Listening To Hunger Again: Why Diet Culture Can’t Replace Body Wisdom

In an era dominated by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and algorithm-driven beauty standards, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Lee Cotton is asking women to pause—and listen inward instead. In her new book, A Nourishing Perspective, Cotton draws on both clinical science and lived experience to explore what happens when we silence our body’s hunger cues—and how reconnecting with them can become a powerful path to healing, balance, and long-term health. In this candid Q&A, she unpacks why hunger isn’t the enemy, how diet culture distorts our relationship with food, and what true nourishment looks like in 2026. —Noa Nichol

With GLP-1 medications dominating conversations around weight loss, what do you think we’re at risk of losing when hunger cues are chemically silenced instead of understood?

The use of GLP-1 medications and loss of hunger cues disconnects the mind and the body.  Hunger becomes silenced and this can be a potential risk for malnutrition.  Hunger is part of the body’s communication to provide the body with energy to function.   Hunger is an essential mechanism that keeps our bodies thriving.  Just as we respond to signals like thirst or the need for rest, hunger cues are important for maintaining health.  Ignoring hunger or turning off “food noise” can potentially create a dangerous disconnect between the mind and the body. The body also has a cellular hunger that cues the craving for certain nutrients, such as the craving for red meat for iron.  Hunger is a safety mechanism for the body and supports its biological function and well-being.

Your personal health crisis was a turning point in your relationship with food. Looking back, what warning signs do you wish more young women were taught to recognize earlier?

I wish young women were educated to recognize the signs of disordered eating much earlier.  Nutrition and its role in our health needs to be addressed in our educational framework. Right now in our culture, younger women are forming their views on what a healthy body  is supposed to look and feel like from social media. There is an underlying yearning for direction when it comes to eating, and too many opposing messages on platforms like TikTok and Instagram that are not scientifically sound or evidence-based. Eating is a behavior impacted by our biology, our social and cultural influences, and our genetics.  The society and cultural influences with social media and the unprecedented access to comparative body and lifestyle standards is impacting how young women view body weight, body composition, and beauty standards. 

As a Gen X woman, I was heavily influenced by the women I saw in magazines; now multiply that to the nth degree for Gen Z women who are interacting with thousands of images and videos on a daily basis. Our popular culture is now rife with diet-centric views and the goalpost keeps moving, making it seem impossible for so many young women to ever attain the beauty standard of the moment.  It’s important for parents to be able to identify the warning signs and provide compassion and open conversation about nutrition and how it impacts the body.

Eating Disorders and disordered eating can have serious health consequences.  I feel there needs to be more education in schools surrounding nutrition and the prevention of eating disorders. The warning signs can present as emotional, medical, or behavioral.  Parents also need tools to identify these signs and approach conversations about food with compassion. I speak in my book about the behavioral, emotional, and medical signs of disordered eating before it becomes an eating disorder. I also provide strategies to assist and find support.

Many women believe ignoring hunger equals discipline. How did that belief harm your body—and why is it so deeply ingrained in diet culture?

I feel as women, we are taught that hunger is weakness or a lack of control in diet culture.  This mindset became a coping mechanism for me as a young woman, and greatly impacted my relationship with food. I used this misguided feeling of “discipline” to cope with my emotions. We have been taught as women that we need to change or meet beauty standards that are constantly changing.   If you look at the last decade of beauty standards, we went from impossible curves to impossible thinness; both with harmful consequences to mental health and self-image. Our society has taught us through marketing and media they must conform to certain dietary and beauty standards.  As a young woman in my teens and early twenties, my own hunger was ignored because it was the one aspect of my teenage life that I felt I could control.

In addition to cellular and physical hunger, when the body is asking for energy or specific nutrients, hunger does has an emotional component that is powerful and is shaped by our own perceptions, beliefs and our senses.  Hunger can be a way for the body to self-soothe or fill an unmet need. Hunger is not a failure, but a biological necessity.  Hunger can be associated with emotional distress and a need to self-soothe, and on the opposite end of that emotional spectrum, hunger can also be about the enjoyable moments of life, community, happiness and celebration.  Hunger can also be cued up by the site, smell or anticipation of ordering a baked good and grabbing coffee with your girlfriends.

What does it look like to “relearn” hunger after years of restriction, dieting, or external rules telling women when and how much to eat?

Relearning hunger is a prominent theme in my book, and it begins with learning or relearning to trust the body.  It begins with observing the emotional and physical connection to eating and cultivating self-compassion around eating.

I encourage women to explore the emotional, spiritual, and physical relationship they have with eating.  Develop a curiosity with your body’s own cues and create new habits that foster self-empathy and self-compassion.  It is about understanding that there are many types of hunger, and to trust the process of listening to your body’s own natural rhythm that are unique to you.  I encourage my clients in my clinical practice to start journaling, practicing mindful eating techniques, and eat regular meals.  

GLP-1s promise control over appetite, but you argue for trust instead. How do you help women rebuild trust in bodies they’ve spent years fighting?

I meet a person where they are on their own unique journey.  This includes understanding the connection of the mechanical, physical, and emotional elements of eating.   Each person has a unique journey and path to rebuilding and cultivating a positive relationship with eating.  I embrace a non-diet philosophy that approaches the mind, body, and spirit relationship with food.  It is about establishing new patterns and practicing self-compassion and self-care.  I educate on using mindfulness and establishing a normalized eating pattern that supports their own individual needs.  For example, it make look something like this, but everyone is unique:

When I experience emotionally-driven hunger, I tend to crave sugar, or salt, or starchier foods.

When I experience celebratory hunger or community-based hunger, I tend to crave heartier foods that provide me with that fuller sensation in my stomach.

When I experience physical hunger, I tend to crave protein, or fruits and veggies, or maybe a combination of a few different kinds of foods that energize me.

This can look different for everyone.
In your work, what are the most common misconceptions women have about intuitive eating and nourishment?

That eating should never be purely an emotional or joyful experience, or that self-punishment should follow celebratory eating.  You do not need permission or rules to nourish your body. Eating can be and should be a joyful experience. Could you imagine traveling and not enjoying the experience of local flavors or sharing a piece of cake after a celebratory meal? There is a delight to dining, and we deserve to have those positive experiences around food.

You speak about nourishment across all stages of womanhood—from adolescence to menopause. How do hunger cues and nutritional needs evolve as women age?

The body changes with all stages of womanhood and it is important to embrace those changes.  A changing body is part of the gift of living a long life.   As our bodies change, so do our requirements for energy. This can impact the innate ability of our body to signal hunger cues.  Food is our source of energy that allows our bodies to grow and mature. 

An adolescent need specified vitamins and minerals to assist in their development.  Teens need to have balanced nutrition to support endocrine function, bone development, and cognitive health. A woman in menopause needs to support her hormonal balance and bone density.  Nutrition can affect hormonal balance, energy levels, and mood. The role of adequate nutrition is essential at all stages of life.  All stages of womanhood can be negatively affected by inadequate or restrictive food intake.

Social media plays a massive role in shaping how women view food and their bodies. What advice do you give clients who feel constantly triggered by online wellness trends?

I would empower the client to make choices to take a break from social media or follow accounts that have a positive impact on mood and self-image. Place stricter limits on scrolling, and focus on social media accounts that are more aligned with positive aspects of your life, such as hobbies or interests outside of diet culture.  I encourage my clients to practice internal validation, rather than trying to gain validation from external sources. Build self-worth on values, learning, engaging in healthy hobbies and passions, and interacting with the people you love; not based on what society defines as important. Reflect on and appreciate your own unique characteristics and individuality.

Your book blends science with empathy and reflection. Why is compassion such a critical—but often missing—ingredient in conversations about nutrition and health?

The common focus on eating is typically based on outward appearance or societal standards.   Cultivating self-compassion places the focus on honoring your inner voice and the needs of your own body.  I believe in approaching nutrition and eating without judgment, labeling or criticism.  I believe that we need to approach each thought with a curious mindset and self-compassion, which are powerful mechanisms for change.  The goal for my book is for the reader to gain more self-compassion and understanding of their own body’s needs.  I want them to reconnect with their body’s cues and harmonize their relationship with food. I understand the challenges women face around nutrition and body image, and I know the journey it takes to heal. I want my book to provide that important stepping stone to healing women’s relationships with food.

If a woman is reading A Nourishing Perspective while feeling afraid to eat more or listen to her hunger, what would you want her to know right now?

I would tell her, “You are worthy of nourishment.” That is the biggest takeaway. You are worthy of nutrition and you deserve to have a positive relationship with food and with  your body.