When Culture Meets Eating Disorders: Why “One-Size-Fits-All” Therapy Often Fails
Eating Disorders Don’t Check Your Passport
Eating disorders are sneaky; they don’t care what language you speak at home, whether your family eats dumplings or lasagna, or if your culture celebrates curves or favours a lean frame. Yet many therapies act like they only exist for one “ideal” person: thin, young, white, and Western. Spoiler: that’s not reality, and it’s not helpful.
How Culture Shapes Food, Family, and Body Image
In many cultures, food isn’t just fuel; it’s love, tradition, and connection. Saying “no” to a second helping at a family dinner can feel like rebellion, disrespect, or failure. Restrictive eating, bingeing, or over-exercising might not be about chasing a Western thin ideal at all, it might be a way to manage: family expectations, cultural pressures, and Stress, anxiety, or control.
For clients from Culturally and Linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, understanding these cultural dynamics is essential. Therapy that ignores them risks feeling irrelevant or even alienating.
Body Ideals Aren’t Universal: CALD Perspectives
Beauty standards vary across the globe. What’s “ideal” in one culture might look very different in another. Standard eating disorder treatments often focus on thinness, dieting, or weight, which may not address real struggles CALD clients face, such as:
Food guilt in cultural settings
Shame about breaking cultural norms
Conflicting family and generational expectations
Recovery shouldn’t force someone to erase their culture to “fit” a treatment plan.
Why Western Therapies Sometimes Miss the Mark
Many eating disorder programs were built around Western diets, family structures, and exercise norms. Without cultural adaptation, therapy can feel like:
A confusing translation
A checklist you can’t complete
A system asking you to leave your identity at the door
Culturally sensitive therapy for eating disorders ensures clients feel understood, not erased.
Culturally Sensitive Care: Making Recovery Work for You
Cultural sensitivity in eating disorder treatment isn’t just about translating words, it’s about translating lived experience. This can include:
Incorporating familiar, culturally significant foods into meal plans
Exploring body image ideals beyond Western thinness
Understanding family dynamics through a culturally-informed lens
Respecting traditions, rituals, and values
For clients from CALD backgrounds, culturally attuned care makes recovery feel relevant, safe, and supportive.
Navigating Family, Tradition, and Therapy
Recovery isn’t just about weight or food; it’s also about navigating the intersection of family, culture, and identity. Therapists who consider cultural background can help clients:
Balance family expectations with personal recovery goals
Reduce food-related anxiety in cultural settings
Honor traditions without compromising mental health
Recovery That Speaks Your Language
Eating disorders are global, but therapy too often isn’t. Care should speak your language, not just literally, but emotionally, socially, and culturally. You deserve a recovery journey that:
Honours your culture and identity
Feels safe, supportive, and relevant
Helps you navigate family, food, and body image pressures without shame
If therapy ever felt like it didn’t “get you,” it’s not your fault; it’s the system. With culturally attuned care, recovery can finally feel like it was made for you.
Podcast episode recommendations:
Multicultural Minds: 1// Phoebe Ho// How culture affected my Eating Disorders
Let’s talk: Butterfly foundation Podcast Season 5 Episode 6 Voices from multicultural communities
The body Trust Podcast: 24 Unpacking Diet Culture; gender, health, and dieting’s impact on society (rerun)
