What happens when someone is both neurodivergent and fat in a world that punishes difference? In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne unpacks how fatphobia and ableism intersect to create barriers in medical care, mental health treatment, and everyday life for people with ADHD, autism, PDA, and other forms of neurodivergence.

She explores why fat liberation and neurodivergent rights must go hand-in-hand, and how body justice is essential—not optional—in eating disorder recovery, therapy, and community care. From sensory needs and executive functioning to the pressure to mask and shrink, this episode offers a powerful call to unlearn bias and build liberatory spaces where all bodies and minds are treated with dignity.

Whether you're a fat neurodivergent person, a therapist, or someone committed to anti-oppressive care, this conversation is for you.

CONTENT CAUTIONS: In this episode, Dr. Marianne discusses anti-fat bias, ableism, disordered eating, masking, and systemic oppression in medical and mental health settings. Please care for yourself as needed.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

Why fat liberation is essential to neurodivergent-affirming care

How anti-fat bias and ableism reinforce each other in ADHD and autism communities

What executive dysfunction, sensory needs, and masking have to do with food and body shame

Why fat neurodivergent people are underdiagnosed and often dismissed by providers

What therapists and support people can do to stop reinforcing stigma

How to practice body autonomy and community care outside of diet culture and compliance

🎧 LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES ON FAT LIBERATION & NEURODIVERSITY

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Learn more at: https://www.drmariannemiller.com

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In this raw and emotionally charged solo episode, Dr. Marianne unpacks why thinness continues to be equated with goodness in mainstream culture. Drawing on the New York Times opinion piece The Unrepentant Return of Christian Diet Culture by Jessica Grose, Dr. Marianne explores how weight loss is still moralized through religious teachings, wellness trends, and political rhetoric.

This episode critically examines the resurgence of Christian diet culture, the backlash against weight-loss medications like Ozempic, and the deeper implications of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Marianne reveals how these systems are not just about health, but about control, obedience, and purity. She discusses how thinness is still framed as a sign of self-discipline and spiritual worth, while fatness is treated as failure or sin.

Using a liberationist lens, Dr. Marianne also highlights the historical roots of fatphobia in white supremacy, referencing Dr. Sabrina Strings’ groundbreaking book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. This episode challenges listeners to question how religion, politics, and public health are deeply entangled in oppressive narratives about bodies and morality.

For neurodivergent people, those raised in religiously rigid environments, and anyone recovering from body shame, this conversation offers both validation and a call to resistance. You may want to listen in short segments, especially if you’re prone to sensory overload or religious trauma responses.

CONTENT CAUTION:

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

How Christian diet culture can moralize thinness and spiritualizes weight loss

Why Ozempic and similar medications are being rejected by some conservative groups

The political motives and fatphobic messaging behind MAHA

How alt-right Christian nationalism reinforces thinness as virtue

The white supremacist roots of fatphobia, based on Dr. Sabrina Strings’ research

Why these systems disproportionately harm fat, neurodivergent, disabled, and BIPOC individuals

What it means to reclaim body autonomy in a culture that demands control

RELATED EPISODES:

WORK WITH DR. MARIANNE:

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Diet culture thrives in isolation. It tells us we must heal alone, control ourselves into wellness, and avoid burdening others with our food struggles. But what if true recovery depends not on control, but on connection?

In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne explores how co-regulation—the experience of nervous system safety in relationship—can be a radical force for healing. She explains how eating disorders often develop in the absence of relational safety and why diet culture reinforces disconnection and shame. Through the lens of nervous system science, trauma-informed care, and body liberation, this episode centers the power of healing in community.

Dr. Marianne also shares why co-regulation can look different for neurodivergent people, especially those with PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). You'll learn how autonomy and co-regulation are not opposites, and how spacious, consent-based connection can be life-changing in recovery.

Whether you are navigating ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, or a complex relationship with food and body, this episode offers a compassionate, liberation-oriented approach to healing that honors your boundaries, your needs, and your nervous system.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

Why diet culture depends on disconnection and control

How eating disorders often emerge from a lack of safe, attuned relationships

What co-regulation is and why it supports sustainable recovery

How co-regulation can be tailored for neurodivergent folks, including those with PDA

Why autonomy and connection are both essential for healing

Ways to build nervous system safety in recovery without pressure or compliance

How community-based healing challenges shame, perfectionism, and diet culture

LISTEN TO RELATED EPISODES:

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Looking for therapy with Dr. Marianne? She offers trauma-informed eating disorder therapy in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Learn more or reach out at drmariannemiller.com

Supporting someone with ARFID or navigating it yourself? Explore the self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course, grounded in sensory-attuned, neurodivergent-affirming care: drmariannemiller.com/arfid

CONTENT CAUTIONS:

Subscribe to Dr. Marianne-Land wherever you get your podcasts. If today’s episode resonated with you, consider rating and reviewing the show. Sharing it with others helps bring these conversations to more people who need them.

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TikTok claims to have banned “SkinnyTok,” but disordered eating content continues to thrive under rebranded hashtags, edited images, and wellness culture language. In this eye-opening episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, Dr. Marianne Miller is joined by eating disorder prevention advocate and educator Jen Tomei (@askjenup) to unpack the rise of SkinnyTok and its harmful influence on teens and adults alike.

Jen, founder of the Jenup Community in the UK, shares firsthand experiences of discovering disturbing content on TikTok—even after reporting and flagging videos, the algorithm continued pushing them. Together, she and Dr. Marianne draw chilling parallels to the pro-ana forums of the early 2000s, and explore how new forms of tech—including AI-edited bodies—are further distorting body image online.

They also examine how neurodivergent teens, who are often more vulnerable to extreme thinking and sensory overload, may be especially impacted by these trends. Plus, they critique the rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and their potential to normalize restriction—even in pediatric settings.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

Why SkinnyTok still exists despite being technically banned

How TikTok’s algorithm can push disordered content—even without user interaction

What “pro-ana” and “thinspo” culture looks like in 2025

The physiological damage caused by overexercise and undereating

How social media is shaping disordered eating culture in schools globally

The link between ADHD, cortisol, and disordered eating behaviors

How weight loss drugs like Ozempic may impact teens' mental and physical health

Why media literacy and early intervention in schools are urgently needed

CONTENT CAUTIONS:

MEET OUR GUEST:

🖥 Website: www.jenup.com

LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES WITH JEN TOMEI & ON SOCIAL MEDIA & DIET CULTURE:

CALL TO ACTION:

And if you or someone you love is struggling with food, body image, or recovery from disordered eating, you can work with Dr. Marianne Miller—licensed therapist and eating disorder specialist—in California, Texas, or Washington, D.C. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

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In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, breaks down the reality of atypical anorexia and challenges the damaging myth that only thin people struggle with restrictive eating. Despite the name, atypical anorexia is far from rare—and for many people in mid-sized and fat bodies, it goes undetected, misdiagnosed, or even encouraged by medical providers because of weight stigma.

Dr. Marianne explores why restriction is deeply harmful regardless of body size, and shares research showing that at least 50% of people who meet anorexia criteria are not in bodies typically identified as anorexic. She also explains how neurodivergence—including autism, ADHD, and OCD traits—can interact with restriction, and why sensory-attuned, neurodivergent-affirming, and trauma-informed care is essential.

If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t “sick enough” to deserve support, this episode is here to offer clarity, validation, and the reminder that you are already worthy of care.

What atypical anorexia actually means and why the name is misleading

The percentage of people with anorexia who are not underweight

The effects of weight stigma in delaying eating disorder diagnosis and treatment

How restriction harms people in every body size

The connection between neurodivergence and restrictive eating

Why restriction “counts” even if you haven’t lost weight

How healing begins with naming the disorder and receiving affirming care

This episode includes discussion of restrictive eating, weight stigma, medical complications, and BMI. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed.

If you’re struggling with restriction, food obsession, or atypical anorexia and are seeking affirming, experienced support, Dr. Marianne offers therapy in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Her approach is weight-inclusive, neurodivergent-affirming, and trauma-informed.

Get started here: 👉 https://www.drmariannemiller.com

Still feeling stuck in recovery, even after therapy, nutrition work, or intuitive eating? You are not alone. In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller explores a common but often overlooked reason why recovery can feel incomplete: the possibility of living with more than one eating disorder at the same time.

Through a trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming lens, Dr. Marianne unpacks how symptoms from anorexia, ARFID, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and orthorexia can overlap. She explains why traditional treatment models often miss the full picture and offers insights for those whose food struggles are complex, ongoing, and still misunderstood. This episode offers clarity, encouragement, and real solutions for those who have been feeling unseen in recovery.

This episode includes discussion of the following topics:

Eating disorder behaviors including restriction, bingeing, purging, and food avoidance

Co-occurring and misdiagnosed eating disorders

Sensory aversions and food-related trauma

Weight stigma and systemic bias in diagnosis

Neurodivergent experiences related to eating

Please care for yourself while listening. Take breaks as needed and return when you feel ready.

Why multiple eating disorders can exist at the same time

How eating disorder symptoms often overlap or shift over time

Examples of combinations like ARFID with anorexia, or binge eating with orthorexia

The ways neurodivergence, trauma, and marginalization impact eating behavior

Why traditional recovery approaches may not work for everyone

What it means to build a recovery model that supports your full lived experience

Encouragement for those who feel like their recovery has stalled or isn’t working

How to seek care that addresses the full picture rather than one diagnosis

📘 Self-Paced ARFID Course

Dissociation & Eating Disorders: ARFID, Binge Eating Disorder, & Bulimia on Apple & Spotify.

Lived Experience of Having Both Bulimia & Binge Eating Disorder with Milda Zolubaite @nutrition.path on Apple & Spotify.

Can ARFID & Anorexia Co-Exist? Apple & Spotify.

In this soul-nourishing and deeply insightful episode, Dr. Marianne Miller sits down with fat liberationist author and activist Amanda Martinez Beck to unpack what it really means to live with diabetes in a fat body—especially in a medical system steeped in anti-fat bias.

Amanda shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes while navigating eating disorder recovery, medical gaslighting, and societal pressure around weight loss drugs like Ozempic. She reflects on how reclaiming the word “fat,” grounding her activism in faith and philosophy, and building fat community have supported her in choosing self-trust over shame. You’ll hear about her healing journey, her shift from size dignity to fat liberation, and her vision of a world designed with fat people in mind.

In this episode, we explore:

Why diabetes stigma in fat bodies is so dangerous—and so common

The liberating power of community with other fat people

How Amanda's beliefs as a Christian and a philosopher shape her body politics

Her experience with Ozempic, including what led her to stop taking it

The emotional toll of medical fatphobia—and how she found a weight-inclusive doctor

The birth of her substack series Nozempic Mondays, a haven for people resisting GLP-1 pressure

If you’ve ever felt dismissed by providers, pressured to shrink your body for “health,” or like your needs in a fat body are invisible—this episode is for you. You are not alone. You deserve care that honors your whole self.

CONTENT CAUTIONS:

GUEST BIO:

CONNECT WITH AMANDA:

Substack: thefatdispatch.com

Instagram: @thefatdispatch

Threads: @thefatdispatch

WORK WITH DR. MARIANNE:

Learn more at www.drmariannemiller.com

OTHER EPISODES ON BODY LIBERATION THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE:

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Struggling to tell the difference between OCD and ARFID—or wondering if you or your client might be dealing with both? You’re not alone. In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, Dr. Marianne explores the nuanced relationship between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)—two conditions that often overlap and require very different support.

Learn how to differentiate between OCD rituals and ARFID food avoidance, what misdiagnosis of OCD in ARFID can look like (especially in neurodivergent individuals), and how these conditions show up differently in children versus adults. You'll also hear how nervous system regulation and sensory attunement play a central role in supporting sustainable recovery.

Whether you’re a therapist, caregiver, or neurodivergent person navigating food fears, this episode offers a validating, trauma-informed, and practical perspective on complex eating presentations.

🎧 LISTEN NOW AND EXPLORE:

What makes ARFID and OCD different—and where they overlap

Why OCD is often misdiagnosed in people with ARFID

How to identify OCD–ARFID presentations in adults vs. children

What sensory regulation and autonomy-based care really look like in treatment

👍 IF YOU FOUND THIS EPISODE HELPFUL:

Share this episode to help others struggling with food avoidance or fear

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform

Leave a review so more people can discover these neurodivergent-affirming insights

Thank you for listening—and remember, your sensory experience around food makes sense, and healing looks different for everyone.

🔗 LOOKING FOR SUPPORT WITH ARFID?

RELATED EPISODES ON ARFID:

Living with Adult ARFID: Relationship Challenges No One Talks About

Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works on Apple & Spotify.

Stuck on Empty: Autistic Inertia, ARFID & the Struggle to Eat on Apple & Spotify.

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Struggling with bulimia in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond? You’re not alone. In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne Miller explores what bulimia can look like in midlife, why the internal chaos may actually intensify with age, and how to approach healing without shame.

We dig into the unique emotional and physiological challenges of recovering from bulimia later in life, including how hormonal shifts, grief, caregiving roles, and long-term masking can impact eating behaviors.

Dr. Marianne also unpacks how neurodivergence—especially autism, ADHD, and PDA—can intersect with bulimia symptoms, intensifying binge-purge cycles and making traditional recovery models inaccessible or even harmful.

You’ll learn why your body’s responses make sense, how to regulate your nervous system with neurodivergent-affirming strategies, and what it actually takes to move toward healing—on your terms.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE

Why bulimia often resurfaces or intensifies in midlife

How midlife stress, identity shifts, and cultural stigma contribute to internal chaos

The link between bulimia, sensory overwhelm, and emotional regulation

How neurodivergent traits like executive dysfunction, masking, and interoceptive challenges affect eating behaviors

Why shame-based approaches don’t work—and what actually helps

Practical, compassionate tools for managing binge urges, purging, and nervous system dysregulation

Why recovery in midlife is not only possible—but deeply liberating

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF...

You feel stuck in a binge-purge cycle despite years of effort

You’re neurodivergent and traditional ED treatment hasn’t helped

You’ve been quietly struggling with bulimia in midlife and feel alone in it

You want recovery tools that are sensory-attuned, autonomy-affirming, and realistic

🔗 RESOURCES & SUPPORT

LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES ON BULIMIA RECOVERY

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In this powerful conversation, Dr. Marianne welcomes back body image coach and anti-diet educator Debbie Saroufim for a candid discussion about what happens when weight loss triggers eating disorder thoughts—even in solid recovery.

Debbie opens up about how recent stress and anxiety have impacted her appetite and body, and how unsolicited weight-related comments from others can be both activating and isolating. Together, we unpack why even “positive” feedback about weight loss can be harmful, how body changes can feel destabilizing, and what it means to hold complex emotions without slipping back into disordered behaviors.

We also talk about:

The problem with equating weight loss with wellness

How eating disorder thoughts can show up years into recovery

The myth of a “correct” body image or recovery experience

Perimenopause, changing bodies, and the grief that can follow

Why body neutrality may offer more freedom than forced body positivity

Mindfulness, fart metaphors (yay!), and how to let thoughts pass without bottling them up

Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or navigating your own relationship with body changes, this episode offers honesty, compassion, and tools to help you stay grounded.

🧠 Want to connect with Debbie Saroufim?

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

ABOUT DEBBIE

LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES WITH DEBBIE

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