"There are a lot of outside influences that challenge the way we experience our body, which accumulates to our own personal body image," shares Dr. Krissy Ladner, a sports dietitian in the Lane 9 Women's Sport & Health Directory.

Dr. Ladner joins us to talk about how body image dissatisfaction may impact our fueling and nutrition, our mental health, and our performance in sport. It's a very common thing for people socialized as women to struggle with, and of course athletes and people of all genders may struggle with body image concerns. She speaks to the importance of coaches (and athletic staff that frequently interact with athletes at various levels) being able to recognize behaviors and changes in an athlete's demeanor, or fueling habits, and how it may be tied to body image dissatisfaction. We also cover some ways to balance body image dissatisfaction with building positive body experiences.

We share some resources for learning more about this topic, including books, podcasts, and social media accounts (or general tips for shifting your algorithm!), and also acknowledge that we come to this conversation with our own body and societal privileges. So, maybe this is a place to start, but there are many more resources out there to continue learning!

Connect with Dr. Krissy Ladner via Lane9project.org/directory.

If you're looking for sports nutriton and marathon fueling support for your next training cycle, and/or a coach informed in REDs and women's health, go to our Lane 9 Women's Sport and Health Directory at lane9project.org/directory.

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