughout the day, the week, the month. Rather than trying to stay in the “good” category and then jumping all the way into the deep end of the bad category, try to find balance—if you think about somebody you know who doesn’t struggle with their eating, that’s exactly what they do. They eat what they love. They love what they eat. They eat what loves them, and they’re not spending a lot of time obsessing about food all the time.
NB: How can someone tell the difference between a healthy relationship with food versus falling into diet culture?
MM: The patterns of eating fall into four main categories. The first category is instinctive eating. This is your instinct—what you were born to do. Babies, from the time they’re born, cry when they’re hungry. It’s as if they can read their own fuel gauge. As we grow up, we might unlearn that ability. Maybe our mom makes us clean our plate, we begin to diet, or we begin to use food for emotional reasons.
We might slip into an overeating pattern, where we’re using food for reasons other than nourishing and fueling our body. Maybe using it because we’re stressed, or we’re bored, or other emotional cues. Keep in mind that emotional eating is part of normal eating. We all do it—eat cookies for a little bit of comfort. When we start struggling with this, it’s usually because we’re overusing food for those reasons and it just doesn’t work very well.
The third pattern is restrictive eating, where people are trying to use diet rules to decide when, what, and how much they’re allowed to eat. That outside-in focus tends to create a lot of conflict. It creates a lot of focus on food instead of other things that are likely to bring you more well-being.
The last pattern is where people are vacillating back and forth between the restrictive eating and overeating. That’s probably the most common pattern; it’s this diet culture pattern. I use the technique of mindful eating to help people re-engage with their body’s ability to know when they need fuel.
NB: What does mindful eating look like in a time with so many distractions? How can we start practicing it?
MM: Mindful eating is based on mindfulness. Mindfulness is really just about awareness of the present moment without judgment. Another definition might be eating with intention and attention. If I’m going to apply intention and attention to my eating, I might want to pay attention to why I’m eating in the first place. Am I hungry? Am I eating because I’m bored? Am I eating because it’s there or because it’s time? Or am I eating too much because I’m overly hungry? This intention is really about noticing why you’re doing what you’re doing. Attention is about bringing your awareness to the act of eating. This means paying attention to your body’s signals.
It also means paying attention to the aromas, appearance, tastes, and flavors as you’re eating and to how satiated you’re feeling as you eat. All of this is just simply about bringing awareness to a meal so that you are going to get optimal enjoyment.
NB: How can someone stay mindful about eating and body image over the holidays when surrounded by family diet talk?
MM: It’s so difficult, isn’t it? [For] somebody you have a close relationship with, somebody that you’re going to see regularly, this is worth spending some time addressing. And so that might look like saying, Hey, I know you’re really concerned about me. I can tell that you really love me and you want the best for me. But I need to tell you that when you comment about my eating or my body, it actually backfires. I feel bad about myself. I might be more likely to be secretive about my eating. And that’s not really how I want our relationship to go. So please do not comment on my food or on my body. Let’s keep our conversation to things that we can actually connect over. Something like that. For others, it might be a matter of just changing the subject. It might be a matter of stating something like, Diets have never worked for me, restriction has never worked for me, and I am really paying more attention to nourishing my body in a way that feels good. That’s something that I need to figure out for myself.
Well-Informed: Related stories from the ASU Media Enterprise archives
The food we eat is a reflection of who we are and where we come from, and every plate is a chance to connect. In this essay for Zócalo Public Square, Megan Chong writes about the culinary traditions that have influenced her life and explains how eating with others can improve both our psychosocial and physical health.
Well-Versed: Learning resources to go deeper
Think back to your teenage years—what was your relationship with food and body image like? For many of us, it’s a confusing mix of pressure, curiosity, and learning what actually feels nourishing for our bodies. In this episode of This Teenage Life, a mental health-focused podcast by teens, for teens, young people open up about how they’ve navigated nutrition and self-image. Plus, a registered dietitian shares ways to build a healthier, more balanced relationship with food. You can listen to the episode here, produced in collaboration with ASU Learning Enterprise.
Well-Read: News we’ve found useful this week
“What Foods Make You Happiest? It’s Not What You Think,” by Michaeleen Doucleff, Nov. 24, 2025, NPR
“Study Finds Mental Health Benefit to One-Week Social Media Break,” by Ellen Barry, Nov. 24, 2024, the New York Times
“Fluoride in Drinking Water Does Not Negatively Affect Cognitive Ability — and May Actually Provide Benefit, Study Finds,” by Deidre McPhillips, Nov. 19, 2025, CNN
Well-Defined: Word of the week
Speech-Language Pathology
Speech-language pathology is a health care field focused on communication—helping people with challenges related to speech sounds, understanding language, using language (both written and verbal), literacy, social communication, voice, fluency, cognitive communication, and even feeding and swallowing.
That’s a lot to consider, so let’s break it down. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with people of all ages, from premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit learning how to eat and swallow, to young children who stutter, to adults recovering from a stroke or brain injury. SLPs use therapy to support people with conditions such as cognitive-communication disorders, voice and resonance disorders, and feeding or swallowing disorders.
SLPs play a crucial role in ensuring that people can express themselves effectively and connect with the world around them. An SLP can work in a variety of settings, such as in K-12 schools, hospitals, private practice, universities, and government agencies.
Interested in learning more or finding resources? Check out the ASU Speech and Hearing Clinic for care and ASU College of Health Solutions to browse degrees offered in speech and hearing science!
- Expert review provided by Ileana Ratiu, clinical associate professor in the College of Health Solutions
- Kitana Ford, health communication assistant
Well-Engaged: At what age should you begin screening for colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer—a term that includes cancers of the colon and the rectum—is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Detecting colorectal cancer early is possible through regular screening, which is a critical part of maintaining long-term health.
According to the CDC, colorectal cancer typically starts from polyps—abnormal growths in the colorectal region—that can become cancerous over time. Screenings can find these polyps and remove them before they turn into cancer, or identify already cancerous growths early, when they’re easier to treat.
People with colorectal cancer may experience no symptoms in the early stages, which is why screenings are so important.
According to the American Cancer Society, if you’re someone at average risk for colorectal cancer, you should start regular screening at age 45. There are different screening options, including stool-based tests, visual or structural exams (like a colonoscopy), and more recently, blood-based tests. How often you’ll need to repeat the test depends on which type of screening you get.
If you have a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, an inflammatory bowel disease, or previously underwent radiation in the abdomen or pelvic area to treat cancer, you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer, and may need to begin screening earlier or more often. You can take the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s colon cancer screening quiz for personalized recommendations.
Medicare and private insurers are required to cover recommended colorectal screening tests at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Check out this guide to coverage requirements from the American Cancer Society, and call your insurer ahead of time if you have questions about potential charges. You may also be able to find free screenings in your community, and you can call the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s free helpline at 877-422-2030 to navigate your options.
Do you have a question or topic you’d like us to ask an expert about? We want to hear from you.