 Can you actually measure health? BMI— or Body Mass Index—has become a widely embraced measurement of health, but is actually based on an entirely unscientific and racist 19th century research project. In this first episode of two parts, Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to talk about the history of the BMI, why it’s bogus, and what the implications of this reductionistic measurement are on our health.  Links: The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI: https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb   Connect with Opal:   www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos     

#86: BMI: How One Unscientific Calculation Became Our Main Measurement for Health (Part 1)

The Appetite is a podcast by the founders of Opal: Food+Body Wisdom, an eating disorder treatment center in the University District of Seattle, WA. Psychologist Lexi Giblin, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapist Kara Bazzi, LMFT, and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Julie Church, RDN, CD, will meet every other week to discuss all things food, body, movement, and mental health. 

Learn more about us at www.opalfoodandbody.com.

Health & Fitness

Dr. Lisa Erlanger joins Opal's Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN to share the evidence and compassion that led her to evolve into a weight-inclusive physician.  Lisa explains how the body is impacted by dieting (aka starvation) and emphasizes the importance of adequate nourishment as a strong focus of weight-inclusive health care practices within eating disorder treatment and beyond.  She even gives some quick tips on how to help medical providers get out of their weight-centric trance and provide respectful medical care, regardless of body size.  Wherever you are on your journey of weight-inclusivity, this is a must listen! To find Lisa:   Dr. Lisa Erlanger's website And to see what she is doing to advance education of medical practitioners go to:  Size Inclusive Medicine Connect with Opal:   www.opalfoodandbody.com @opalfoodandbody  @Opal.Movement   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Sound engineering by Ayesha Ubayatilaka at Jack Straw Studios

#129: Dr. Lisa Erlanger:  A Physician's Journey to Practicing Weight-Inclusive Medicine

Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD and Kara Bazzi, LMFT, Opal Co-Founders, sit down with Poppy and Lily to do a self-inquiry double click on these two particular experiences of shame management.  Poppy shares an encounter with shame and disgust where her response is to “mask everything and puff up” while wanting her “old body back.”  A “deep, profound worthlessness” prompts an urge for Lily to work hard to be likable, meet others' expectations, and “shrink” herself, not just physically. The group does their self-inquiry job and successfully hits on some angsty edges of learning for Poppy and Lily.   Connect with Opal:   www.opalfoodandbody.com @opalfoodandbody  @Opal.Movement   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Sound engineering by Ayesha Ubayatilaka at Jack Straw Studios

#128: Self-Inquiry Series: I Don’t Look Like A Runner Anymore and I Can’t Shrink Myself Fast Enough

Fitness, movement and sport spaces continue to be saturated with diet culture rhetoric and belief systems that disrupt our innate connection, wisdom and joy to movement and our bodies. Diet culture is rooted in social justice issues where movement and sport spaces are not inclusive of all bodies and walks of life, particularly those who are most marginalized. Yet the story doesn’t stop here. More and more folks are recognizing the harmful messaging and practices and are doing it differently! Meng Wang, a dietitian and yoga instructor at Opal, and Ashley Davies, co-founder of Club Seattle Run Division (CSRD) are two of these change-makers– disrupting the “normal” practices in mighty ways!  Listen in to this episode of The Appetite as Kara Bazzi, Opal’s Director of the Exercise + Sport program, has a conversation with Meng and Ashley that will give inspiration and encouragement that we can all make meaningful change.  Links:  Find Ashley Davies @dreambig_davies Find Club Seattle Run Division @run_csrd Book: Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex (Edited by Justice Roe Williams, Roc Rochon and Lawrence Koval) Book: The Body Liberation Project (Chrissy King) Opal's  Stretch Your Learning is monthly for anyone who has a desire to create more inclusive movement spaces   To Learn more about Opal:  @opalfoodandbody @opal.movement www.opalfoodandbody.com   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Sound engineering by Ayesha Ubayatilaka at Jack Straw Studios

#127: Changing the Script for More Inclusive Movement Spaces: A Discussion with Meng Wang, RDN, and Ashley Davies

Maddie Louder, Miss Washington 2021, joins Julie Church, Opal's Nutrition Director, to share her personal experience of how participating in pageants was both empowering and detrimental for her relationship with food and body. Maddie shares how advocacy work through the Miss Washington platform was important for her eating disorder recovery journey and also unpacks how the crowns and glitter of achievement culture can have its downfalls.  Maddie's experience highlights the limitations of the "all good or all bad" binary and invites us to embrace the nuances of contest and competition.     To reach Maddie:    simplysincerelymaddie.com @maddielouder  To learn more about pageants: www.misswashington.org    Connect with Opal:   www.opalfoodandbody.com  @opalfoodandbody  @Opal.Movement   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Sound engineering by Ayesha Ubayatilaka at Jack Straw Studios    

#126: Behind the Scenes of Pageantry: Reflections from a Diet Culture Lens

If you are new to self-inquiry, start here!! This is your go-to episode when you need a quick self-inquiry tutorial, refresher or a little help coaxing you into the self-inquiry mood.  Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, orients you to the key components and process of self-inquiry.  With these basics in hand, you can more fully take in The Appetite's Self-Inquiry series and possibly begin your own self-inquiry journey.  For a deeper dive, go to Episode # 18 Emotion and Learning: The Self-Inquiry Process in Radically Open DBT. Connect with Opal:   www.opalfoodandbody.com @opalfoodandbody  @Opal.Movement   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Sound engineering by Ayesha Ubayatilaka at Jack Straw Studios

#86: BMI: How One Unscientific Calculation Became Our Main Measurement for Health (Part 1)

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