LU 048: Chevese Turner – Breaking the stigma of Binge Eating Disorder with insight and compassion.

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast ahead! This week, on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it’s my pleasure to talk to Chevese Turner from the Washington DC area. Chevese is the woman who almost 9 years ago founded the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) in June 2008, recognizing the need for an organization to advocate on behalf of individuals affected by Binge Eating Disorder (BED), as well as the providers who treat them. Turner’s well-rounded career in the health care, pharmaceutical, political and non-profit arenas, as well as her many leadership roles within these fields, prepared her to launch BEDA, the only organization specifically suited to support individuals and treatment professionals managing BED. Today, you’ll hear Chevese talk about: – How old she was when she lost the innocent, joyful, and non-judgmental attitude towards her own body – What drove her to start searching for, stealing and hoarding food – What every type of binging behavior stems from – How her mother related to food and weight – Why denial about unhealed past wounds always leads to us passing along the same pain (we can not outrun our own shadow) – Why those old painful memories are often the ones that leave the deepest imprint on our soul – Why we often treat ourselves the way we have been treated as children – Why food (restricting/dieting, or overeating) is so commonly used to try to escape difficult emotions – How we can start to make sense of our own behavior around food – Why there is no need to be ashamed for recognizing those behaviors for what they are – How shame and weight-bias affect a person’s physical and mental health – Why all the advice she got actually only perpetuated her eating disorder – Why she never really knew what she liked/what her hobbies were – Why she immediately regretted having lap band surgery – What is commonly misunderstood with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – Why, at the root, anorexia and BED are much more alike as they outwardly seem – Why our society is too quick to categorize people, instead of listening to the person in question first – How terribly effective diet-culture and its constant messages and images really is, and why it is important to be aware of how all of that seeps into our subconscious and colors our own judgment – What she wants us all to know about our bodies – Why bariatric surgery is often done solely for profit, and why there’s so little information about the dangers and the long-term effects of it – The medical ramifications of our society’s belief that "healthy" looks a certain way – How she reacted when she first heard that her Binge Eating Disorder was only to be treated effectively by nourishment – How many years she wasted by being stuck in the diet-cycle, and having little mental space for anything that would have really sparked her interest – Why so many body-obsessed women have no idea who they really are outside of dieting – What led her to found BEDA, and how wonderfully that organization developed – What BEDA is about and what they are actively working on – Why it is important for all of us to resist any sort of weight-stigmatization, and to speak up against it... ... And so much more! Here’s the link to BEDA (where you’ll also find info about the conferences) www.bedaonline.com And here’s the toll-free number that Chevese mentioned (only for US listeners): 855 855 2332 Make sure to support the podcast by becoming a "Patreon", so that I can keep producing it and help as many people as possible. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refid; ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We’re right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/