How can clinicians support patients in moving from number-focused thinking to values-aligned goals that feel sustainable and empowering?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Mind Body Eating Coach Anna Gordon to explore how numbers—weight, BMI, body fat, clothing size—shape self-perception and motivation, and how curiosity and compassion can help patients build a healthier, more grounded relationship with change.

Key Takeaways

• Numbers like weight, BMI, body fat, and clothing size often take on moral meaning, becoming shorthand for “good” or “bad.”

• Patients vary widely: for some, numbers are neutral data; for others, they trigger stress, shame, or fear of judgment.

• Curiosity helps uncover the deeper “why” behind a patient’s goals instead of centering the number itself.

• “Shoulds” usually reflect external pressure, not authentic motivation; exploring values helps realign what truly matters.

• Over-fixation on metrics can drain energy, heighten stress, and disrupt healthy behaviors.

• Intrinsic motivations—identity, enjoyment, future self, and core values—drive more sustainable change than external targets.

• Body composition data adds value when used to track meaningful trends in muscle, fat, and function rather than isolated daily fluctuations.

• Interpreting body composition alongside sleep, stress, mood, and quality of life keeps the data grounded and patient-centered.

• Maintenance often requires shifting from constantly preparing the body to live → actually living in it.

• Clinicians can reduce harm by asking permission, staying curious, avoiding moral language, and reinforcing that patients are worthy and deserving of compassionate care at every size.

About my Guest

Anna Gordon, MS, ACC is a Mind Body Eating Coach at Health Psychology Partners in Washington, DC. Using a compassionate, insight-driven coaching approach, she helps clients transform their relationship with food, eating, stress, and self-worth. Anna specializes in supporting individuals who feel that food, body image, or numbers are playing an outsized role in their lives, helping them reconnect with curiosity, values, and personal agency. She partners closely with psychologist Dr. Rachel Pashby to deliver integrative behavioral support within multidisciplinary obesity and metabolic health care.

How to Connect

Website: https://www.healthpsychologypartners.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annagordoncoaching/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annargordon/

Substack: Eating With Insight https://annargordon.substack.com/

How can we better understand women’s health, hormones, and body composition during midlife—without pathologizing a life stage or falling for one-size-fits-all solutions?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley sits down with Dr. Basma Faris, OB-GYN, Culinary Medicine Specialist, and Registered Dietitian, for an empowering conversation about women’s health in midlife. Together, they explore the intersection of hormones, nutrition, and body composition—and what truly personalized, patient-centered care looks like. They discuss how to spot red flags in online health advice, why “everyone should be on…” is never good medicine, and how to navigate perimenopause and menopause with clarity and confidence. From visceral vs. subcutaneous fat to rethinking protein and bone health, this episode is full of practical insights for clinicians and patients alike.

Key Takeaways

• Perimenopause and menopause are life stages—not diseases to fix.
• Beware of “everyone should…” claims—context and individuality matter.
• Body composition changes are real and measurable; visceral fat and lean mass both deserve attention.
• Protein needs may rise with age, but balance matters—don’t crowd out fiber and micronutrients.
• Bone health depends on more than calcium and vitamin D—think vitamin K, vitamin C, and trace minerals.
• Community, conversation, and anticipatory guidance help women navigate change with confidence.

About my Guest

Basma Faris, MD, CCMS, FACOG is a board-certified OB-GYN and Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist who brings a unique blend of nutrition and medicine to women’s health. First trained as a registered dietitian, she now leads a telehealth practice focused on evidence-based, compassionate care for people with PCOS and hormonal health concerns. Dr. Faris also serves as an Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai, chairs the Advisory Board of the American College of Culinary Medicine, and advises several women’s health startups—advancing inclusive, practical approaches to reproductive and metabolic health.

How to Connect

Website: drbasmafaris.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/basma-faris-md-ms-ccms

Instagram: @drbasmafaris

YouTube: @drbasmafaris

How can GLP-1 therapies offer more than weight loss—and become a pathway to freedom, healing, and hope?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley sits down with Amanda Bonello, founder of the GLP-1 Collective nonprofit. Amanda shares her deeply personal journey through obesity, eating disorders, and recovery—and how GLP-1 medications brought her freedom from food noise, nicotine addiction, and years of shame. Together, Nina and Amanda explore how lived experience can fuel advocacy, why access and affordability matter, and what it means to create a more compassionate system for people using these life-changing therapies.

Key Takeaways

• GLP-1 medications quieted Amanda’s food noise and nicotine addiction.

• Her personal experience led to founding the GLP-1 Collective and GLP-1 Access LLC.

• Advocacy starts with storytelling—one patient voice at a time.

• True health means more than a number on the scale; body composition tells a fuller story.

• Collaboration between advocates, clinicians, and organizations can drive real change.

About my Guest

Amanda Bonello is the founder and executive director of the GLP-1 Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to affordable access, education, and community for individuals using GLP-1 therapies. She also leads GLP-1 Access LLC, an action-oriented partner that supports advocacy initiatives for medication affordability. Through her podcast and nonprofit work, Amanda amplifies patient voices and drives the national conversation toward empathy, education, and equitable care.

How to Connect

Podcast: GLP-1 Collective Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2khCfMHUPSGBKQNBM1ic4b?si=9b7b33e95b244da1

Website: https://glp1collective.org/

Instagram: amanda.bonell0

Tiktok: @amanda.bonello

How can AI enhance education and client engagement without replacing the human nuance of counseling?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley sits down with dietitian and tech educator Drew Hemler, RD to unpack where AI fits in dietetics today—from chatbots that support the “in-between” moments of care to visualizing complex data like body composition in patient-friendly ways. They dig into AI’s limits, cultural sensitivity, HIPAA considerations, and practical tools clinicians can adopt now, plus what’s coming next as AI becomes expected in healthcare workflows.

Key Takeaways

• AI is accelerating in dietetics—learn it now to stay relevant.

• Counseling ≠ education: AI can scale education; humans handle nuance and behavior change.

• Chatbots can support clients between visits and reduce inbox overload.

• Visualizing data (e.g., body composition trends) boosts motivation and understanding.

• Cultural context matters—AI can help tailor advice to cuisines and traditions when guided well.

• Automate the repetitive; reserve your time for relationships and higher-value work.

• Use plain-language translations to make complex info digestible.

• Start small: newsletters, AMA’s AI Hub, and simple workflows are great on-ramps.

• Always apply human oversight—AI outputs can be biased, inaccurate, or unsafe without context.

• The near future: AI scribes and standardized tools will be common in clinical practice.

About my Guest

Drew Hemler, RD is a dietitian and educator working across private practice, clinical care, and academia with a specialty in practical AI for healthcare. With a background in marketing and tech, Drew helps clinicians adopt AI tools for education, client engagement, and operations—while keeping counseling human-centered and culturally informed.

How to Connect

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhemler/

Instagram: @dietitian.drew

How can we better support patients with metabolic liver disease through multidisciplinary care, lifestyle medicine, and emerging treatments like GLP-1s and endoscopic procedures?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Sheena Batura, MS, RDN, CSOWM, Director of Clinical Programs at Salvo Health. Together, they dive into the evolving landscape of metabolic liver disease, highlighting the importance of dietitian leadership, patient-centered care, and healthcare integration.

Key Takeaways

• Metabolic liver disease requires comprehensive, multidisciplinary support

• Lifestyle medicine and behavior change are essential to long-term outcomes

• GLP-1 receptor agonists are opening new doors for treatment and coverage

• Dietitians deserve — and are claiming — leadership roles in healthcare

• Integration between providers improves both access and outcomes

• Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty represents a growing treatment option

About my Guest

Sheena Batura, MS, RDN, CSOWM, is the Director of Clinical Programs at Salvo Health, where she leads a multidisciplinary team supporting gastroenterology and obesity practices. With expertise in obesity medicine and a strong background in dietetics, Sheena is passionate about expanding access to patient-centered care and elevating the role of dietitians in healthcare leadership.

How to Connect

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenabatura

LinkedIn for Salvo Health: https://www.linkedin.com/company/salvohealth

How can primary care providers move beyond BMI, use body composition meaningfully, and still have compassionate nutrition conversations in the limited time they have?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RD—a dual-credentialed physician assistant and registered dietitian who practices in pediatric primary care in Florida and hosts the Exam Room Nutrition podcast.

Description

Together we explore why BMI remains the default in primary care, despite its limitations, and how to introduce body composition as a practical, scalable tool. Colleen shares insights from her work with clinicians and dietitians, highlighting common barriers like time, confidence, and stigma, and offers strategies for more effective patient conversations. We also dig into motivational interviewing, the difference between education and counseling, and how referral networks with dietitians can transform care.

Key Takeaways

• Why BMI persists in primary care and what it misses

• How body composition provides richer, more actionable insights

• The biggest barriers clinicians face when discussing nutrition and weight

• Practical strategies like the ask–offer–ask framework to guide conversations

• Why education ≠ counseling, and how team-based care makes the difference

About My Guest

Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RD, is a physician assistant and registered dietitian working in pediatric outpatient care in Florida. She is also the host of the Exam Room Nutrition podcast and creator of the new Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course, designed to equip clinicians and dietitians with practical tools for obesity management, nutrition counseling, and patient support.

How to Connect

Instagram: @examroomnutrition

LinkedIn: Colleen Sloan

How is the cardiology community beginning to embrace obesity treatment as part of cardiovascular care?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Dr. Beverly Tchang, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, endocrinologist, and board-certified obesity medicine physician. Together they dive into the new American College of Cardiology guidance on medical weight management, exploring what it means for obesity care, cardiology, and the growing role of pharmacotherapy like GLP-1s.

Key Takeaways

• Obesity is increasingly recognized as a disease that impacts multiple organ systems, making its treatment essential for cardiovascular health.

• Multidisciplinary, collaborative care is critical for effective obesity management, particularly as cardiology becomes more engaged in this field.

• GLP-1 medications and other pharmacotherapies are reshaping obesity and cardiovascular treatment strategies.

• Addressing weight stigma and bias is essential to delivering patient-centered care.

• Moving beyond BMI with body composition assessments—and overcoming practical challenges like waist circumference measurement—will improve precision in clinical practice.

• Technology is advancing tools for body composition analysis, supporting more consistent and scalable care.

• The landscape of obesity treatment is evolving rapidly, with cardiology playing a growing role.

About my Guest

Beverly Tchang, MD is a triple board-certified physician and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Comprehensive Weight Control Center, Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where she specializes in endocrinology and obesity medicine. Her nationally recognized expertise extends beyond the clinic—she also serves as an advisor to companies, entrepreneurs, and investors seeking to understand modern weight management.

How to Connect

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BevTchangMD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverlytchang/

X: https://x.com/BevTchangMD

Website: https://www.beverlytchangmd.com/

What’s the best way to fuel strength, preserve muscle, and support body composition after bariatric surgery or on GLP-1s?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Kim Tirapelle, MS, RD, CSSD—Bariatric Sports Dietitian and host of the Active Bariatric Nutrition Podcast. Together, they explore how post-op patients and individuals using GLP-1 medications can preserve lean mass, improve strength, and shift the focus from weight loss to body composition and performance.

This conversation breaks down how to tailor nutrition for an active lifestyle after bariatric surgery, what realistic protein and exercise goals look like, and when it makes sense to add supplements like creatine. Whether you’re a provider or a patient, this episode is packed with insight to help support strength, function, and a more holistic view of metabolic health.

Key Takeaways

• Protein needs vary based on activity, goals, and medical therapy—there’s no one-size-fits-all

• Resistance training is critical to preserve muscle and promote long-term health

• Creatine is safe, effective, and valuable when used alongside proper training and nutrition

• GLP-1 medications change appetite and intake—protein strategy must adapt

• Body composition tracking provides a more complete picture than weight alone

• Segmental muscle analysis and visceral fat measures help guide individualized care

About my Guest

Kim Tirapelle is a Registered Dietitian who specializes in Bariatric Sports Nutrition. She has been working with active bariatric individuals for the last 18+ years helping them optimize their nutrition to fuel their fitness goals after surgery. She also has a podcast, Active Bariatric Nutrition.

How to Connect:

Website: activebariatricnutrition.com

Instagram: @activebariatric

Podcast: The Active Bariatric Nutrition Podcast

What happens when the doctor is the patient?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Dr. Jeremy McConnell—a triple board-certified physician in Sleep, Family, and Obesity Medicine—who shares his powerful story of growing up with obesity, navigating stigma in healthcare, and ultimately turning lived experience into clinical impact.

Together, they explore the nuance of identity as both clinician and patient, the emotional and physical complexities of obesity, and the evolving treatment landscape that now offers more hope than ever. From early stigma and healthcare bias to body composition tracking and weight loss surgery, Jeremy opens up with remarkable honesty about what it takes to manage a chronic disease with empathy and evidence.

Dr. Jeremy McConnell is a triple board-certified physician in Family, Sleep, and Obesity Medicine, and a Master Fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association. With over two decades of experience—and a personal journey with obesity—he blends clinical expertise with deep empathy. He is the founder of Florida Sleep Specialists and Discover Health Obesity Medicine, and a national advocate for compassionate, evidence-based obesity care.

How to Connect

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcconnell.jeremy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mcconnell-md-mfoma-dipl-abom-1906757a/

What happens when the doctor is the patient?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley is joined by Dr. Jeremy McConnell—a triple board-certified physician in Sleep, Family, and Obesity Medicine—who shares his powerful story of growing up with obesity, navigating stigma in healthcare, and ultimately turning lived experience into clinical impact.

Together, they explore the nuance of identity as both clinician and patient, the emotional and physical complexities of obesity, and the evolving treatment landscape that now offers more hope than ever. From early stigma and healthcare bias to body composition tracking and weight loss surgery, Jeremy opens up with remarkable honesty about what it takes to manage a chronic disease with empathy and evidence.

Key Takeaways

• Lived experience can strengthen clinical insight and patient trust

• Body composition tells a richer story than weight alone

• Surgery and medications are valid, effort-based tools—not last resorts

• Obesity is a chronic condition, not a personal failure

• Tracking metrics like muscle mass and REE can help guide meaningful goals

• Patient-centered language and permission-based conversations matter

• Personalizing treatment builds better engagement and long-term outcomes

• Real change is possible—at any age—with the right support

About my Guest

Dr. Jeremy McConnell is a triple board-certified physician in Family, Sleep, and Obesity Medicine, and a Master Fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association. With over two decades of experience—and a personal journey with obesity—he blends clinical expertise with deep empathy. He is the founder of Florida Sleep Specialists and Discover Health Obesity Medicine, and a national advocate for compassionate, evidence-based obesity care.

How to Connect

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcconnell.jeremy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mcconnell-md-mfoma-dipl-abom-1906757a/