Food Psych #348: Why Beauty Culture is a Cousin of Diet Culture with Elise Hu
Journalist, podcaster, and author Elise Hu joins us to discuss her background with modeling and disordered eating, why beauty culture is a cousin of diet culture, Elise’s experience with intense beauty standards in Korea, and the realities of pushing back against performances of femininity.
Behind the paywall, Christy and Elise discuss the rise of K-Beauty globally, problematic K-Pop body ideals, the lack of mental health support in many Asian countries, and how the technological gaze is reshaping beauty standards online and around the world.
This episode is cross-posted from our other podcast, Rethinking Wellness.
Elise Hu is a journalist, podcaster, author and most recently, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Currently she’s the host of TED Talks Daily, the flagship podcast from TED conferences. You can also hear her as the co-host of Forever 35 and the host of Raising Us. Her book, FLAWLESS, came out in 2023. It’s a non-fiction exploration of beauty, consumerism, and womanhood.
Resources Mentioned
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Subscribe to the Food Psych Weekly newsletter
My other podcast and newsletter, Rethinking Wellness
My online course, Intuitive Eating Fundamentals
My first book, Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
My second book, The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses and Find Your True Well-Being
My third book, The Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating & Body Image Workbook
@elisewho on IG
Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital by Elise Hu
Elise’s TED Talk: How digital culture is reshaping our faces and bodies
Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert