Food Psych #238: Appetite and COVID-19, Plus How Diet Culture Influences the Nutrition and Dietetics Field with Taylor Chan
Fellow anti-diet dietitian Taylor Chan joins us to discuss “fence-straddling” between intuitive eating and traditional dietetics (and eventually jumping over to the other side), how her desire to be a “good dietitian” pulled her further into diet culture, the privilege inherent in diet culture’s version of nutrition, the nuances that make intuitive eating an inclusive practice, and so much more. Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to handle loss of appetite during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taylor Chan is a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer in Baltimore, Maryland. She brings an Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size lens to her current role in school food service, and also has a virtual private practice where she helps clients take the fear out of food and eat to support all aspects of their well-being. In her spare time, you can find her hiking, traveling, eating, and creating doodles that dismantle diet culture. Find her online at FoodAndFearless.com.
We Discuss:
How being an athlete affected Taylor’s relationship with food growing up
Having a large appetite, and how that is regarded differently for different body sizes
Her first exposure to diet culture
How she became interested in dietetics
The desire to be a “good dietitian,” and how that pulled Taylor further into diet culture
“Healthified” versions of food, and how they never taste like the real thing
“Straddling the fence” between intuitive eating and traditional dietetics
HAES and ethics in dietetics
How Taylor’s practice and social media presence shifted to become more weight-inclusive
Peer support during dietetic internship
Curiosity as a tool for advocacy and planting seeds
Where Taylor and Christy would like to see the role of dietitians evolve
Expanding the definition of nutrition to include relationships with food
Nourishment, and having enough
The privilege inherent in diet culture’s version of nutrition
Ellyn Satter’s Hierarchy of Food Needs
The nuances of intuitive eating in specific situations, like food scarcity and eating disorders
Intuitive eating as the default mode and an inclusive practice
Having self-compassion and grace as you learn and evolve
The pressures of social media content creation, and having permission to slow down
Life beyond dietetics and body liberation
Resources Mentioned
Some of the links below are affiliate links. Affiliates or not, we only recommend products and services that align with our values.
Submit your questions for a chance to have them answered on the podcast!
My online course, Intuitive Eating Fundamentals
My book, Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
Help spread the anti-diet message by subscribing to the podcast
Rachel Hartley’s work
"Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession" by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
“Hierarchy of Food Needs” by Ellyn Satter
Ellyn Satter’s work (CW: Some fatphobic language)
Evelyn Tribole’s work, and her Food Psych episodes #73 and #219
Elyse Resch’s work, and her Food Psych episodes #79 and #228
Listener Question of the Week
How can someone eat and enjoy eating when an external stressor has caused a loss of appetite? What are some of the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people’s appetites? What are some of the risks of experiencing loss of appetite? Why are snacks important? Why is it important to eat regularly throughout the day, including having snacks? What are some of the ways that intuitive eating can be misinterpreted and/or co-opted by diet culture? What are some subtle signs of hunger that are often missed? What are some ways that a person can avoid being in a restrict-binge cycle?
Resources Mentioned: