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Why GLP-1 weight loss drugs, fad diets, and government inaction are hurting the public—and what we must do instead. #GLP1Risks #FoodPolitics #WellnessReform #HealthTalks
Send us Fan MailWhen your blood tests come back normal and your doctor sends you on your way, that's not a diagnosis – that's a dismissal. In this episode, I follow Priya, a self-employed autistic woman in her late 30s whose 18 months of worsening fatigue, hair loss, skin changes, and irregular periods have been met with advice to exercise more and download a mindfulness app.I walk you through why "normal bloods" and "everything's fine" are not the same thing, which conditions are routinely missed in fat patients, and what it actually looks like when a doctor does their job properly.Because basic care isn't heroics. It's just medicine.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeBUY THE BOOK: Never suffer through another through another weight loss lecture from your doctor againJOIN THE NO WEIGH MOVEMENT: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. BOOK A CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyEXPLORE THE MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Diets teach us to view the body as a project. You can tinker with what you're eating and transform your body into something different. Then fitness culture doubles down and provides the message that you can shape your body to be whatever you want it to be, you just have to put up with messages like no pain, no gain and a complete disconnection from your body, how it feels, and what resonates with it. I know I spent years and years in this ping pong game of diets and body shaping. Then, saying F this, swinging the pendulum to the opposite side and eating everything I had deprived and barely moving my body, only to still feel horrible that I went crawling back to a diet again because I had no clue what else to do. There is a lot that gets sacrificed seeing the body as a project and this realization often only occurs after months and years when you realize you don't know who you are anymore, how to exist in your body, or what it actually needs. Yet, releasing the habitual relationship with the body as something to change and alter will also potentially change your relationships, the environments you've been interacting with, and the conversations you engage in. It isn't that easy when everyone around you is also in their own body project to say, "hey, ya know what, I'm done working on my body." In this week's episode, I chat with Savala Nolan, writer, author, public speaker, and professor at UC Berkeley about: The journey of recovering from diet cultureUnderstanding the language and psychological impact of dietingEnding the body project and facing the fears and cost of body liberationQuestioning societal normsPractical steps toward body liberationYou can also read the transcript to this week's episode here: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/breaking-free-from-diet-cultureThis was such a fantastic conversation. Savala describes exiting diet culture in a way that I've never heard someone capture what it is actually like and what a person may come to face in the process. If you have any insights from this episode, let me know! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Savala: Website: https://savalanolan.com/Substack: https://savala.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savalanolan/Support the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: support@stephaniemara.comSupport the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...
Do you spend the entire day feeling in control around food, only to find yourself eating far more than expected at night? If nighttime eating leaves you feeling confused, ashamed, or convinced that you lack willpower, this episode may offer a different perspective. Many people with Night Eating Syndrome focus on what happens after dinner without realizing that the story often begins much earlier. Delayed meals, subtle restriction, chronic stress, ADHD, autism, masking, trauma, sensory overwhelm, and nervous system exhaustion can all shape eating patterns that become more intense in the evening. When we look only at nighttime eating, we often miss the conditions that created it. In this episode of the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller explores Night Eating Syndrome through a neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed lens. She discusses why nighttime eating is often a predictable response to unmet physiological and emotional needs rather than a sign of laziness, lack of discipline, or personal failure. Understanding Night Eating Syndrome Night Eating Syndrome, often called NES, involves consuming a significant portion of daily food intake during the evening hours or after waking during the night. Many people with Night Eating Syndrome notice little appetite earlier in the day and increasing hunger as the day progresses. Although Night Eating Syndrome can overlap with binge eating disorder, the two experiences are not identical. Understanding the distinction can help people find more effective support and avoid treatments that fail to address the underlying drivers of nighttime eating. Why Nighttime Eating Often Starts Earlier in the Day One of the most overlooked aspects of Night Eating Syndrome is the role of daytime deprivation. Restriction does not always look like skipping meals or intentionally dieting. Sometimes it shows up as rushing through meals, ignoring hunger cues, eating foods that never feel satisfying, relying on caffeine to suppress appetite, or becoming so busy that nourishment consistently falls to the bottom of the priority list. Over time, the body responds to those unmet needs. For many people, nighttime becomes the point when hunger, exhaustion, stress, and emotional depletion can no longer be ignored. ADHD, Autism, Masking, and Eating at Night Neurodivergent adults often face unique challenges around food and eating. ADHD can make meal planning, meal timing, and hunger awareness more difficult. Autism can influence sensory experiences, interoception, routines, and food preferences. Many neurodivergent people also spend significant energy masking throughout the day, navigating sensory demands, social expectations, and executive functioning challenges. By evening, the nervous system may be depleted. Food can become a source of grounding, comfort, regulation, predictability, stimulation, or relief. This episode explores how neurodivergence can shape nighttime eating patterns in ways that are frequently misunderstood within traditional eating disorder treatment models. The Connection Between Restriction and Night Eating Syndrome Many people blame nighttime eating for their distress while overlooking the role of restriction. Whether restriction stems from dieting, weight stigma, food rules, sensory challenges, executive functioning barriers, or chronic stress, the body often responds by increasing attention to food and hunger later in the day. Rather than viewing nighttime eating as evidence of a lack of control, Dr. Marianne encourages listeners to consider what their body may be trying to communicate. Weight Stigma, Diet Culture, and Shame Diet culture frequently rewards people for disconnecting from hunger and ignoring physical needs. At the same time, society often condemns the very eating behaviors that emerge when deprivation accumulates. This contradiction leaves many people feeling trapped in cycles of guilt and self-criticism. In this episode, Dr. Marianne examines how anti-fat bias, productivity culture, and cultural pressure to suppress needs can contribute to Night Eating Syndrome and nighttime eating struggles. What You'll Learn You'll learn how Night Eating Syndrome differs from binge eating disorder, why subtle forms of restriction often go unnoticed, how ADHD and autism can influence eating patterns, why masking and burnout can increase vulnerability to nighttime eating, and how shame frequently keeps people stuck in cycles that make sense from a nervous system perspective. You'll also gain a more compassionate framework for understanding nighttime eating and practical ways to begin approaching these patterns with curiosity instead of self-judgment. Related Episodes Anorexia & Night Eating Syndrome: Why Restriction Fuels Night Eating & What Helps on Apple & Spotify. Night Eating Syndrome on Apple & Spotify (my 2nd most popular podcast episode of all time!) Understanding Night Eating Syndrome: Executive-Function Tools for Real Recovery on Apple & Spotify. Why Am I Eating at Night? Understanding Night Eating Syndrome in Your 30s, 40s, & 50s on Apple & Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne Miller If you are struggling with Night Eating Syndrome, binge eating disorder, ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, chronic dieting, or neurodivergent eating challenges, support is available. Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed eating disorder therapist providing therapy throughout California and Washington, D.C. She also offers coaching services worldwide. Her work integrates eating disorder treatment, neurodivergent-affirming care, trauma-informed approaches, and weight-inclusive support for adults, teens, and families. Learn more about therapy, coaching, courses, and resources at www.drmariannemiller.com. You can also follow Dr. Marianne on Instagram at @drmariannemiller and subscribe to the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Send us Fan Mail Fat patients with chronic pain are routinely sent away with a weight loss lecture. No examination, no blood tests, no referrals. In this episode, I introduce Suki, a teacher and mother whose two years of worsening hip and back pain have been dismissed at every turn, while her thinner colleagues walk away with physiotherapy and x-rays. I break down exactly what conditions get missed, why weight stigma is a clinical shortcut that the system is designed to profit from, and (most importantly) what to say in the room to finally get the care you deserve. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeBUY THE BOOK: Never suffer through another through another weight loss lecture from your doctor againJOIN THE NO WEIGH MOVEMENT: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. BOOK A CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyEXPLORE THE MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us Fan Mail Weight stigma doesn't just happen inside the consultation room: it keeps fat people out of it entirely. In this episode, you'll meet Ren. Ren hasn't seen their GP in eighteen months, not out of laziness or neglect, but because the last appointment cost far more than it was worth. I make the case that medical avoidance is a completely rational response to a system designed to punish fat bodies. The resulting missed diagnoses, untreated conditions, and compounding health consequences aren't a fat problem, they're a doctor problem. But this episode isn't just about what's broken. It's about what you can actually do right now: how to walk into that appointment armed with your rights, set your own agenda, and reclaim the power that was always yours to begin with. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeBUY THE BOOK: Never suffer through another through another weight loss lecture from your doctor againJOIN THE NO WEIGH MOVEMENT: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. BOOK A CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyEXPLORE THE MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
In this episode of The Body GrieversⓇ Club, Bri interviews licensed clinical social worker and parent Keri Baker about body image, food, and raising kids—especially when both parent and child live in larger bodies. Keri shares her history of early dieting, years of chronic dieting, likely undiagnosed eating disorder symptoms, and finding intuitive eating and anti-diet care through supportive providers. They discuss parenting a child with ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder), how it's often mistaken for picky eating, and the added difficulty of seeking medical care when professionals dismiss concerns or focus on weight. 04:02 From Diet Culture to Intuitive Eating 09:43 Parenting With ARFID 13:04 Weight Stigma in Healthcare 22:30 Talking Body Image With Teens 28:33 Intuitive Eating Starts With You 29:51 Division of Responsibility Basics 31:04 When Kids Eat Differently 37:45 Good Enough Nourishment 39:30 Habituated Foods and Interoception 44:25 Advocating at Doctor Visits WANT MORE OF KERI BAKER? https://www.keribaker.com/ https://www.dietrecoveryclub.com/ WANT MORE OF BRI? *Instagram: @bodyimagewithbri *Website: https://bodyimagewithbri.com/ *Bri's Free Resource: 7-Step Guide to Shift Body Grief to Radical Body Acceptance https://www.bodyimagewithbri.com/seven-steps
Send us Fan Mail For 20 years, I prescribed weight loss without question at the same time as I was experiencing weight stigma myself as a fat doctor in a fatphobic system. In this special live episode, I'm launching my book No Weigh! Everything You've Been Told About Weight Loss Is A Lie, and sharing exactly what's in it: the lies, the money, the harm, and the tools fat people need to fight back. This isn't a book about fixing yourself. It's a book about reclaiming your power. Don't forget to order your copy today and make No Weigh! a bestselling diet book.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeBUY THE BOOK: Never suffer through another through another weight loss lecture from your doctor againJOIN THE NO WEIGH MOVEMENT: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. BOOK A CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyEXPLORE THE MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy dives deep into the psychology of ultra-processed foods, compulsive eating, shame, and why so many people feel trapped in unhealthy food cycles. This conversation goes far beyond calories and willpower. Dr. McCarthy explains how ultra-processed and hyper-palatable foods are intentionally engineered to drive repeat consumption, how emotional memories and stress shape cravings, and why shame-based nutrition advice often makes the problem worse instead of better. Topics covered in this episode include: • How ultra-processed foods affect the brain • Why compulsive eating is learned — and can be unlearned • The connection between trauma, stress, and food cravings • The difference between guilt and shame • How marketing and emotional associations shape eating habits • Why “clean eating” language can be harmful • The neuroscience of cravings, dopamine, serotonin, and reward • What real freedom with food actually looks like • Why self-compassion matters in healing If you've ever felt trapped in cycles of emotional eating, binge eating, food guilt, or shame around nutrition, this episode is for you.
Send us Fan MailThe pharmaceutical industry didn't just create a weight loss drug — it created a world in which you cannot escape it. In this episode, I trace Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly's systematic strategy to buy the guidelines, bribe the charities, train the doctors, and lobby the politicians — and I show you exactly how they copied it from the people who gave us the opioid crisis. This isn't conspiracy theory. It's a paper trail. And once you see it, you cannot unsee it. Pre-order your copy of No Weigh! hereGot a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us Fan MailGLP-1s are being prescribed for everything from arthritis to sleep apnea to low testosterone — with almost no evidence they treat any of it. In this episode, I expose the industry-funded research underpinning the semaglutide gold rush, the risks nobody's talking about (including one that affected a quarter of participants in the study used to license the highest dose), and the logical fallacy that's driving doctors to reach for Ozempic no matter what's wrong with you. You deserve to know the truth before you pick up that pen. Pre-order your copy of No Weigh! here Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us Fan MailThe marriage between diabetes and ob*sity is nothing more than a PR stunt dressed up as medicine — and it's been running for 25 years. In this episode, I expose how the pharmaceutical industry invented a fictional condition called prediabetes to create a market of 115 million Americans, and then quietly funded the guidelines that put weight loss at the top of the treatment agenda. This one's personal: I have diabetes and I'm done carrying the shame they built for us.My book, No Weigh: Everything You've Been Told About Weight Loss Is a Lie, is now available to preorder. Be sure to get your hands on a copy.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us Fan MailCW: Fertility treatment, organ donation, BMI based surgical denialFat people are being denied fertility treatment without evidence to support it, denied organ transplants they would benefit from, and in some cases denied the chance to save a loved one's life. This episode examines the guidelines behind these decisions — and finds them cruel, discriminatory, and scientifically indefensible. This is not just bad doctors. This is bad medicine.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
The obsession with thinness didn't just appear out of nowhere-and it's not just about beauty, body image, or "health."In this episode, I'm unpacking the deeper history of diet culture, female body standards, and the social conditioning that taught women to shrink themselves-physically, emotionally, and culturally. From historical ideals of discipline and restraint to the racial roots of the modern thin ideal, we're digging into how thinness became tied to morality, self-control, and worth.This is a conversation about appetite, power, control, and the quiet rules women have been taught to follow without ever questioning them.So the real question is... when did thinness stop being about beauty-and start being about obedience?Are. You. Ready?****************Sources & References:Core Books & Foundational TextsWolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth (1991)Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body (1993)Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish (1975)Strings, Sabrina. Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (2019)Historical Context: Appetite, Religion & Discipline“Gluttony.” Encyclopaedia Britannica“How the Seven Deadly Sins Began as ‘Eight Evil Thoughts.'” History.comForcen, Fernando E. “The Practice of Holy Fasting in the Late Middle Ages.” Journal of Religion and Health (2015)Bynum, Caroline Walker. “The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women.”Victorian Femininity & Bodily ControlMurray, E. Food and Femininity in Victorian Literature (2022)Coar, L. “Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice: The Victorian Woman's All-Consuming Predicament.”Krondl, M. Fashioning Gendered Appetite in the Victorian Age (2022)“Did Corsets Harm Women's Health?” New York Academy of MedicineRacism, Fatphobia & the Thin IdealStrings, Sabrina. Fearing the Black Body (NYU Press)“How Racism Created the Thin Ideal.” UC Irvine School of Social SciencesReview of Fearing the Black Body. UCLA Center for the Study of WomenWeight Stigma & Social Bias“The Burden of Weight Stigma.” American Psychological Association (2022)“Weight Stigma.” National Eating Disorders AssociationGiel et al. “Weight Bias in Work Settings – A Qualitative Review.”National Academies / NCBI — Weight stigma and labor market outcomesSocial Media, Wellness Culture & Modern ThinnessMunro et al. “Diet Culture on TikTok” (2024)Davis et al. “#WhatIEatInADay on TikTok” (2023)Weber. “TikToxic Effects of ‘That Girl' Content” (2025)Germic. Digital Wellness Culture & Womanhood (2025)“Why ‘Skinny' Culture Is Back.” University of Colorado Anschutz (2026)****************Leave Us a 5* Rating, it helps the show!Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282Spotify Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA****************Follow Us on TikTok & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!YouTube:@beautyunlockedspodcasthourTikTok:tiktok.com/@beautyunlockedthepod****************Intro/Outro Music:“Fame Inc” by Savvier — https://icons8.com/music
Send us Fan MailYour doctors told you that losing weight would help you live longer, improve your numbers, and protect you from serious illness. It was a lie, and it goes deeper than weight loss. In this episode, I break down why the "ob*sity reduces life expectancy" claim is built on bad maths, why fat may actually protect your health, and why the blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol targets your doctor is chasing have never been shown to prevent the outcomes they're supposed to prevent. Drug companies set the targets. You pay the price. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Welcome back to the Bodcast! This week, I am joined by the fantastic Dr. Mike Banna, a GP who is brilliantly bridging the gap between medicine and the fitness industry. Today, we are tearing down the wellness space's biggest medical myths and discussing what genuine, evidence-based health actually looks like without the extreme narratives. In this episode, Mike and I cover: The Doctor-Gym Divide: We discuss the frustrating disconnect between medical professionals and the fitness industry, and why finding nuanced, evidence-based advice is harder than ever. Weight Stigma in Healthcare: Mike shares his personal and professional insights into how weight stigma negatively impacts patient care, and why health is about so much more than just a BMI reading. The Complexity of Obesity: We break down why the overly simplified "eat less, move more" narrative is fundamentally flawed and examine the biological, environmental, and psychological factors driving weight management. Calling Out Wellness BS: From detoxes to fake "medical" supplements, we expose the predatory marketing tactics used to sell wellness solutions to vulnerable people. Sustainable Health Goals: Mike gives his top medical advice on setting realistic, health-first goals that actually improve your physical quality of life without sacrificing your mental well-being. Don't forget to like, subscribe, rate, and review the Bodcast! It helps others find the podcast more easily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What is weight stigma & why was Gemma Collins on the receiving end of it on I'm a celebrity? The science tells us it's real & unhelpful, yet people on the internet continue to think they're doing us a favour by pointing out obesity…Learn more about 1-1 coaching@emiliathompsonphd @etphd_coaching
If you have ever left your child's doctor's appointment feeling confused about BMI, worried about your child's health, or unsure how to respond to conversations about weight, this episode is for you.In this episode of Family in Focus, I break down what is often missing from pediatric conversations about BMI and weight, and how weight stigma in children is impacting both their health and their relationship with food.Because it is not your child that needs fixing.And it is not you either.It is the approach.Many families leave these appointments with numbers, labels, and a plan focused on weight, but without support for what actually drives long term health and well being.This episode walks through what the research shows about weight stigma, how it contributes to disordered eating patterns, and why weight-focused care can backfire, especially for kids.We shift the focus away from numbers and toward what truly matters: your child's relationship with food, their body, and themselves.I discuss:• Why focusing on weight can increase shame instead of improving child health• How weight stigma becomes internalized and influences eating behaviors• What research shows about dieting, restriction, and long term outcomes• What is missing from typical pediatric weight conversations• How to support your child without reinforcing fear, pressure, or body shameIf this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, that is a good place to start. It means you are beginning to see the bigger picture and think differently about what your child actually needs.New episodes air every Wednesday.Watch the full episode on the podcast.Join The Exhale, my newsletter for parents who want less stress around food, body image, and weight concerns and more confidence at the dinner table:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/the-exhaleLearn more about working together:https://www.wendyschofermd.comTo schedule a consult:https://wendyschofermdscheduling.as.me/consultFollow along and continue the conversation:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyschofermdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md/While I am a doctor, I am not your doctor. This podcast is for education, not medical advice.
Send us Fan Mail Your lived experience is real. You lost weight, your health improved, and I'm not calling you a liar. But I'm still going to tell you that weight loss didn't cause it. In this episode, I get into the post-hoc fallacy, the neuroscience of the placebo effect, and why weight loss is the perfect storm for a powerful — but ultimately unsustainable — placebo response. The benefits are slim to nil. The risks are well documented. And there are always other options. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us Fan MailDoctors are prescribing eating disorders to fat patients — not by accident, not in spite of the guidelines, but because of them. In this episode, I bring the clinical evidence to back up what the fat community has known for years: that severe dieting causes eating disorders, that eating disorders look nothing like the stereotype, and that fat people with eating disorders are being failed at every stage — dismissed, gaslit, and denied treatment. If you've been told to lose weight by a healthcare professional, you have the right to ask them why they're willing to put you at risk. This is the data. These are the receipts. A selection of studies to start you off:Peebles, Rebecka et al. “Are diagnostic criteria for eating disorders markers of medical severity?.” Pediatrics vol. 125,5 (2010): e1193-201. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-1777Sawyer, Susan M et al. “Physical and Psychological Morbidity in Adolescents With Atypical Anorexia Nervosa.” Pediatrics vol. 137,4 (2016): e20154080. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-4080Moskowitz, L., & Weiselberg, E. (2017). "Anorexia nervosa/atypical anorexia nervosa." Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 47(4), 70-84.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Dr. Hartman shared her expertise as an eating disorder and adolescent medicine expert and we focused on how social media and today's society impact mental health and body image, the role that all this attention now on weight and weight loss medication play in this, what body neutrality (not just positivity) can do as part of a parenting approach, and much more.Dr. Lauren Hartman is a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist with nearly 20 years of experience treating children, adolescents, and young adults with eating disorders across hospital and outpatient settings. Throughout her career, Dr. Hartman has held numerous leadership positions at regional and national levels. Currently, she serves on the Eating Disorder Committee for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM). Dr. Hartman maintains a private practice in Berkeley, CA, where she specializes in eating disorders. She is the author of Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales and Stigma: A Practical Guide for Parents, Educators and Clinicians.Connect with Dr. Hartman:WebsiteInstagramLinkedin Connect with Dr. Glezer:To learn more about me and my reproductive & integrative psychiatry clinic helping patients across California, please visit - AnnaGlezerMD.comTo sign up for the Fellowship in Reproductive & Integrative Psychiatry, please visit: PsychiatryFellowship.com
Send us Fan MailIn 1944, a group of healthy young men volunteered to be starved in the name of science. What happened to them — physically, psychologically, and socially — is one of the most important pieces of evidence we have about what dieting actually does to the human body. Evidence that has been ignored for 80 years. This week, I break down the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, asks why medicine continues to prescribe a treatment it knows causes harm, and make the case that forcing fat people to diet isn't medical care — it's cruel and unusual punishment.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
The statement, “You are not your body,” needs some somatic updating. This statement, which has been said countless of times to try to decrease body image struggles, actually guides you in detaching from the body, further causing separation from safely inhabiting the body.René Descartes' “I think, therefore I am,” reinforced a mind-body split. This contributed to the belief that the body is meant to be transcended and translated to: don't listen to your body, hunger, fatigue, needs, or sensations. This has led to further objectification of the body that it can be shaped to meet the mind's desires. and detaching from the body in the process doesn't teach you how to sense, feel, and relate to your body.In this week's Satiated Podcast episode, I chat about: Challenging the statement you are not your bodyThe importance of inhabiting your body to decrease body image issuesBody image and your nervous systemUpdating the you are not your body sentimentJournaling questions You can also read the transcript to this week's episode here: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/you-are-not-your-body-or-are-youHope you enjoy this episode and talk with you next week!With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: support@stephaniemara.comSupport the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...
Send a text Cancer Research UK calls being fat the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK. It's a claim built on manipulated statistics, false assumptions, and funding from the weight loss industry - and it's actively killing people. In this episode, I show why the evidence for weight and cancer doesn't come close to the evidence for smoking, why population attributable fractions are a chocolate teapot, and why the breast cancer data is far more complicated than anyone is letting on. If you've ever been told your cancer risk is your own fault, this one's for you. The study on weight stigma as a barrier to cancer screening: Amy NK, Aalborg A, Lyons P, Keranen L. Barriers to routine gynecological cancer screening for White and African-American obese women. Int J Obes. 2006;30(1):147-155. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know!Connect With MeWEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign upTHE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journeyMASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage itFREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsenseFind me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Psychologists Off The Clock: A Psychology Podcast About The Science And Practice Of Living Well
Weight feels like one of those topics everyone has an opinion on, yet it's deeply personal for each of us. So, for this episode, Emily and Jill take the opportunity to dig into what it's like to navigate body changes in a world full of strong opinions, from the rise of GLP-1 medications to the stigma that can come with medical or surgical interventions.Jill opens up about her own journey with weight, body image, and ultimately deciding to have gastric bypass surgery, including what's shifted for her since, physically, emotionally, and socially. They also talk about the judgment people can face, how conversations about health often get reduced to discipline or willpower, and also zoom out to explore the bigger cultural messages about bodies and how therapists can support clients in talking about weight in ways that move beyond shame or “fixing.” Listen and Learn: Why shame, Yo-yo dieting, and a surprising therapy session insight led Jill to discover a life-changing path that transformed her health, mindset, and relationship with exerciseWhy the idea that weight loss tools are “cheating” reveals deeper cultural biases about bodies, health, and who gets judged for the choices they makeHow constant pressure on women's bodies may actually distract from power, health, and autonomy in ways most people never questionFocusing on values instead of weight loss goals to help you stop postponing the life you want to liveHow changing your relationship with cravings and “food noise” through psychological flexibility can make long-term weight loss maintenance more possibleResources: Jill's Website: https://jillstoddard.comConnect with Jill on Social Media https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNDJ6pR5PVGZSSzRFc556QAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jillstoddardphd/ About Jill Stoddard Jill Stoddard is passionate about sharing science-backed ideas from psychology to help people thrive. She is a psychologist, writer, TEDx speaker, award-winning teacher, peer-reviewed ACT trainer, bariatric coach, and co-host of the popular Psychologists Off the Clock podcast. Dr. Stoddard is the founder and director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, an outpatient practice specializing in evidence-based therapies for anxiety and related issues. She is the author of three books: The Big Book of ACT Metaphors: A Practitioner's Guide to Experiential Exercises and Metaphors in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Be Mighty: A Woman's Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance; and Imposter No More: Overcome Self-doubt and Imposterism to Cultivate a Successful Career. Her writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, Psychology Today, Scary Mommy, Thrive Global, The Good Men Project, and Mindful Return. She regularly appears on podcasts and as an expert source for various media outlets. She lives in Newburyport, MA with her husband, two kids, and disobedient French Bulldog. Related Episodes:348. Sustainable Exercise with Michelle Segar326. Weight Stigma and Body Image with Sarah Pegrum264. Raising Intuitive Eaters with Sumner Brooks and Amee Severson231. Eating Skills and Emotional Eating with Josh Hillis151. Intuitive Eating with Evelyn Tribole93. Effective Weight Loss with Evan Forman77. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Jill Stoddard36. Weight Loss Strategies From Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Jason LillisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Send a textDisease mongering has transformed human body diversity into a medical crisis requiring pharmaceutical intervention. When Ray Moynihan wrote that "there's a lot of money to be made from telling healthy people they're sick," he exposed a corporate strategy that reaches its most devastating form in the creation of "ob*sity" as a disease. This wasn't accidental harm caused while trying to help people - this was intentional pathologization of natural human variation, funded by pharmaceutical companies and legitimized through corrupt alliances between industry, doctors, and supposed patient advocacy groups. In this episode, I expose how the disease creation itself causes harm separate from any treatment: social exclusion, healthcare denial, psychological trauma, economic exploitation, and the erosion of bodily autonomy. We created a disease whose only "treatment" doesn't work and causes the very harms we attribute to the disease. They didn't just gnaw away at our self-confidence—they gnawed away at our right to exist. Moynihan, Ray, Iona Heath, and David Henry. ‘Selling Sickness: The Pharmaceutical Industry and Disease Mongering'. BMJ : British Medical Journal 324, no. 7342 (2002): 886–91. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7342.886.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journey MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage it FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
In this episode, Dr. Sheila Carroll—pediatrician, obesity medicine physician, and certified life coach—explores the psychological and cultural forces behind unhealthy weight narratives. Rather than focusing on numbers on the scale, she argues for a broader approach to health that includes mindset, family habits, emotional awareness, sleep, and environment. The discussion highlights how parents and physicians can shift from weight-centric thinking to sustainable lifestyle modeling that supports children's long-term physical and mental well-being.. GET SOCIAL WITH US!
The first episode of Skinny Inc. was all about the science behind GLP-1s, and the second episode was about the business, from the pharmaceutical companies who make GLP-1s to the insurance plans that may or may not cover it. Today, we're exploring how the so-called “Ozempic era,” affects people's mental health. First, business owner Maiyhet Burton tells us how using a GLP-1 has helped her body image. Globe health reporter Kelly Grant details how experts are split on the effect of GLP-1s on weight stigma, and psychotherapist Zoë Bisbing explains how the body positive movement helps her clients. Plus, Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance on why the popularity of GLP-1s shows how far we have to go with anti-fat discrimination, and Ary Mahraj and Emily Donahue from the National Eating Disorder Information Centre tell us how people with eating disorders may be impacted by the constant discussions about weight loss. Finally, Dr. Stephen Glazer, Medical Director for the Bariatric Surgical Program at Humber River Hospital in Toronto on how weight stigma can be internalized. You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weight stigma affects far more than body size. It shapes healthcare, mental health treatment, and eating disorder recovery for people across all bodies. In this solo episode, eating disorder therapist Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, examines how anti-fat bias operates inside medical systems, mental health care, and everyday cultural messages about bodies. Weight stigma does not only harm people in larger bodies. It distorts how clinicians diagnose illness, how providers respond to symptoms, and how individuals relate to food, movement, and self-worth. People in larger bodies often face delayed diagnosis, dismissal of medical concerns, and barriers to eating disorder treatment. At the same time, people in smaller bodies frequently receive praise for behaviors that signal medical or psychological danger, which can hide eating disorders and delay care. In this episode, Dr. Marianne explores how weight stigma disrupts physical health, fuels disordered eating, and complicates recovery. Anti-fat bias increases stress, discourages people from seeking medical care, and encourages shame-based approaches to health. These pressures influence people across body sizes. They can lead individuals to distrust hunger cues, suppress bodily needs, and feel that their worth depends on body size. This conversation also explores how weight stigma interacts with other systems of oppression. Racism, ableism, gender bias, and class inequality can amplify weight-based discrimination in healthcare and mental health settings. When these systems overlap, people often experience greater barriers to accurate diagnosis, compassionate treatment, and sustainable eating disorder recovery. Dr. Marianne also discusses how a liberation-centered approach to treatment can support healing. Recovery becomes more possible when clinicians prioritize autonomy, body respect, and nervous system safety rather than weight control. Challenging anti-fat bias allows providers to offer more accurate care and helps clients rebuild trust with their bodies. If you have ever wondered why eating disorder recovery can feel harder in a culture obsessed with body size, this episode offers an important perspective. Addressing weight stigma creates space for more compassionate healthcare, more effective mental health treatment, and more accessible eating disorder recovery for people in every body. Here are some related episodes: Anti-Fat Bias in Healthcare & Chronic Illness: Healing Body Image in a Marginalized Body With Ivy Felicia @iamivyfelicia on Apple and Spotify. Medical Weight Stigma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Having Anorexia in a Larger Body: Navigating Medical Anti-Fat Bias & Lack of Care with Sharon Maxwell @heysharonmaxwell on Apple & Spotify. Dr. Marianne Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in eating disorder recovery, including ARFID, binge eating disorder, anorexia, and bulimia. Her work centers neurodivergent-affirming care, body liberation, sensory attunement, and trauma-informed treatment that supports long-term healing. You can learn more about therapy with Dr. Marianne Miller or explore her self-paced courses on eating disorder recovery via her website at drmariannemiller.com.
Send a textThe Mediterranean diet has become medical gospel—promoted by diabetes organizations, heart health foundations, and doctors worldwide. But when I looked at the actual evidence, I found something shocking: the one major study proving its benefits was so flawed it had to be retracted. And when NICE updated their cardiovascular disease guidelines in 2023, they admitted there was "no available evidence" comparing dietary interventions to normal diets, so they made recommendations based on "clinical experience and expert opinion" instead. In this episode, I expose how decades of lifestyle advice rest on a foundation of observational studies that can't prove causation, one retracted trial, and guidelines that openly admit the evidence doesn't exist. I explore why we ignored Japan despite identical findings, how the Mediterranean diet reflects Eurocentric superiority rather than scientific rigor, and why telling Black, brown, and indigenous communities to abandon their cultural foods for olive oil is racist as f*ck. The evidence doesn't support what we're being told and it's time we started demanding better.Ge, Long, Behnam Sadeghirad, Geoff D. C. Ball, et al. ‘Comparison of Dietary Macronutrient Patterns of 14 Popular Named Dietary Programmes for Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factor Reduction in Adults: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomised Trials'. The BMJ 369 (April 2020): m696. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m696.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journey MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage it FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
In Part 1 we looked into the authors and methodology of the study The Acute Inflammatory Effects of Weight Stigma: An Experimental Pilot Study which was published in August, 2025. In part 2 we'll look at the results. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
Send a textMedicine has built an entire mythology around weight as the root cause of disease, including diabetes, sleep apnea, and arthritis. In this episode, I introduce you to three fictional patients whose stories expose the fatal flaws in this narrative. Through Madison's diabetes diagnosis, Mason's struggle with sleep apnea struggle, and Morgan's joint pain dismissal, I dismantle the logical fallacies that confuse association with causation. The truth is simple. Your weight didn't make you sick - but being blamed for it, denied treatment, and forced into weight cycling absolutely will. I challenge you to ask: if weight causes these conditions, why doesn't weight loss cure them? And more importantly, who profits when doctors prescribe weight loss instead of evidence-based care? Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journey MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage it FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
A new study in this vein has come out that looks at the link between weight stigma and inflammation. The study is called The Acute Inflammatory Effects of Weight Stigma: An Experimental Pilot Study and it was published in August, 2025. In part 1 we'll look at the study authors and the methodology, and in part 2 we'll look at the results. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe
Send a textWellness culture didn't start with Instagram. From George Cheyne's 1724 bestseller to Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters redefining fat bodies as "the enemy within," the methods and ideology haven't changed in four centuries—even as the evidence proves they've never worked. In this episode, I trace wellness influencers back to the 17th century, exposing how former fat people turned their weight cycling into moral crusades, transforming fat bodies from "friendly jokes" into threats deserving punishment. These aren't just historical curiosities—they're the architects of today's war on ob*sity, and understanding their playbook helps us see modern wellness influencers for what they really are: unoriginal copycats parroting 400-year-old nonsense. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: Community with a neurodivergent flavour. **BOOK CLUB** exclusive to Weighting Room members. CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journey MASTERCLASS LIBRARY: Become an expert in your condition and the weight inclusive ways to manage it FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send a textThe weight loss industry has convinced us that being fat is a personal failure—a consequence of eating too much and moving too little. But the truth is far more complex and liberating. Your weight is controlled by genetics, epigenetics, environmental factors, trauma, chronic stress, and systems of oppression that were intentionally designed to control marginalized bodies. In this episode, I break down the scientific evidence showing why the "calories in, calories out" narrative is a lie, explore how everything from urbanization to discrimination drives weight gain through cortisol, and reveal how this cycle of blame was always rooted in anti-Black racism, capitalism, and misogyny. It's time to shift responsibility from individuals to the systems and institutions whose literal job it is to address these conditions—because you didn't break this, and you shouldn't have to fix it.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Every Saturday, my husband and I listen to a podcast that reads Reddit stories. For a long time, I have wanted to do something similar but with a focus on food and body image behaviors. I even set up a whole form for people to send in questions, but I got very few responses. So I decided to move forward on this anyway and find my own Reddit stories to read and share my thoughts on how I might support that person in their situation. In this week's Satiated Podcast episode: I read 3 different body image situations I discuss from a trauma, somatic, and nervous system perspective how I might respond to these indivdualsI get into topics such as weight stigma, past trauma, capitalism, and dieting generational traumaI share the wisdom in body image concerns and how to start to see them as protection Because this was a new kind of episode I'm testing out, there is no transcript to this week's episode. If you loved this format, let me know and I will be sure to have transcripts to future episodes like this one.I would love to hear your thoughts on this new format and I hope you enjoy it! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: support@stephaniemara.comSupport the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPl Special thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.benso...
Send us a textIn 1992, a room full of weight loss experts admitted diets don't work and that weight regain is almost inevitable within five years. Then they recommended diets anyway. Fast forward to 2025, and the UK's NICE guidelines acknowledge weight cycling causes harm, that the evidence is overwhelmingly poor quality, and that people will likely regain the weight. Yet they still recommend 800-calorie diets, even for people with eating disorders. In this episode, I expose how medical guidelines have become a masterclass in institutional lying—where committees acknowledge the evidence shows diets fail, cause harm, and offer no long-term benefit, yet recommend them regardless. Because the industry's already doing it, the government's already funding it, and admitting the truth would be too expensive. This isn't medicine. This is willful harm dressed up in clinical language, and the people writing these guidelines need to be held accountable. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us a textWe explore how weight bias harms health, from early childhood to exam rooms, and why care must center respect, context, and evidence over assumptions. Practical steps show how to shift language, policies, and environments for safer, more effective support at any size.• clear definition of weight bias and stigma• difference between health promotion and shaming• early onset in children and gendered patterns• impact in healthcare and delayed diagnoses• patient rights around weigh-ins and boundaries• personal story on thin shaming and celiac disease• media representation and campus attitudes• internalized bias, anxiety, and low self-esteem• weight as a number vs whole-person health• practical clinic changes and zero-tolerance policies• implicit bias tests and language shifts• celebrating non-scale wins and finding safe careIf this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, especially, you know, someone that uh is struggling with that or has said, or you see that they have weight bias, or a friend navigating, you know, their own relationship with food and body imageImplicit Association Test (IAT) Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast and share with a friend. If you would like to know more about my services, please message at fueledbyleo@gmail.comMy YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SqBP44jMNYSzlcJjOKJdg
Send us a textIn 1995, the WHO published a report stating clearly: "There are no clearly established cutoff points for fat mass or fat percentage that can be translated into cut-offs for BMI." Just three short years later, they published a completely different report calling ob*sity a "disease". Not just a disease, but a "rapidly growing threat" and a "global epidemic" that needed managing. What changed? Professor Philip James established the International Ob*sity Task Force—funded by the pharmaceutical industry—specifically to persuade the WHO to create ob*sity policy. When asked how he determined BMI cut-offs of 25, 30, and 40, Professor James admitted it "just seemed to fit"—a "reasonable, pragmatic cut-off." In this episode, I prove that being fat doesn't meet the definition of a disease: there's no impaired function, no characteristic symptoms, no causative agent. But calling it a disease created a market worth billions for weight loss companies, drug manufacturers, and bariatric surgeons. You're not the one who benefits from being diagnosed with ob*sity—they are. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us a textWe've been told our entire lives that there's such a thing as a "healthy weight" - but the foundations of this belief are built on quicksand. In this episode, I trace the shocking history of how weight categories were created, exposing the corrupt origins of BMI and "ideal weight" tables invented by life insurance companies to maximize profits. I reveal how Louis Dublin, an employee of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company who literally wrote a book called "The Money Value of a Man," created arbitrary weight standards that had no basis in reality - and how these numbers kept dropping with no scientific justification.What would life be like if Dublin had got decided that "abnormally tall" people needed to shrink to be healthy? I use this thought experiment to demonstrate the absurdity of medicalizing body size, especially since we've no evidence that “excess weight” causes illness or that intentional weight loss improves health outcomes.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us a textAfter years of research and three false starts, I've finally finished the first draft of my book, No Weigh. This season, I'm pulling back the curtain on what I discovered during years of research—how medical weight science is built on claims rather than evidence, how weight stigma and weight cycling cause the very health problems blamed on fat bodies, and how this entire system was designed intentionally to profit from our shame. In this episode, I share the four-part structure of the book and invite you into the messy, honest process of writing something that challenges everything we've been told about weight and health. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
In this episode of Let’s Talk we’re diving into the mind-blowing world of weight stigma with two very authentic and vocal fat activists. You may also laugh out loud and decide you want these women as your new best friends. Demi Lynch is a researcher and journalist from Kaleidoscope News. April Helene-Horton, aka The Bodzilla, is a body diversity advocate and well-known content creator. They’ll be sharing their no-holds-barred views on stigma and stereotyping, dating and relationships, the disconnect between health and health care, and what it really means for a person to take up space. It may be tough to hear, but if you don’t know what it’s like to live in a larger body, this conversation will help you to get it. If you do live in a larger body, Demi and April are here to let you know you’re not alone in your experience — and with them in your corner, there are things you can do to keep going with hope. Resources: Butterfly National Helpline: 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) Chat online The Butterfly referral database can be found Information on the Weight Stigma Conference can be found You can find Demi on Instagram here and April on Instagram Follow Yvie Jones on Instagram here Follow Butterfly Foundation on Instagram here Production Team: Produced by Yvie Jones and Sam Blacker from The Podcast Butler Executive Producer: Camilla Becket Supported by the Waratah Education Foundation For more information about this episode, visit www.butterfly.org.au/podcast and click through to this episode. If you're concerned about an eating disorder for yourself or someone you care about, please reach out to the Butterfly National Helpline or chat online with one of their specialist counsellors. Recovery is possible with the right support. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, I speak with fat activist, TEDx speaker, author, DEI expert, and podcast host Vinny Welsby (they/them) about anti-fat bias in healthcare, weight stigma in medicine, and the real-world harm fat patients experience when seeking medical care. Vinny, who shares extensively about fat liberation, weight-inclusive care, and dismantling diet culture on Instagram at @fierce.fatty, brings both lived experience and data into this conversation. This episode centers on Vinny's survey of 270 fat people, in which 99.25% reported experiencing weight-based discrimination in healthcare. These findings expose how common medical weight stigma, anti-fatness, and provider bias truly are, and why so many fat people delay or avoid healthcare altogether. Weight Stigma in Healthcare: Survey Data and Lived Experience We break down what those survey results actually mean for patients. Vinny shares stories of medical dismissal, misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and humiliation in healthcare settings, including being told to lose weight instead of receiving appropriate medical evaluation. We discuss how weight stigma shows up through provider assumptions, lack of size-inclusive equipment, routine weighing without consent, and dismissive or dehumanizing language. This section highlights how anti-fat bias in healthcare leads to worse physical health outcomes, increased medical trauma, and deep mistrust of medical systems. Medical Trauma, Nervous System Effects, and Avoiding Care We explore how repeated experiences of weight stigma activate the nervous system and create medical trauma. Even scheduling an appointment can trigger fear, shame, and exhaustion. Vinny and I talk about how this chronic stress contributes to people avoiding preventive care, delaying diagnosis, and experiencing worsening health conditions as a result. This conversation connects anti-fat bias, mental health, eating disorders, and healthcare avoidance, naming how the system often blames fat bodies for the very harm it causes. Intersectionality: Fatness, Gender, Queerness, and Neurodivergence A major focus of this episode is intersectionality. Vinny shares how anti-fatness intersected with being trans, nonbinary, queer, neurodivergent, and disabled, and how shame around body size limited access to identity exploration and self-expression. We talk about how weight stigma compounds oppression, especially for people with multiple marginalized identities. We also discuss how white privilege can reduce some harms while never eliminating weight-based discrimination, and why weight-inclusive healthcare must address racism, transphobia, ableism, and fatphobia together. What Weight-Inclusive Healthcare Actually Requires We challenge the idea that good intentions equal good care. This section explores what weight-inclusive healthcare truly requires, including provider education, consent-based weighing, size-inclusive furniture and equipment, respectful language, and accountability when harm occurs. We discuss why many providers believe they are weight-inclusive while continuing to practice weight-centered and stigmatizing care. Unlearning Anti-Fatness, Shame, and Diet Culture We close with guidance for beginning the process of unlearning anti-fatness. Vinny shares how shame thrives in isolation and how bringing it into the light reduces its power. We discuss diet culture, binary thinking, and how critical thinking helps people question harmful beliefs about weight, health, morality, and worth. This episode invites listeners to ask who benefits when people are taught to hate their bodies, and how compassion, curiosity, and community support healing. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for fat people, eating disorder survivors, clinicians, healthcare providers, and anyone who wants to understand how weight stigma in healthcare causes harm and what needs to change. About My Guest: Vinny Welsby (They/Them) Vinny Welsby is a fat activist, DEI leader, TEDx speaker, bestselling author of Fierce Fatty, and host of the Fierce Fatty Podcast. They work with individuals through Fierce Fatty and with organizations through Weight Inclusive Consulting, providing education and training on dismantling anti-fat bias in healthcare and beyond. You can find Vinny at fiercefatty.com and on Instagram at @fierce.fatty. Related Episodes When Doctors Harm: Medical Weight Stigma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Having Anorexia in a Larger Body: Navigating Medical Anti-Fat Bias & Lack of Care with Sharon Maxwell @heysharonmaxwell on Apple & Spotify. Content Caution This episode includes discussion of medical trauma, weight stigma, eating disorders, healthcare discrimination, and systemic oppression. The harm described in this episode is real, widespread, and systemic.
In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, we dive deep into the complex and often unspoken corners of mental health recovery. We explore the psychology behind why some individuals experience persistent suicidal thoughts without the intent to act and discuss strategies for navigating friendships that inadvertently trigger eating disorder relapses or competition. I also open up about the ethics of plastic surgery when dealing with body dysmorphia , the "push-pull" dynamic in therapy often associated with BPD and attachment wounds , and share my professional perspective on gender-affirming care and the importance of therapeutic support. Finally, we analyze a shocking listener story about a therapist allowing a date in their office, breaking down the major red flags of blurred boundaries. My new book is in stores now! Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ Get Yours For The Holiday - If you've ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I'd be so grateful for your support. 00:00 – Intro 00:19 – Why do I have suicidal thoughts but can't act on them? 06:00 – When a friend's passion triggers your Eating Disorder relapse 12:21 – Navigating Anorexia recovery when treatment is denied (NHS & Weight Stigma) 20:06 – CrowdHealth message 21:53 – Plastic Surgery: Confidence booster or Body Dysmorphia? 27:35 – Envisioning suicidal scenarios & struggles with Lithium medication 33:02 – Why do I push my therapist away? (Fear of Abandonment & BPD) 36:36 – OneSkin message 38:13 – AuraFrames message 43:44 – My honest opinion on Gender Affirming Care & the "Affirm First" approach 52:37 – Red Flags: My therapist let me have a date in her office?! Shopping with our sponsors helps support the show and allows us to continue bringing you these important conversations about mental health. Please check out this week's special offers: • CrowdHealth: get started today for $99 for your first three months using code ASKKATI at https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ • OneSkin: For a limited time, try OneSkin for 15% off using code KATI at https://www.oneskin.co/Kati • Aura Frames: Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/KATI Promo Code KATI Ask Kati Anything ep. 292 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT MAIN YOUTUBE CHANNEL www.youtube.com/@Katimorton #podcast #psychology #katimorton MY BOOKS Why Do I Keep Doing This? https://geni.us/XoyLSQ Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Disclaimer: The information provided in this video is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problem or disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. Viewing this content does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textAfter a year of exploring wellness culture and its discriminatory foundations, I've identified 10 arguments people use to justify discrimination against fat people—and I'm dismantling every single one. From the "health concern" disguise to the false claim that being fat is a choice, from economic justifications to the burden of proof fallacy, these arguments collapse under scrutiny. The truth is simpler and darker: discrimination against fat people isn't justified by evidence or ethics—it's justified because it makes people feel morally superior, saves institutions money, and allows society to continue a comfortable prejudice. When people are dying in real-time because doctors deny them care, calling it "medical reality" doesn't make it less harmful—it makes it systemic violence dressed up as medicine.Download your copy of Fat, Festive and Fierce hereGot a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us a textThis holiday season, you'll hear countless claims about weight and health dressed up as concern or common sense. But beneath every "everybody knows" and "the experts say" lies a logical fallacy waiting to be dismantled. In this episode, I arm you with the tools to recognize and challenge the flawed reasoning behind anti-fat rhetoric from ad hominem attacks to deliberately vague language designed to make illogical arguments sound scientific." Whether you're facing concern trolling from relatives or rage-watching haters online, understanding these patterns of illogic reveals what's really happening: weak arguments from people who have nothing substantive to offer, desperately trying to justify discrimination while you're armed with evidence, reason, and the power to walk away.Download your copy of Fat, Festive and Fierce here.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Dr. Erin Harrop (they/them) — a licensed medical social worker, assistant professor at the University of Denver, and leading researcher on eating disorders, weight stigma, and inclusive healthcare.Dr. Harrop brings both professional expertise and personal lived experience to the discussion, shedding light on how systemic biases and cultural myths about body size shape who receives care — and who gets ignored.Together, they explore the harmful message that some people are “not sick enough” for treatment and the devastating effects of weight stigma in the medical system. Through compelling real-life examples and research insights, Dr. Harrop helps listeners understand how eating disorders present across diverse bodies, why atypical anorexia remains misunderstood, and what needs to change in healthcare.SHOW NOTES: Click hereFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_bite Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
”Telling someone to lose weight is a really quick way to get through that eight minute visit, and not ask about what people actually eat before you say ‘eat less'."Walking into a doctor's office shouldn't leave anyone feeling ashamed, dismissed, or anxious about their body size. In this episode, Dr. Vicky Borgia breaks down how weight stigma actually shows up in medical care and what you can do about it. She shares an inside look at the biases and systemic pressures driving weight-centered decisions, along with her own experiences navigating diet culture as both a provider and person recovering from an eating disorder. You'll hear what weight stigma really is, how it affects the care patients receive, and simple strategies to advocate for yourself and build a more weight-inclusive healthcare team.✅ What You'll Learn:Why weight stigma in healthcare is NOT “just in your head” (and how it actually shows up in real appointments)How physician bias, billing pressures, and convenience often drive weight-centered care, not evidence-based medicinePractical strategies to advocate for yourself at the doctor's office, even if it means declining to be weighedHow to start building a weight-inclusive care team (or set boundaries with the team you already have)What happens when medical advice differs wildly based on body size
Send us a textHealthcare's approach to diabetes has become less about treating a disease and more about fixing the person. In this episode, I walk through Cosmo's fictional-but-familiar journey from diagnosis through multiple medications to a specialist referral that came with a homework assignment. When we receive forms asking us to set goals, rate our confidence, and think about what our blood sugar levels "mean to us" before we've even met a clinician, we're being set up to fail. I examine how medical professionals have shifted responsibility for treatment outcomes onto patients, turning a manageable chronic condition into a moral failure requiring correction—and why this approach drives people away from the care they desperately need. If you're dreading your next diabetic review, my online course gives you everything the diabetes clinic should have given you: understanding, empowerment, and practical tools—without the shame. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Send us a text When doctors recommend weight loss, they describe the supposed benefits but remain silent about the harms—reduced metabolism, increased appetite, hormonal disruption, eating disorders, and profound mental health impacts. This ethical failure extends beyond outdated diet advice to newer interventions like GLP-1 medications, where we celebrate short-term metabolic improvements while ignoring gastrointestinal distress, financial burden, social isolation, and unknown long-term consequences. In this episode, Asher challenges the dangerous assumption that fat people should suffer to become thinner, exposing how this narrative serves the weight loss industry's profits while treating fat bodies as unworthy of basic ethical consideration in healthcare. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.