In a world saturated with diet culture and unrealistic beauty standards, finding resources that promote body acceptance and a healthy relationship with food can be a challenge. Social media can be a great way to learn about new ideas and connect with people and professionals doing anti-diet work, but it's not the only way, and I would argue not even the best way. This article offers a curated list of anti-diet books that challenge conventional norms, explore the history and social justice issues intertwined with diet culture, and provide practical guidance for breaking free from restrictive eating patterns. These are titles I want to offer up as a starting point or supplement to the other work you may be doing. That could include (but is not limited to) working with a Health at Every Size® or HAES-informed dietitian or healthcare professional, individual or group counseling, eating disorder treatment or recovery support, or other professional guidance or medical management.
Foundational Texts for Understanding Intuitive Eating
Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach
Written by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, "Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach" was indeed revolutionary when first published in the 1990s. It was the first book that outlined the 10 principles of intuitive eating (IE). It took nearly two decades for IE to find its footing and start gaining mainstream traction. To say this approach was ahead of its time is a bit of an understatement. With #IntuitiveEating growing more trendy by the day on social media, I think it's imperative to start at the source to fully understand the framework. It's worth building a foundational understanding of each of the 10 principles. Plus, the 4th Edition has been updated with some key changes. There's newer research to support IE-focused interventions and more inclusive language where previous editions were lacking.
This book serves as a starting point for those looking to understand the principles of intuitive eating. It encourages readers to listen to their bodies' signals of hunger and fullness, reject diet culture, and find satisfaction in food. When I first embarked on my own healing journey with food, movement, and body image, I fell just short of worshipping this book. I still credit it with being the first tangible step I took to becoming the type of dietitian and person I am now. But that's not to say I think it's the best anti-diet book. It fails to address the systemic issues at play and remains focused more on what an individual can or should do versus advocating for the collective change we really need.
Gentle Nutrition
"Gentle Nutrition" by fellow dietitian Rachael Hartley focuses on the 10th and final principle of IE, which is "honor your health with gentle nutrition." It's the last principle for a reason. Focusing on nutrition too early in your anti-diet journey can backfire back into a a form of restriction. But all too often IE is mistakenly painted as being anti-nutrition and that is simply not the case. The strategies offered in "Gentle Nutrition" are based in nutrition science, but are straightforward with an emphasis on satisfaction. Consider this a primer on nutrition-related topics that will help you nourish yourself as you let go of diet culture. As the only book on this list that offers recipes, I think you'll enjoy the format. Especially if you're someone who wants to start using practical knowledge right away. Hartley has been a food blogger longer than I have, so expect well-tested recipes with bright, colorful, vibrant images. With a brand that embodies the joy of eating, you can expect more of the same from this book. And unlike many other cookbooks, no trace of diet talk, ingredient shaming, or calorie counting to be found.
Anti-Diet
Christy Harrison's book "Anti-Diet" was considered groundbreaking when it was published in 2019. As the long-time host of the Food Psych podcast, journalist and dietitian Harrison was well-positioned to write about the historical, sociocultural, and scientific facts that have contributed to pervasive diet mentality. This book busts the myth that thinness equates beauty, health, and happiness. It also clearly exposes the harmful effects of chronic dieting, weight cycling, and restriction on both physical and mental health. The first part of the book personifies diet culture as "the life thief". Then it transitions into actionable steps to help you reclaim your time, money, and happiness through intuitive eating. This book can feel like a more in-depth intuitive eating guide when compared to the original IE book. I think it makes an earnest attempt to use more of a social justice lens. Harrison tries to address nuanced issues like how your ability to practice IE is limited because of food insecurity, poverty, or other systemic issues. There is plenty of practical advice to be found within. Plus, thoroughly researched facts and personal anecdotes from an expert in the subject. This may be helpful if you're struggling to articulate your views or advocate for yourself when you encounter questions as to why you're not dieting anymore.
Read also: Comprehensive guide to anti-inflammatory recipes
Examining the Roots of Diet Culture and Fatphobia
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia
When you're ready to peel back the layers of weight stigma, white supremacy, anti-fatness, and the system of beliefs that prop up toxic diet culture, work your way through these titles. "Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia" by Dr. Sabrina Strings focuses on how anti-Blackness and racist beliefs shaped our modern preoccupation with thinness and status. Pulling from primary sources dating back to the Renaissance, Dr. Strings will guide you through history, art, scientific research, and the media to illustrate how our deeply entrenched beliefs about body size and fatness came to be. The books also examines how we falsely assume our fear of fatness stems from a concern over health. Rather, that came after an association between body size, race, and class was already established across Europe and the United States. This book is meticulously researched, and as a result can feel pretty academic. I recommend taking your time with it. Go into this book with an open mind and willingness to challenge whatever you currently believe about bodies, beauty, and health. It is guaranteed to bring up some discomfort for you if you hold multiple privileged identities. But it's an important next step to dismantling diet culture and fatphobia.
Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness
"Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness" by Da'Shaun L. Harrison builds on the themes presented in "Fearing the Black Body". Don't mistake this text for a health- or nutrition-focused book. It is a critical examination of interconnected issues of desirability and gender, the "war on obesity", and policing and abolition. But it all connects back to an anti-diet approach because we cannot keep promoting self-care as a path to self-worth when societal structures make that difficult or impossible for folks in marginalized bodies. Consider this book a starting point for additional independent reading and research. At only 109 pages, it's a shorter read but you will gain historical context up to the present day. More importantly, you will hear about it through Harrison's voice as a fat, Black, disabled, and nonbinary trans writer. This book will also introduce you to voices and writings you may not be familiar with. They include a forward written by Kiese Laymon (author of the memoir "Heavy") and references to Sonya Renee Taylor's book, "The Body Is Not An Apology."
The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
In this book, Sonya Renee Taylor-an award-winning poet, activist, and author-focuses on the power of embracing ourselves fully in order to create a better world for ourselves and everyone around us. She addresses the various systems of oppression in our society and the ways in which we can learn to radically love ourselves and our bodies despite these oppressive forces. It is a must-read for body liberation! There’s even a workbook that goes along with the book if you want more exercises and prompts.
Hood Feminism
This book is a powerful, intersectional take on feminism, addressing the ways in which only the most privileged women are centered in the feminist movement. It features a series of essays on different aspects of feminism, from eating disorders to poverty to education and more. Kendall addresses how the social determinants of health impact women’s ability to thrive, and the ways upper class women play a role in the oppression of lower class women. She shares her personal experiences with poverty, disordered eating, racism, and more. To broaden your understanding of feminism and systemic oppression, this book is a must read. If you like audiobooks, the author even reads it herself, which is always more enjoyable.
It's Always Been Ours: Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
Jessica Wilson is another fellow BIPOC dietitian who specializes in eating disorders. Her book addresses how black women are uniquely harmed by diet culture and the thin ideal. She delves into the history of the thin ideal and how it’s influenced by racism. This truth continues to the present day, and black women continue to be oppressed by modern beauty ideals. Wilson shares how black women can center their own healing and work towards body liberation.
Read also: Facial Serum for Wrinkles
Challenging the Wellness Industry
The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care
In 2023, Rina Raphael published "The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care." As a journalist, she turns a critical eye towards the wellness industry that rakes in billions of dollars every year. How can we feel so "unwell" as we invest in self-care more than ever? Peel back the layers of catchy marketing, quick-fix promises, and almost cult-like reverence for celebrity trainers and influencers. This book will shed light on the seductive messaging of diet culture and how it promises one thing we all seem to be looking for: some semblance of control in an uncontrollable world. Whether or not you're a religious person, this book is worth a read. You'll better understand how our societal relationship with dieting was strengthened as cultural norms around organized religion relaxed. From mirroring the language to enlisting new followers in a vulnerable state of mind to associating moral virtue with "clean eating"…I found this book extremely thought-provoking. You'll consider diet culture beyond the diets themselves and start to see parallels to other cultural phenomenons like MLM schemes and group fitness classes. But it's not all bad, as the author also offers hope for something better. She herself managed to escape this doctrine of wellness worshipping to find a life with more balance. And so can you.
Who Is Wellness For? An Examination of Wellness Culture and Who It Leaves Behind
Immediately after reading "The Gospel of Wellness" you should start reading "Who Is Wellness For." Or, better yet, read this one first. Written by Fariha Róisín, the subtitle of this book lets you know why it's an essential read: "An Examination of Wellness Culture and Who It Leaves Behind." It covers many of the same topics as the previous book on this list. But I like that there are aspects of a memoir woven throughout. There is more discussion addressing the way whiteness co-opts wellness practices from Indigenous cultures around the globe. There are also more connections forged between trauma, fat phobia, healing modalities, and the way wellness culture tries to superficially soothe symptoms that point to systemic injustices. One of the sections that I really absorbed from this book is about degrowth. Or, the critique of economic growth. As the author writes, this is literally the concept of degrowing, "buying less, consuming less, only using what you need. But it's an ideology for the privileged, not for the poor or homeless." It paints a parallel between consumerism and other habits associated with wellness culture, which are further explored in the book. This one stands out to me because it's such a clear example of how marginalized individuals are often expected to equally contribute to the solutions to problem they didn't cause. If you're ready for a critical and necessary look at the systems at play behind wellness culture, written from the perspective of a Muslim queer Bangladeshi author, consider this a must-read.
Decolonizing Wellness
In this book, Dalia Kinsey brings a social justice lens to intuitive eating. This book serves as a guide to ditching diets and achieving body liberation particularly for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTBIPOC). Kinsey addresses the unique factors that impact these marginalized communities’ relationships with food and their bodies. So, if you are a member of the QTBIPOC community or simply want to be a better ally, this is a great read.
Live Nourished
If you follow on socials or subscribe to The Nutrition Tea Substack, this one should look familiar! “Live Nourished” is hot off the presses, released just a few months ago. But it’s quickly moved to the top of my “must-read and always recommend” list (and not only because Shana and I are in a very active group chat that helps us all maintain our sanity). Shana writes with a candid, conversational style that effortlessly drops the hard facts and figures that support the central theme of the book: that the oft-ignored social determinants of health prop up a capitalist, patriarchal system that keeps us preoccupied with thinness, wellness, and whiteness. It’s the type of book that can help you connect the dots between seemingly unrelated issues, which is a critical next-step for developing a personal set of principles for body liberation and anti-diet approaches. But she doesn’t leave you hanging, as later chapters equip you with plenty of tools, resources, and encouraging reminders to support you after you finish reading.
Reimagining Fitness and Movement
Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex
What does it mean to be fit? "Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex" asks this question and earnestly pursues the answer through a collection of essays. Compiled by Justice Roe Williams, this book includes chapters from activist trainers, coaches, and bodyworkers with a multitude of intersecting and marginalized identities. Move beyond the superficial platitudes of sayings like "fitness is for all bodies" to truly get to the heart of what many multi-privileged folks (myself included) take for granted in fitness spaces. Fitness is subjective, yet often used as a standard against which all bodies are compared. In this way, the fitness industrial complex mirrors the larger systems that perpetuate harm. Note that this book is specifically written for BIPOC, queer, trans, disabled, and chronically ill readers. If you don't share those identities or have those lived experiences, be prepared to pause and make space. Get ready to ask yourself what internalized beliefs you hold about health, fitness, and bodies that don't conform. Plus, stretch your imagination and creativity to envision what a truly inclusive fitness space could and should look like. This book serves as an introduction to radical self-love, body acceptance, community care, and healing-oriented strategies through a fitness-focused lens. After reading it, I doubt you'll ever think of exercise or fitness in the same way.
Read also: Gentle Anti-Aging Routine
The Body Liberation Project
Chrissy King is a writer, speaker, fitness and strength coach whose debut book, The Body Liberation Project, came out in 2023. This book is part memoir, part guide to reclaiming your relationship with your body. King shares parts of her own eating disorder recovery journey and how she reclaimed her relationship to exercise and her body. Her journey serves as inspiration for others to recognize how their relationships with food, exercise, and their bodies may be disordered and how to heal. Each chapter ends with reflection prompts to help guide you on your own journey.
Addressing Boundaries and Rest
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
If you struggle to set boundaries (and let’s be real, who doesn’t?), this book is for you! Nedra Glover Tawwab-a black therapist-addresses the ins and outs of setting and maintaining boundaries. This is a thorough guide to boundaries that you will no-doubt revisit countless times after you read it. Tawwab shares signs that you may need boundaries with various acquaintances, from coworkers to family members to yourself, and ways to go about setting them. Setting boundaries is a common struggle intuitive eaters face, and this book is my go-to recommendation for clients.
Drama Free
We just had to include Nedra Glover Tawwab’s second book, Drama Free, on this list as well. It was one of our Chula Club book club picks for 2023 and the chulas absolutely loved it and continue revisiting it as family issues arise. In this book, Tawwab provides tips on understanding and improving family dynamics and breaking harmful patterns. Given the intergenerational trauma many BIPOC face, this book is a great resource to help you navigate tough family dynamics.
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto
Written by the creator of The Nap Ministry, this book discusses the ways in which capitalism overworks us, exploits us, and prevents us from resting. It was another Chula Club book club pick for 2023. The title of the book says it all, honestly. We know that rest is crucial to well-being and that the stress that results from grind culture is harmful to our health. Yet, we don’t often consider how particularly as people of color, rest is a form of resistance. Hersey’s work centers around this idea of rest as resistance and she waxes poetic about it in this manifesto.
Upcoming Releases
The Latina Anti-Diet
We are beyond excited that in March of 2025, Dalina Soto (AKA the founder of Your Latina Nutrition) will be publishing The Latina Anti-Diet! This book will be a guide to ditching diets specifically for Latinas.