Food Fear, Wellness Culture & the Cost of Undereating
The impending pause of SNAP benefits for millions of Americans has me thinking a lot about our food system.
Lack of food and undernourishment is a huge issue for our healthcare system. But even within my clientele (who are women who can comfortably afford groceries each week for themselves and their families) under-eating is still one of the most common challenges that needs to be addressed.
It’s easy to see undernourishment as an issue of access (and it absolutely is — I feel deeply about that, though I’ll stay in my lane as a wellness educator, not a public health expert here). What’s harder to talk about is how it also shows up in spaces of privilege, especially among women who can afford food, but have internalized years of food fear or are following the latest health trends without fully understanding their impact.
Today, I want to break down what happens physiologically when we chronically under-eat, how the modern wellness industry fuels this quiet form of malnutrition, and what true nourishment actually looks like in a world that glorifies less when it comes to food.
How did we get here
We live in a culture that simultaneously glamorizes food restriction and criticizes those who can’t afford food at all. It’s a strange dichotomy. On one end, families are facing hunger; on the other, women with full pantries are trying to eat as little as possible in the name of “health” or are afraid to eat things that are in their pantry because of some post, article, or video they saw on the internet.
While this might be happening less than it was 5-10 years ago, decades of diet culture have hardwired us to believe that eating less is always better. It’s woven into wellness trends, “clean eating” plans, intermittent fasting challenges, and influencer meal prep videos that subtly preach control over nourishment.
The message is clear: the less you eat, the healthier you are.
And if you’ve successfully unlearned that behavior, it’s likely that a new kind of food fear has creeped into your ether. Seed oils are wrecking our health. Food dyes are poison. Vegetables have anti-nutrients that cause health problems. Ultra-processed foods are killing us. There’s always something new to be “worried” about and it can be hard to even know what is “safe” to eat.
Our bodies were never designed for chronic restriction. This is true whether we’re talking about overall calories or the types of foods we consume. They were designed for nourishment, abundance, diversity, and adaptation. When we consistently eat less than we need or cut out full food groups, the body sees it as danger. And in response, it starts to slow down to protect us.
This is where the conversation about food access and wellness culture intersects: whether the cause is economic or emotional, the end result is the same: a body that’s not getting what it needs to function optimally.
What Happens When We Undereat
When you consistently under eat, whether intentionally or unintentionally, your body doesn’t applaud your discipline. It adapts. Because from a biological standpoint, your body’s job is to keep you alive.
This means that every system that depends on fuel starts to downshift to conserve energy. Calories and food (no matter the type) is energy. It’s what our body relies on to function. And while there might be short-term side effects that look like a win (smaller appetites, a drop in weight, or fewer cravings), the long-term tradeoffs are costly.
Here’s what’s actually happening when our body doesn’t get enough food:
Your metabolism slows down
Your metabolism is dynamic and responsive. When your body senses a calorie or nutrient deficit, it turns down the dial on energy expenditure. Kind of like unplugging some non-essential electronics to save power.
That means:
You burn fewer calories at rest.
You feel colder, slower, and more tired.
The scale stops moving eventually, even if you’re eating less
This metabolic slowdown is your body’s built-in safety mechanism. It’s saying, “If less food is coming in, we need to conserve the energy we have.”
Your hormones shift into survival mode
Hormones are built from fat, cholesterol, amino acids, and micronutrients. All things your body won’t have or be able to produce without adequate food intake.
When you’re undernourished:
Progesterone production drops. No ovulation → no progesterone. Cue PMS, irregular cycles, fertility struggles, and mood swings.
Cortisol rises. Chronic under-eating is a stressor. Elevated cortisol leads to anxiety, poor sleep, and stubborn belly fat.
Thyroid slows. Fewer calories and nutrients (especially iodine, zinc, and selenium) mean less thyroid hormone conversion, which tanks your energy and metabolism.
Your body is prioritizing survival over reproduction and long-term function.
Your mood and brain chemistry take a hit
Without steady blood sugar and nutrients, your brain struggles to regulate mood and focus.
Low protein = low amino acids = low serotonin and dopamine.
Low carbs = low glucose = brain fog and irritability.
It’s no coincidence that chronic dieters often feel anxious, emotional, or “off.” Your brain is running on empty.
Your digestion slows down
When food intake drops, so does gut motility (how quickly things move through your system). This can lead to bloating, constipation, and a sluggish digestive system. Ironically, these are symptoms people often misinterpret as “needing to eat even cleaner.”
And because less food means less fiber and fewer micronutrients, the gut microbiome begins to shift in unfavorable ways, impacting everything from immunity to hormone clearance.
Your body holds on to weight (yes, really)
Here’s the kicker: when your body feels underfed, it doesn’t burn fat — it protects it. Chronic under-eating raises cortisol and lowers thyroid function, which both signal your body to store energy (especially around the abdomen).
So while you may start a restrictive plan expecting to lose weight, your body might actually resist. Especially as we get older and our body needs more support and care to function. This is why it might feel like all of a sudden the things you used to do before that worked, no longer work as you get older.
Your body is doing exactly what its designed to do under stress and scarcity: survive.
Wellness Culture and Food Fear
Most women aren’t intentionally starving themselves.
They’re following the rules the wellness industry handed them. Rules that sound “healthy,” but often end up being restrictive, unrealistic, and, most of all, confusing.
We’ve been conditioned to equate discipline with health.
To avoid gluten and dairy. Move more. Skip breakfast. Cut carbs. Swap sugar for stevia. Avoid anything with fat. Only eat meat that’s grass-fed. Throw away anything with a seed oil.
It’s no wonder so many women are walking around undernourished while trying their hardest to “do everything right.”
What started as a movement toward more whole, unprocessed foods has quietly. morphed into an obsession with purity. Now, entire food groups are labeled “bad,” and women (and more importantly families who rely on these foods to feed their families) feel guilty for eating things that are totally valid ways to get calories and nutrients into bodies.
I see it all the time:
Clients afraid of bananas because of sugar
Afraid to eat a rotisserie chicken because it wasn’t pasture-raised
Afraid of rice because of carbs
But when you strip down your diet to only what feels “safe,” you strip away the diversity of nutrients your body actually needs to function.
What True Nourishment Looks and Feels Like
When we hear “nourishment,” it’s easy to think of food. And that’s a great place to start.
But true nourishment is about giving your body what it needs to feel safe and supported.
Sometimes that means a whole food ingredient meal. But it also could be rest. Sunlight. Movement that feels fun. Or a frozen or boxed meal if that’s what is available and allows you to eat.
If you’ve been living in “wellness mode” (I’m guilty of falling into this trap regularly), this is your permission slip to relax. Sometimes doing less is actually more.
Here’s what real nourishment looks like in practice:
Eat enough (and eat regularly)
Food is your body’s first signal of safety. When you eat consistently, your brain stops sending stress signals, your metabolism turns back on, and your hormones can rebalance.
Start by eating within an hour of waking — even if it’s small or something on the go. Yes, protein is really supportive to blood sugar and fullness, but if you don’t have that on hand, it’s better to eat something than nothing most of the time.
Focus on quality when you can
Build your plate around:
Protein for hormone and tissue repair
Fiber-rich carbs for blood sugar support and detoxification
Healthy fats for brain function and hormone production
Add foods to your plate, rather than cutting them out.
Manage stress like it’s a nutrient
When cortisol runs high, your body will always prioritize survival over hormone production, digestion, or fertility.
Try to incorporate small, realistic rituals that signal safety to your nervous system.
Deep breathing for 2 minutes between meetings.
Morning sunlight while drinking your coffee.
Gentle movement instead of high-intensity workouts when you’re tired or PMSing.
Rest, daily
You don’t have to “earn” your rest by burning out first.
When you rest (sleep, sit still, or do nothing at all), your body uses that time to repair tissues, balance hormones, and integrate everything you’ve been doing to support it.
Rest is productive. Full stop.
Go Eat Something
We’re living in a world where food fear is packaged as self-care and even healthcare these days.
This is your permission to eat. What sounds good? Ignore the food noise and that post on how vegetables are slowly killing you with their anti-nutrient properties and eat that salad kit (soybean oil and all).
Eating something is always going to be better than starving. Eat what you have, and make a game plan to eat something that feels better tomorrow if it doesn’t suit you.
If you want to get involved in helping the current SNAP crisis, I’m donating 15% of revenue to local food banks through November (and maybe beyond if the government can’t get it together). You can purchase supplements, packages or donate directly. Just shoot me an email (lauren@calibratewell.com) if you want to get involved and help people feel safe through food.