Breaking Body Biases

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In a world where kids are exposed to harmful messages about food, exercise, and body image earlier than ever, how can we as parents protect them—and empower them—to build a healthy, confident relationship with their bodies?

In this episode of Breaking Body Biases, we dive into the real and often subtle ways diet culture shows up in children’s lives—from school and social media scrolls to family gatherings and doctor’s offices.

You’ll learn:

• What diet culture sounds like coming from your child
• How to respond when your child makes a negative comment about their body or food
• Why “healthy eating” isn’t always healthy messaging
• Practical tips for navigating school, sports, and family events
• How to model a positive relationship with food and movement—even if you're still working on it yourself

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or someone who works with kids, this episode will give you the tools to raise body-literate, confident kids in a culture that doesn’t always support them.

🔗 Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

🧠 Helpful Books, Website, & Resources: 📚

• "Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture" by Virginia Sole-Smith
  A compassionate and practical guide to helping kids resist body shame and embrace body autonomy.
• "More Than a Body" by Lexie & Lindsay Kite
  Great for parents and teens—focuses on shifting the value of our bodies from how they look to what they can do.
• "Intuitive Eating for Every Day" by Evelyn Tribole
  Offers daily practices to support a non-diet approach to eating—for adults and to model for children.
• “The Body is Not an Apology” by Sonya Renee Taylor
  A powerful read for building your own body acceptance and passing that wisdom on to the next generation.
• The Nutrition Tea with Shana Minei Spence MS, RDN, CDN 
• The Body Image Book for Girls and the Body Image Book for Boys both by Dr Charlotte Markey
• All Bodies are Wonderful: Use Science to Celebrate Everyone's Body! by Beth Cox
• Every Body Is Different by by Miriam Moore-keish (Author), Alejandra Ruiz (Illustrator)
• Embrace Your Body by Taryn Brumfitt
• Grow Up and Love Your Body by Sarah Weston
• A Kids Book About Body Image by Rebecca Alexander
• Finding Peace with Your Body: A Body Image Guide for Women by Johanna Kulp
• Virginia Sole-Smith’s Burnt Toast newsletter
  Excellent ongoing content on parenting and diet culture.
• More Than a Body – Body Image Resilience
  Research-backed strategies for building media literacy and self-compassion.

💬 Let's Connect!

Did this episode resonate with you? Have a question or story to share?

➡️ Leave a message
➡️ DM me on Instagram @breakingbodybiases
➡️ Leave a review to help more parents find this important conversation!

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Have you ever said, “Ugh, I feel so fat today”? You’re not alone—but here’s the truth: fat isn’t a feeling.

In this episode, we’re breaking down why we use this phrase, what we actually mean when we say it, and how diet culture has conditioned us to associate body size with self-worth. You’ll learn how to reframe these thoughts, recognize the real emotions behind them, and shift toward a more body-positive mindset.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why “feeling fat” isn’t a real thing—fat is a body type, not an emotion.
 ✅ The role of diet culture in making us equate body size with self-worth.
 ✅ How to identify the real emotions behind the phrase “I feel fat.”
 ✅ Simple shifts in language that can help you and those around you.
 ✅ How to respond when a friend or loved one says, “I feel fat.”

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you! Screenshot this episode, share it on social media, and tag me @breakingbodybiases. Let’s break the myths and rewrite the narrative—together.

🎙️ Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help more people find this important message!

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The wellness industry loves to promise better health, longer lives, and optimized bodies—but is it really just diet culture in disguise? In this episode, we break down the ways wellness trends like clean eating, biohacking, and metabolism hacking keep us trapped in a cycle of restriction and self-blame. From fasting apps to detox teas, we uncover how diet culture keeps rebranding itself to sell us the same message: that our bodies need to be controlled and “fixed.”

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ How “wellness” disguises diet culture with new buzzwords
✅ The historical roots of diet culture and how it has evolved (hint: it’s nothing new!)
✅ The myths behind metabolism, clean eating, and biohacking
✅ How to spot diet culture in the wellness industry and what to do instead

Resources Mentioned:

💡 Further Reading & Expert Insights

• 📖 Never Satisfied: A Cultural History of Diets, Fantasies & Fat by Hillel Schwartz – A deep dive into the history of weight obsession and how diet culture has evolved.
• 📖 The Wellness Trap by Christy Harrison – A great resource on the dangers of the wellness industry and how it preys on our fears.
• 📖 Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison – Explores the deep connection between diet culture and so-called “health” trends.
• 📖 Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings – Explores how fatphobia is deeply rooted in racism and how modern diet culture perpetuates these harmful ideals.
  📖 You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon – Debunks common myths about weight, health, and body size, exposing the biases that fuel diet culture.

Connect & Support

💬 Join the conversation! What’s a wellness trend you’ve been skeptical of? DM me on Instagram @BreakingBodyBiases and share your thoughts!
⭐ Love the podcast? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more people find this show and break free from diet culture!
📩 Get updates & resources: Subscribe to my newsletter for more body-positive insights and fitness tips!

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The fitness industry should be a place of empowerment, health, and community—but too often, trans individuals face barriers, discrimination, and exclusion in fitness spaces. In this episode, we dive into why supporting trans inclusion in fitness matters and what we can do as instructors, trainers, and fitness enthusiasts to create more welcoming spaces.

With harmful policies and rhetoric targeting trans people on the rise, it’s more important than ever to take a stand. Whether you're a fitness professional looking to make your classes more inclusive or simply someone who wants to be a better ally, this episode will give you actionable steps to create affirming spaces where everyone can feel strong, safe, and celebrated.

Tune in to learn:
✅ Why trans inclusion in fitness matters now more than ever
✅ How to make your fitness spaces and classes truly welcoming
✅ Ways to advocate for trans rights in the fitness industry and beyond

Let’s work together to make movement a space where everyone belongs! 💜

📚 Resources & Recommendations:

🏋️‍♂️ Follow These Trans Fitness Professionals:

• Justice Roe Williams – @justiceroewilliams (Founder of Fitness 4 All Bodies)
• Aydian Dowling – @alionsfear (Trans fitness coach & speaker)
• KC Slack – @kc.slack (Strength coach & powerlifting advocate)
• Schuyler Bailar – @pinkmantaray (NCAA athlete & trans inclusion speaker)
• Dr. Asher Lurie – @asherlurie (Physical therapist & movement specialist)
• Asher Freeman - @nonnormativebodyclub (Trans personal trainer and founder of Nonnormative Body Club)

📖 Books to Read:

• Trans Bodies, Trans Selves – Edited by Laura Erickson-Schroth
• The Transgender Athlete – By Katie Barnes
• Life Isn’t Binary – By Meg-John Barker & Alex Iantaffi
• Trans Like Me – By CN Lester
• Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health – Edited by Adrian Shanker
• Deconstructing the Fitness-Industrial Complex: How to Resist, Disrupt, and Reclaim What It Means to Be Fit in American Culture - by Justice Roe Williams

💡 Organizations to Support & Learn From:

• Fitness 4 All Bodies – fitness4allbodies.com
• Trans Lifeline (Support for Trans Individuals) – translifeline.org
• The Trevor Project (Crisis Support for LGBTQ+ Youth) – thetrevorproject.org

📢 Enjoying the podcast? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help us spread the message of inclusivity in fitness! Let’s keep breaking body biases together. 💪✨

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

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For so many of us, exercise has been tied to guilt, punishment, and toxic fitness messages. But what if movement could actually feel good—physically, mentally, and emotionally? In this episode of Breaking Body Biases, we’re diving into how you can reclaim exercise as an act of self-care, free from shame and pressure.

We'll explore why so many people have had negative or even traumatic experiences with fitness and how to heal your relationship with movement. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to find joy in exercise, listen to your body, and create a movement practice that supports your well-being—on your terms.

Key Takeaways:
✔️ Why traditional fitness spaces can feel harmful—and how to break free
✔️ How to separate movement from diet culture and weight loss goals
✔️ Ways to reconnect with joyful movement that feels good for your body
✔️ Practical steps to create a sustainable, guilt-free fitness routine

Resources & Links:

Weight Neutral Fitness:
👉  Feel Good Fitness

👉  Decolonizing Fitness

👉  JIM - Joyful Inclusive Movement

👉  Ladies Who Lift (Chicago)

👉  More resources

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The fitness industry is full of misleading messages that keep people stuck in harmful cycles of guilt, shame, and unrealistic expectations. In this episode, we’re breaking down 7 common lies the fitness industry keeps selling you—from “no pain, no gain” to the myth of the “perfect” body. Tune in to learn how to ditch these toxic beliefs and embrace a more sustainable, joyful, and empowering approach to movement.

Have you ever felt like the fitness industry is designed to make you feel like you’re never doing enough? That’s because it often thrives on myths and misinformation that keep people chasing unattainable goals. In this episode of Breaking Body Biases, we’re exposing 7 major lies that the fitness industry keeps pushing—like the idea that more sweat = a better workout, lifting weights makes you bulky, or that fitness is only for a certain body type.

We’ll unpack the harmful effects of these myths, how they contribute to body shame and burnout, and what you can do instead to build a healthy, sustainable relationship with movement. If you’ve ever felt like fitness wasn’t for you, this episode will help you reclaim your power and redefine what health and movement mean on your own terms.

Key Takeaways:

✅ "No Pain, No Gain" is a lie—exercise shouldn’t always hurt to be effective.
✅ Sweating doesn’t equal a better workout—it’s just your body regulating temperature.
✅ Lifting weights won’t make you bulky—but it will make you stronger and more resilient.
✅ You don’t need to earn or burn food—your body deserves nourishment, period.
✅ Fitness isn’t just for thin people—health exists at every size.
✅ More isn’t always better—rest and recovery are essential for progress.
✅ Your body is not a “before and after”—movement is about feeling good, not shrinking.

Resources & References:

• Health at Every Size® (HAES): https://asdah.org/
• The Problem with Weight Cycling (National Eating Disorders Association): https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
• "No Pain, No Gain" Myth—ACE Fitness Research: https://www.acefitness.org/
• Strength Training & Women—Breaking the Bulky Myth: https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

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Representation in fitness isn’t just about visibility—it’s about access, inclusivity, and changing the harmful narratives that have long dominated the industry. In this episode, I discuss why seeing diverse body types, abilities, races, and genders in fitness spaces matters, how the lack of representation upholds harmful beauty and health standards, and why the current attacks on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) are a direct threat to progress. If we want to make fitness truly accessible and welcoming for all, we must challenge the status quo and advocate for broader, more inclusive representation.

Key Takeaways:

• Representation Shapes Perception: Seeing people who look like you in fitness spaces and leadership roles fosters a sense of belonging and possibility.
• The Harm of Exclusion: The lack of diverse bodies in fitness leads to narrow, often unrealistic beauty and health standards that discourage people from participating.
• Why DEI Matters in Fitness: DEI initiatives help remove systemic barriers, making fitness spaces and programs more accessible to historically excluded communities.
• The Political Pushback Against DEI: Attacks on DEI aren’t about fairness—they’re about maintaining existing power structures and keeping marginalized voices out.
• How to Be Part of the Change: Fitness professionals can actively promote representation by diversifying their marketing, hiring inclusively, and challenging weight-centric messaging.

References & Resources:

Rep Jasmine Crockett regarding DEI

• Research on the impact of representation in fitness and wellness
• Studies on the relationship between body diversity and exercise participation
• Information on the benefits of DEI initiatives in health and wellness spaces
• Recent news and policies impacting DEI efforts

Tune in to learn how we can all work toward a more inclusive fitness industry where everyone—regardless of body size, race, gender, or ability—feels seen, valued, and supported.

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In this episode, we explore the striking parallels between historical civil rights movements and today's fight for trans and nonbinary rights. From the women’s suffrage movement to the civil rights era, the LGBTQ+ movement of the 1980s, and today's ongoing battle for bodily autonomy, each fight has centered around who gets to control bodies and who is deemed worthy of rights and respect. As we challenge diet culture and fatphobia, we must also recognize the broader fight against patriarchal and oppressive systems. Tune in to learn how history informs the present and why body liberation is an act of resistance.

Episode Highlights:

• The Women’s Suffrage Movement: How women fought for the right to vote and the opposition they faced.
• The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s: The struggle for racial equality and the violent backlash.
• The LGBTQ+ Movement in the 1980s: The AIDS crisis, activism, and government neglect.
• Today’s Fight for Trans and Nonbinary Rights: The ongoing battle for legal protections and bodily autonomy.
• The Connection to Body Liberation: How societal control over bodies extends to fatphobia, diet culture, and the pushback against body diversity.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement (National Women’s History Museum) – https://www.womenshistory.org/
• The Civil Rights Movement (National Museum of African American History & Culture) – https://nmaahc.si.edu/
• ACT UP and the Fight Against AIDS (ACT UP NY) – https://actupny.com/
• ACLU Resources on Trans Rights – https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbtq-rights
• The Connection Between Body Liberation and Social Justice (Body Positive Fitness Alliance) – https://www.bodypositivefitness.org/

Join the Conversation:

If this episode resonated with you, let’s keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts on Instagram (@BreakingBodyBiases) or leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

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In this episode of Breaking Body Biases, we dive into the harmful cycle of weight cycling and its impact on mental and physical health. We unpack why promoting cleanses and quick fixes is not only ineffective but also damaging to confidence and overall well-being. Learn how to break free from the "failure loop" and embrace a healthier, weight-neutral approach to fitness and wellness.

Key Takeaways:

1. Weight Cycling’s Impact: The repeated cycle of losing and regaining weight takes a toll on both physical health (e.g., increased risk of chronic conditions) and mental health, contributing to feelings of failure and diminished self-esteem.
2. The Failure Loop: This pattern traps individuals in a cycle of self-blame and low confidence, perpetuated by societal pressures and diet culture messaging.
3. The Science Behind It: Quick fixes and cleanses often lead to short-term water weight loss, not sustainable health improvements, and can exacerbate the cycle of weight cycling.
4. A Better Way Forward: Shifting focus to joyful movement, self-compassion, and sustainable habits supports long-term well-being without the harmful side effects of dieting and weight obsession.

References Mentioned:

• Studies on weight cycling and its health risks:
  • Montani, J.P., Schutz, Y., & Dulloo, A.G. (2015). "Dieting and weight cycling as risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases." Obesity Reviews.
  • Tomiyama, A.J. (2014). "Weight stigma is stressful. A review of evidence for the Cyclic Obesity/Weight-Based Stigma model." Appetite.
• Health at Every Size (HAES) principles: ASDAH Website

Call to Action:
If you’ve ever felt stuck in the failure loop or pressured by weight cycling narratives, this episode is for you. Tune in, and let’s work toward building a better relationship with our bodies and breaking free from harmful diet culture.

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The 100th episode of Breaking Body Biases! The perfect time to reflect on some of the most impactful lessons we've learned together over these 100 episodes. These are lessons that have not only shaped this podcast but have also deeply influenced my personal journey in the fitness and wellness space. I’ve had the honor of speaking at various conferences and meeting some of the most amazing people. So, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let’s dive into these 20 powerful lessons."

1. Weight Neutrality Matters 

2. Body Diversity is Normal 

3. Joyful Movement Over Exercise for Weight Loss 

4. Language Matters 

5. Diet Culture is Harmful 

6. Mental Health and Physical Health are Interconnected 

7. Education is Empowering

8. Community is Key 

9. Representation Matters 

10. Self-Compassion Enhances Motivation 

11. It's About Function, Not Appearance 

12. Every Body is a Good Body 

13. Fitness is for Everyone 

14. Rest is Productive 

15. Boundaries Protect Wellness 

16. Progress is Non-linear 

17. Body Autonomy is Crucial  

18. Intersectionality in Body Positivity 

19. Critical Thinking Over Trends 

20. Continuous Learning and Unlearning 

As I reflect on these lessons they provide an inspiring framework for your 100th episode, celebrating how far the podcast has come while reinforcing our core values and mission. And what’s to come

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