The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

Latest Episodes:

#150: Medical Care Without Weight Stigma with Size-Inclusive Physician, Dr. Mara Gordon Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

The first 45 minutes of this conversation are FREE! Listen to the extended version of this episode when you subscribe to Patreon here. (or go to: www.patreon.com/fullplate)

Dr. Mara Gordon joins the pod to share what it means to be a size-inclusive physician and why it’s time to rethink weight in medicine.

We discuss why it’s harmful to center medical care on a patient’s weight, the stigma and negative health consequences of medical providers prescribing intentional weight loss, how to advocate for yourself with your physician, declining to be weighed at the doctor's, why BMI is so problematic, caring for and treating diagnoses without weight loss, and her thoughts on the GLP-1 hype.

Mara also opens up about what she regrets as a physician prior to finding fat-positive medicine, and how she came to see the harms of anti-fat bias and diet culture more broadly.

In the EXTENDED version (a bonus episode that you can find at www.patreon.com/fullplate), Mara answers questions about:

her concerns about GLP-1s like Ozempic, and what we can do to think about them differently
how larger bodied humans can advocate for themselves at the doctor’s office without giving the unwritten message that they're “noncompliant” or don't care about their health
how to deal with being told weight loss will help a specific health condition (like diabetes, joint pain, sleep apnea)
why folks in larger bodies need to receive the same treatments offered to thin-bodied folks
how “obesity” as a pathological condition has its roots in the pharmaceutical industry, and it started in the 90s

More about Dr. Mara Gordon:

Dr. Gordon is a family physician and writer based in Philadelphia. She worked in public health in Tanzania and Malawi before returning to the Philadelphia area to attend medical school at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was awarded the Zervanos Family Medicine Award for a medical student going into family medicine. She cares for patients of all ages at the Cooper Family Medicine office at the Kroc Center in Camden. She loves working with medical students in preclinical and clinical educational settings. She teaches selectives in Narrative Medicine and Audio Storytelling and co-directs the Narrative Medicine Scholarly Concentration. She continues to write professionally about issues in contemporary medicine. Learn more about her here.

Check out Medical Students for Size Inclusivity here.

You can read more of Mara’s work here: maragordonmd.com

Here's more about AWSIM: www.weightinclusivemedicine.org

Support the show on Patreon: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Join the Full Plate Patreon right here!

Group program:

Good news! Enrollment is open for Abbie's next group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Administrative Support by Alexis Eades

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

#149: “Restriction Just Isn’t An Option Anymore”: Shira Rosenbluth on Being a Plus-Size Bride, Recovery in a Fat Body, and Harm Reduction with GLP-1s Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

Shira Rosenbluth, LCSW, returns to discuss what it means to live a full life in a fat body. She catches us up on eating disorder recovery (two years after her first time on the pod), coming out as queer, how her relationship with her fiance has impacted her body image, planning a wedding as a plus-size bride, and what it's felt like to witness the constant chatter of GLP-1s while recovering from a life-long eating disorder.

Last time she was on the pod, we spoke about her experience with atypical anorexia and quasi- recovery. Now, two years later, we hear about how her recovery has solidified, why restriction is no longer an option for her, and what has helped her stay firm in that place -- despite the negative thoughts and noise from diet culture.

Listen to hear more about:

What’s on Shira’s plate
How her recovery has been going since the last time she was on the pod
Why lab values are not always a good indicator of how sick you are
Realizing that restrictive behaviors no longer serve her
How her relationship with her fiance has changed her view on restriction
Why creating a life outside of eating disorder behaviors is just as important as stopping the behaviors themselves
Why being nourished enables room for reliance in other aspects of life
Her experience coming out as queer and living authentically herself
That people in all sized bodies find love, and thinness is not a prerequisite for finding a loving relationship
How recovery is full of ups and downs and is not always blissful
Planning for a wedding in a larger body
Making sure you utilize resources to support you navigating recovery
The impact of Ozempic on eating disorder recovery
So much more!

Shira Rosenbluth, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker treating clients in New York and California. She specializes in the treatment of disordered eating, eating disorders, and body-image dissatisfaction using a weight-neutral approach. She’s also the author of a popular body positive blog and has been featured in The New York Times, Insider, The Cut, The Everygirl, InStyle, and Healthline. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @theshirarose. Find more about her therapy practice at ShiraRosenbluthLCSW.com.

Listen to the first episode she was on right here.

Support the show on Patreon: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Join the Full Plate Patreon right here!

Group program:

Good news! Enrollment is open for Abbie's next group program:

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Administrative Support by Alexis Eades

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

Links mentioned:
Shira's first time on the pod

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

#148: Embodiment: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How We Come Home to Ourselves with Relational and Group Psychotherapist, Neathery Falchuk (Revisited) Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

What is alive in you right now? What does it mean to return to your body as the place where you experience life?

As we head into a new year, nothing feels more important than staying close to ourselves. Neathery Falchuk (they/them) joins Abbie to talk about the true meaning of embodiment, how it differs from mainstream conversations about body image, and why healing happens in the presence of safety and feeling completely seen and understood.

Take a listen to this "best of 2024" episode to hear more about…

What's on Neathery's plate (hint: baby-led weaning and oatmeal)
Neathery’s experience of disembodiment as a queer and trans teen
How disordered eating develops without embodiment
Why embodiment isn’t always a positive experience
Barriers to embodiment, including those we can't control
Working through trauma and the importance of co-regulation
Self-compassion as a tool to connect to ourselves
Learning to trust the wisdom of our body
Grief work and its connection to embodiment
The need for more access to supportive communities in the embodiment and body liberation space

Neathery Falchuk (they/them) is a queer, trans and non-binary, fat, neurodivergent, white Latinx therapist, licensed clinical social worker supervisor, certified group psychotherapist, certified Body Trust® provider, and certified meditation teacher. Neathery is the founder of Ample and Rooted, an inclusive psychotherapy, consulting, and training practice specializing in working with LGBTQ+ communities, eating disorders, body shame, sex and sexuality, gender, relationship concerns, trauma, mindfulness, grief and loss, and substance use. Neathery currently serves on the program committee for Project HEAL and is a past President of Central Texas Eating Disorder Specialists, past board member of Austin Group Psychotherapy Society and former chair of the DEI Committee, and past board member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health. Neathery lives in Austin, TX with their wife and child and enjoys hiking, meditation, sipping coffee on patios, and starting and never finishing books.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

#147: Health Anxiety, Coping with Uncertainty, and How Diet Culture Impacts Our Mental Health with Dr. Diana Gordon Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

We're revisiting this conversation with Dr. Diana Gordon, and it's everything. Big picture, Abbie and Diana discuss how to approach mental health in a sea of diet and wellness misinformation -- including whether or not movement and nutrition have a meaningful impact on anxiety and depression. They get into what it's like to ping pong back and forth between dieting and intuitive eating, how diet culture seizes on our fear of uncertainty to sell us a faulty product, and how to sit with and process our collective health anxiety.

Topics discussed...

Being an empath in the midst of overwhelming global events
How to affect positive change in your own community
Diana's story & her passion for helping people who have struggled to eat intuitively
How the diet industry makes money off of our shame
What it looks like to have dieting take over all aspects of your life
Developing and overcoming health anxiety
How we can practice true self-care
Actively undoing our core beliefs about food and our bodies
Weight stigma in therapy and psychotherapy spaces
The truth about exercise and mental health
Why we latch onto diets when we're going through a health challenge
Healthism and assumptions based on appearance
How much control we actually have over our health
Embracing the messy and often chaotic experience of food freedom

Dr. Diana Gordon is a licensed psychologist, coach, and content creator specializing in Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size (HAES). She combines evidence-based skills, such as mindfulness, cognitive behavioral skills, and other coping tools with Intuitive Eating principles. As both a psychologist and an IE-certified provider, she offers evaluation and treatment for both eating-related concerns as well as other mental health concerns. As a person of size, she draws on both her personal and professional experience to dismantle fatphobia and to help people live a life free from dieting. You can find Diana on her website or Instagram.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those at www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Group program:

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

#146: Dealing with Holiday Anxiety, Resting without Guilt, Responding to Food Judgement, and Setting Compassionate Boundaries Dec 16, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

UPDATE: This is a free preview of a bonus episode that used to only exist on Patreon (my old platform). You can now listen to the episode on Substack. Upgrade to paid to hear the full conversation.

Subscribe now

Abbie’s husband, Jeb, joins the pod (back by popular demand!) to help answer holiday questions from listeners. The questions get at the heart of all the ways the holiday season can impact our thoughts, anxieties, and behaviors around food, body image, and close relationships.

Topics include reverting to only eating safe foods when presented with a lot more food than usual, feeling restless with unplanned time, dealing with other people’s food rules when you’re in their homes, and how to deal with judgement while eating what you truly want (regardless of other people’s comments).

Tune in to hear about...

What's on their plates right now (food, chronic illness, work stress)

Wrestling with guilt over needing to rest

Why old thought patterns come up when we're in pain

Comparisons and similarities with sobriety and diet culture

True safety versus routines that feel “safe” with food and our body

Reframing slowness and lack of structure as liberation

Releasing the productivity mindset

Handling other people's judgement about your food choices and body

Managing buffet anxiety while you're in recovery

Tips on putting together a plate for yourself using self-compassion

How to state your boundaries with loved ones

Figuring out which of other people’s routines to compassionately respect and which to set boundaries around

Prioritizing your own needs and wants during the holiday

#145: The Path from Fitness Influencer to Eating Disorder, and Finding Self-Worth Beyond the Body with Mary Jelkovsky (of @maryscupoftea) Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

Author and podcaster Mary Jelkovsky (@maryscupofteaa) joins us to share her journey about the harms and toxicity of becoming a fitness influencer, how fitness culture pushed her further into an eating disorder, and how she's healed from the damage to her sense of self. We also get into self-love versus self-compassion, confidence versus self-worth, healing from comparison, and why it's so stressful to worry about what other people think of your body.

"I prided myself on being this person who didn't give a s**t what anybody thought of her. I was doing this food and body stuff for me and my own health and fitness and whatever. Then I was called out in a compassionate way, and saw that I was obsessed with how others viewed me." - Mary Jelkovsy, Full Plate episode #145

Listen to hear more about:

What’s been on Mary's plate (food, travel, movement)
Her early experiences as a body builder
How being a teenage fitness influencer effected her relationship with her body
Developing an eating disorder, hidden in plain sight
The dangers of too much protein
How fitness culture praises disordered eating behaviors
Why changing environments can help us find room to heal
Letting our love for others guide our way to loving ourselves
Fighting the patriarchy without fighting our husbands
Self-love as self-compassion, self-worth, and self-esteem

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Group program:

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

About Mary:

After recovering from a lifelong battle with food and body obsession, Mary Jelkovsky started her Instagram @maryscupofteaa to inspire people to accept their bodies and learn to love themselves unconditionally. Now Mary is the author of the bestselling book The Gift of Self-Love as well as the journal 100 Days of Self-Love. Over the past five years, she's been leading worldwide self-love retreats and her message has been highlighted in TEDx, Teen Vogue, Shape, and Health Magazine. She is also the host of the Mary’s Cup of Tea Podcast: the Self-Love Podcast for Women, which has more than 1 million downloads. By openly sharing her personal journey to self-acceptance, Mary has helped inspire millions to accept their bodies and love themselves unconditionally. When Mary's not writing, podcasting, or hosting retreats, she is spending time with her little sister Ilana, who is her biggest inspiration.

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

Administrative Support by Alexis Eades

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

#144: Rethinking ARFID as Neurodivergence and Raising "Picky Eaters" with Kevin Green (of @kevindoesarfid) Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

Were you labeled a "picky eater" growing up? Or are you raising a child with sensory preferences, feeding differences, or neurodivergence? In this episode, we’re diving deep into Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), its connection to neurodivergence, and the misconceptions surrounding so-called “picky eaters.”

We also discuss the intense pressure parents face from diet culture and social media, the impact of disembodying feeding practices on kids, and why “normal” eating doesn’t exist.

You'll hear more about...

what is ARFID and how is it diagnosed?
the three main subtypes of ARFID
Kevin's lived experience with ARFID and autism
Abbie's similar experiences with OCD and an eating disorder
how neurodivergent experiences like autism and trauma intersect with eating challenges
why hiding veggies in your kids' food is probably not a great idea (and might be causing harm)
sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences, and lack of interest in food
compassionate insights for parents
normalizing the challenges of feeding neurodivergent children
why ARFID is not a parenting failure
how we can better understand our own eating patterns
holding space for the importance of curiosity and respect
how to create a safe environment for exploration with food

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or curious about ARFID and food autonomy, this conversation offers validation, nuance, and radical reframing of what it means to nurture a truly embodied relationship with food. Don’t miss it!

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Group program: Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Group membership: Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

About Kevin: Kevin Green (they/them) is a disabled, mad, and queer artist from Western Massachusetts located on Pocumtuc People's land. Kevin's work reflects their experiences with mental health, ARFID, queerness, and neurodivergence. Kevin is passionate about advocating for accessible, client-led, and non-carceral oriented care. Follow along on Instagram @kevindoesarfid

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

Administrative Support by Alexis Eades

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

#143: "What If I'm Just Uncomfortable Being Fat?" with Therapist Edie Stark and Fat Activist Sharon Maxwell (Part Two) Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

“I believe in body liberation and anti-diet culture. But what if I’m just uncomfortable being fat?”

This is a free preview of this week’s bonus episode, and truly, it’s not to be missed. It just might be my favorite conversation we’ve had yet on this podcast. This is the second part of a conversation with Therapist Edie Stark and Fat Activist Sharon Maxwell, and we’re answering a very important – very hard – listener question.

To hear this full episode, plus have access to all the other bonus episodes, community engagement, and to submit questions to Abbie, upgrade at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

The full question comes from Amanda, who asks:

“I'm really struggling to accept my own body as I do this work to unlearn weight bias in our culture. It's frustrating, because I do believe all bodies are worthy. What if I'm just uncomfortable being in a larger body? What if I just don't want to be fat? Is it possible to desire weight loss for myself while believing in weight inclusivity?”

Tune in on Substack for the full conversation to hear about...

How Sharon relates to this listener, and moments where she's worked through similar thoughts

Whether changing your body can change discomfort

Internalized fat-phobia, and if pursuing weight loss is anti-fat

Neutral health goals versus weight-loss goals

How the Ozempic conversation impacts the desire for weight loss

How mental discomfort effects our physical symptoms

Body autonomy and personal choices with weight

Self-care ideas for fat bodies

How to practice self-compassion while living within systemic anti-fatness

Times when eating disorder thoughts creep in the most

Discomfort as a signal of something deeper

Finding providers who can hold space for you, and your body grief, from a weight-inclusive and liberation lens

Navigating the medical system when it blames body size for everything

SO much more!

About Edie:

Edie Stark, MSc, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and the owner of Stark Therapy Group, a psychotherapy group practice specializing in eating disorders, trauma, and anxiety from a humanistic, fat-positive, and inclusive lens. She believes in the value of lived experience being met with clinical knowledge to create a collaborative therapeutic experience for all of the clients. Edie is passionate about Trader Joe's snacks– we talk a little bit about that–dismantling the US healthcare system, and the complete and total takedown of diet culture in no particular order.

Learn more at https://starktherapygroup.com/

About Sharon:

Sharon Maxwell (She/Her) is a mental health advocate and fat activist. She works as a weight inclusive consultant, providing education to treatment centers and healthcare providers on the immense harms of weight stigma. Due to her lived experience facing weight stigma, Sharon provides unique insight and offers practical tools to make treatment centers and healthcare settings safe and accessible for fat folks. Sharon is passionate about breaking down the stigma around eating disorders and working to eradicate societal anti-fat bias. When she’s not studying or engaged in her activism work, Sharon can be found exploring San Diego with her dog and her best friend.

Read "You Don't Look Anorexic" in New York Times Magazine

Connect with Sharon on IG: @heysharonmaxwell

Learn more about Sharon: https://www.heysharonmaxwell.com/

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

#142: Is Ozempic the End of Body Liberation? (Reasons to Stay Hopeful) with Therapist Edie Stark and Fat Activist Sharon Maxwell Nov 18, 2024

Show notes

Two returning guests join us (who happen to be my amazing friends and colleagues): therapist Edie Stark and fat activist Sharon Maxwell. We're getting into the impact of GLP-1s (like Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.) on disordered eating recovery, body acceptance, and generally navigating this world in a human body amidst the constant chatter about weight loss medications.

Edie and Sharon share their wisdom and lived experience as we talk about how we can keep hopeful in the face of increasingly problematic diet culture messaging, GLP-1s, and general uncertainty in the world. We explore the differences between individual and macro change, and the need for tangible ways to resist diet culture and comparison. It gets real, and honest, and I think it is a timely episode for anyone who has felt hope waiver these past few weeks.

Tune in to hear more about:

What’s on their plates, literally and metaphorically
Eating easy things when you’re feeling uninspired or overwhelmed
How Ozempic and GLP-1s are impacting weight-inclusive and anti-diet movements
What to do when the weight loss conversation feels louder than ever (especially in disordered eating recovery)
Hope in the context of both diet culture and the world right now
The role of macro and micro efforts in overcoming systemic issues
Differences between body positivity and body liberation
Social media's role in perpetuating the Ozempic craze and misinformation
What it looks like to invest in the fat-liberation movement
How we can overcome moments of doubt and body grief
Ways to cultivate community around our values
Sharon's call for more fat joy
So much more!

This episode is the first of two parts, so stay tuned for next week's second act!

About Edie:

Learn more at https://starktherapygroup.com/

About Sharon:

Read "You Don't Look Anorexic" in New York Times Magazine

Connect with Sharon on IG: @heysharonmaxwell

Learn more about Sharon: https://www.heysharonmaxwell.com/

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Group program:

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

#141: Processed Foods, Nutrition Misinformation, and the Elitism of Wellness with Shana Spence, RD (@thenutritiontea) Nov 11, 2024

Show notes

Shana Spence, a registered dietitian (who you might know as @thenutritiontea on social media), joins the pod to bust myths about processed foods and to discuss how family, culture, privilege, and societal influences shape our relationship with food.

Listen Ad-Free on Patreon!

We recorded this conversation before the election, but given the outcome, we're going to see an influx of misinformation about wellness, health, and nutrition -- so this episode feels timely.

Shana shares how her initial career path and disordered eating fueled her decision to become a dietitian, and reflects on how dietetics education perpetuates diet culture, focusing on BMI and stereotypes. She talks about her perspective shift over time, the process of moving toward an anti-diet and weight-inclusive approach, and why the social determinants of health matter more than individual food choices.

Tune in to hear more about…

The pressure of food restriction as a badge of honor
Privilege affecting food choices
The misleading fears about processed foods
The oversimplification of food into good vs. bad categories.
How family and cultural background impact dieting
External societal pressures on our relationship with food
Diet culture and healthism
Dietitian education's role in perpetuating diet culture
Stereotyping in healthcare
Shana’s perspective shift on nutrition and dieting
Restriction as a form of validation
Black-and-white thinking in nutrition
Why we don't need to "fix" people's eating habits

Shana Spence is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in New York, who considers herself an “eat anything” dietitian, and counsels on a HAES (Healthy At Every Size) and an Intuitive Eating approach. She is also the author of Live Nourished - Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy. Find her website here https://www.thenutritiontea.com/ and find her on instagram at @thenutritiontea.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Group program:

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

WalkingPad Discounts:

Use code ABBIEATTWOODWELLNESS for 30% off their WalkingPad
Use code ABBIEWELLNESS for 20% off their treadmills

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

Podcast Administrative Support by Alexis Eades

Listen Ad-Free on Patreon: www.patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe