New Year’s Resolution Diets Don’t Work—Why Do We Keep Trying to Make Them Happen?

When you think of all the diet schemes promoted every January, it’s clear they’re doing more harm than good.

“The January dieting culture is incredibly detrimental to mental health,” Attwood says. “Diets are set up to fail, so people are left feeling as though they are the failure, when in fact the diet and wellness industries make money off of the unsustainable nature of intentional weight-loss, creating a cycle of guilt, shame, and blame that distracts us all from fully showing up in our lives and pursuing things that are truly meaningful to us.”

If breaking this cycle sounds too intimidating, I have good news: You’ve already started. Not only are you choosing to read this story, but you’re in the right place to continue the work: online.

“There is ample research establishing a link between social media use and body dissatisfaction, eating concerns, anxiety, depression, and drive for thinness, but at the same time, social media can serve as a mental health resource when used mindfully and consumed critically,” Dr. DeCaro explains. So no, you don’t have to become a digital nomad to tune out all the noise.

As an alternative, Dr. DeCaro suggests unfollowing anyone posting information or advice about food who isn’t a registered, size-inclusive, anti-diet dietician, and blocking accounts that negatively impact your mood or increase the urge to engage in harmful behaviors, such as restricting or overexercising. “Certain social media sites have underutilized features built into the platform that could be helpful for some, such as setting a limit on TikTok screen time, and turning on restricted mode can reduce some triggering content,” she says.

That’s why Attwood recommends filling your feed with people of all body sizes who encourage you to eat for joy and pleasure: “I always tell clients to trust their gut instinct about someone they follow on social media. If it makes them feel a less than positive emotion, they don’t need a reason or explanation. Just hit unfollow. Your gut reaction is reason enough.”

If digital tools aren’t providing adequate reprieve from triggering content, Onysko suggests limiting time on social media in general throughout the month of January, or taking a break indefinitely.

Another pro tip? Try to reframe how you think of self-improvement. “The biggest focus should be on how you want to feel, not on how you want to look,” Onysko says. Dr. DeCaro agrees: “Shift your mental energy to your core values instead of your appearance. Create goals to live a life more aligned with those values. When you take the time to identify what is truly important to you, chances are the size of your clothes won’t matter as much as you thought it did.”

For example, if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to incorporate more movement into your daily routine, be sure to disassociate the activity from weight loss or body size. “When we take the focus off of changing our body with a workout, that small mental shift can improve our relationship with movement and with ourselves. Exercise shouldn’t feel like a punishment,” Dr. DeCaro says.