Stop Dieting and Change the Game

We're in the middle of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and this year's theme is "it's time to talk about it."

I love this theme because in my book it's really always time to talk about it. Eating disorders thrive on silence and shame, and talking about them is important throughout the journey to recovery. 

In fact, one of the biggest reasons I decided to start Food Psych was to help people recognize and acknowledge their issues with food and body image, and hopefully to start talking about them in their own lives. And speaking out about my own disordered eating was definitely one of the keys to my full recovery. 

But we can't talk about eating disorders without also talking about diet culture. The society we live in is incredibly fertile ground for disordered eating to develop. Between the constant pressure to lose weight from the media and medical professionals, incessant marketing of diets and weight-loss products, and the normalization of dangerous eating and exercise practices, it's no wonder so many people struggle with disordered eating and body shame. 

On this week's episode of Food Psych, my guests and I discuss the role that nutrition and health professionals unwittingly play in creating this toxic environment, and how we can stop. Fellow body-positive dietitians Rebecca Scritchfield and Julie Duffy Dillon believe, as I do, that dieting is an unwinnable game, and that refusing to play is the only way to true health and happiness. We share some of the hidden facets of diet culture, and help you recognize some of the increasingly popular "diets in disguise."   

Tune in to our conversation right here, and share your game-changing, anti-diet moments using the hashtag #ChangeTheGame on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

In honor of NEDA Week, I also shared a bit of my eating-disorder recovery story in a video for Balance Eating Disorder Treatment Center.

If you're struggling with food issues and wondering whether it might be time to talk about it with a professional, take NEDA's free 3-minute screening to assess where you're at and get connected with people who can help.