Come along with us as we dive into what it means to live in a culture that is, in many ways, deeply disordered. We explore the broader sociocultural context of eating disorders—looking beyond individual behaviors to examine the systems, values, and narratives that shape how we relate to our bodies, our health, and our worth.
Join us for the second part of this series in our next episode: Recovering in a Disordered Culture
In this episode we discuss:
- What diet culture really is
- Diet culture’s modern disguise—wellness culture
- Healthism and why health is far more complex than the oversimplified messages we’re sold
- Our cultural obsession with youth and the impact this has on us as we age
- Hustle/grind culture and the cultural fixation on productivity
- What these forces have in common—and how they reinforce shame and disconnection from our authentic selves.
- Who this disordered culture benefits, who it harms, and why so many of us feel stuck inside it
- Eating disorders as signals of a disordered culture
- The cultural role of why some eating disorder symptoms are more difficult to see as a problem vs. others
- Reclaiming our power and questioning disordered narratives to find a more authentic way of living
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Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Maintenance Phase Podcast
Body Mass Index
Is Being Fat Bad for You?
“Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity” Katherine M. Flegal
The Obesity Myth by Paul Campos
Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings
Journaling Reflection Questions:
What kind of person do you want to be in the world? What truly matters to you?
How might what matters to you differ from what the culture places importance on?
How might you have been impacted by the disordered culture we exist within?
What societal beliefs, messages, and norms may have shaped your ED voice?
What messages have you received about what it means to be worthy and have value?
Additional Resources:
Books
What We Don’t Talk about When We Talk about Fat by Aubrey Gordon
You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 other Myths about Fat People by Aubrey Gordon
Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison
The Wellness Trap by Christy Harrison
Reclaiming Body Trust: A Path to Healing & Liberation by Hilary Kinavey & Dana Sturtevant
Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith
Laziness Doesn’t Exist by Devon Price
The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
It’s Always Been Ours by Jessica Wilson
The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King
Podcasts
Maintenance Phase
The Full Plate Podcast
The Body Trust Podcast
Body Justice
Real Health Radio
Body Grievers Club
Food Pysch
Seems like Diet Culture
Men Unscripted
Presentations
Weight Inclusivity & Rejection of Diet Culture Presentation by Dr. Gaudiani
Websites
Association of Size Diversity and Health
HAES Health Sheets
HAES Printable Self Advocacy Cards for Medical Visits
Weight Stigma Awareness Week (has lots of resources listed)
