Is Diet Culture a Cult?

Jun 19

Why do diets feel so culty these days? From Paleo bros to Keto fanatics, extreme eating plans often look more like belief systems than health strategies.

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee unpack the psychology of diet culture and explore why people are drawn to rigid food rules. We dive into the science and history of fad diets, from Paleo to Keto and beyond, and share tips on how to recognize when a diet crosses the line into a full-blown “diet cult.”

If you’ve ever questioned why nutrition trends spark so much devotion (and division), this episode helps you spot the red flags and cut through the hype.

Zoë Rom

Zoë Rom is a science and environmental journalist with bylines in The New York Times, Outside, and High Country News. She co-hosts Your Diet Sucks, an evidence-based nutrition and wellness podcast, with registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn, RDN, where they investigate how wellness culture distorts science and how athletes can do better. A Colorado-based ultrarunner, she finished second at the Leadville Trail 100 and top five at Run Rabbit Run 100. Her reporting and commentary focus on the intersection of sport, science, and the wellness industry's long history of selling women their own anxieties.