Our bodies are ours, but how we feel about them is largely defined by others — by the things people say, the culture we live in, the messages we get about which kinds of bodies are acceptable … and which kinds aren’t. On this episode of The Pulse, we look at how culture and politics shape the way we feel about our bodies. We’ll hear stories about bodies transformed by disease, weight, and age, and how those changes affect people’s sense of identity. We’ll also talk about the struggle to reclaim bodies from other people’s narratives about what is strong or beautiful, ugly or dangerous.

Also heard on this week’s episode: