All Bodies Are Beach Bodies by Dr. Deborah Simpson, Ph.D.
Summer has arrived here in Michigan. With the sunshine, lake days, and outdoor gatherings comes something else too: the pressure from diet culture to look a certain way. How many times have you heard someone talk about “getting a beach body”? Or felt the conversation shift toward not looking “good enough” for summer events? How often have you felt guilty for eating a so-called “bad” food?
Diet culture is everywhere, and it affects all of us. It promotes restrictive eating, over-exercising, and the false idea that thinness equals success, worthiness, and beauty. It tells us we have to change our bodies to earn a place at the pool, on the beach, or in a swimsuit. These messages aren’t just frustrating; they’re harmful. And for anyone recovering from or struggling with an eating disorder, they can be especially triggering.
So how do we resist these messages? How do we begin to believe that our bodies are already good enough, just as they are?
These aren’t easy questions, and the answers aren’t always simple. But one powerful place to start is by noticing and challenging the assumptions we’ve absorbed. We are so much more than a size, a shape, or a number on the scale. Below are a few gentle reminders that may help you reconnect with your body in a more compassionate, grounded way.
Tips for Reclaiming Body Confidence This Summer
Notice the messages around you. Social media, advertisements, and even casual conversations can reinforce harmful ideas about food and bodies. Unfollow or mute accounts that promote dieting, over-exercising, or label foods as “good” or “bad.”
Remember that diet culture is trying to sell you something. Often, the promise of a “better” body is tied to a product or plan. If you’re made to feel like you’re not enough, someone profits from that insecurity.
Challenge the myth that thinness equals health. True well-being looks different for everyone. Restrictive dieting or compulsive exercise can actually harm your physical and mental health.
Recognize your body for what it does, not just how it looks. Your body lets you laugh, connect, create, explore, and move through the world. Its worth is not defined by appearance, and it certainly isn’t defined by a swimsuit.
Set boundaries around food and body talk. It’s okay to change the subject, leave a conversation, or gently redirect when diet culture sneaks in. You are allowed to protect your peace.
Reframing how we see our bodies takes time, especially in a culture that constantly tells us to change them. But it is possible to build a relationship with your body that isn’t ruled by shame, comparison, or pressure.
All bodies are beach bodies. No need to change, shrink, suck in, or cover up. You don’t have to earn your place in the sun. You already belong. at a time.