From “Dieting” to “Healthy Eating” An Exploration of Shifting Constructions of Eating for Weight Control

Commentaries on the pursuit of bodily perfection that feature prominently in the lives of many people in contemporary Western culture, especially white middle- and upper-class women, often take body and body image issues as their starting point (Bordo 1993; Frank 1991; Glassner 1992; Hesse-Biber 1996; Székely 1988). These critiques explore the creation and dissemination of ever-changing definitions of the perfect body, the meanings conveyed by different body images, and the ways individuals use the construction of a specific body as a way to construct their self- identity