When food becomes a moral testWe tend to talk about food in the language of morality. Some foods are referred to as "clean," "safe," or "good"; others are "junk," "cheat," or "bad." In 2025, researchers analyzed roughly 100,000 Instagram posts about food and eating and found that content representing restrictive diets and approaches to eating were pervasive. Trying not to eat enough sets off an internal alarm because your body wants enough food to meet your energy needs and activity level. When food stops being an all-or-nothing test of your goodness, it can simply be a way to nourish yourself.