ABOUT THE EPISODE

Get ready for a special episode as Intuitive Eating Professionals Ryann (Licensed Therapist), Allie (Registered Dietitian), Eden (Registered Dietitian), Dani (Licensed Therapist), and Cilla (Licensed Therapist) come together to unpack the recent Hulu special, ‘An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution.’

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This isn’t about critiquing Oprah or those featured in the special. Instead, we’re delving into the oversimplified points, missed nuances, and important conversations left unexplored. Join us as we navigate the complexities of weight loss medications, shed light on the reality of disordered eating and eating disorders – topics not adequately addressed in the special.

Trigger Warning: If discussions about weight loss, weight loss medications, or stories of weight loss are triggering for you, feel free to skip this episode. Your well-being comes first.

🔗 Connect with Ryann (Licensed Therapist)

🔗 Connect with Allie (Registered Dietitian) 

🔗 Connect with Eden (Registered Dietitian)

🔗 Connect with Dani (Licensed Therapist) 

🔗 Connect with Cilla (Licensed Therapist) 

Disclaimer: The Food Freedom Lab and everything discussed within the podcast is for educational and informational purposes. It should not be interpreted as medical or other professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE

“How could you not be thinking about food all the time if you are regularly told that your body is wrong and the only way to fix it is to control your food?” -Ryann, LPC

“Something that struck me was just the lack of conversation around disordered eating and eating disorders as a whole throughout the entire show because, you know, essentially that food noise is Ed, right?” – Cilla, LCSW

“We just need to get rid of the word obesity and health care altogether if you ask me. And somebody’s like, well what should we use? I’m like, well how about we actually call it what it is, adiposity? Actually, fat on the body, adiposity. Obesity comes from the BMI scale, which is the problem. They’re saying that obesity is a disease based on the BMI scale, which is incredibly flawed, as we know. All it is is height over weight.” -Eden, RD

“She’s been dieting and dieting and dieting and dieting and failing and failing and failing. And then they’re like, ‘yeah, no, you’re the problem.’ Like, what? No, she’s a young kid. She’s just trying and they’re just trying to do the best that they can for her. And she’s trying to do the best that she can. And she’s already getting the message that ‘I’m the problem.’ There’s like no hope for me. So now we have to pay for this medication for the rest of my life.” -Allie, RD

“I mean, half, literally half of my caseload is women with eating disorders because a doctor said something about their weight and something very judgmental about their weight. Like not even talking about their health, not even talking about their professional opinion. It’s just them and their fatphobia. And it’s like, that says nothing, literally nothing. You just created an eating disorder from that judgment that you added. Pathologizing body sizes.” – Dani, LMHC

EPISODE NOTES

01:17 What Prompted This Discussion

02:50 Introductions of All the Intuitive Eating Professionals

04:10 Brief Overview of What These Weight Loss Medications Are and How They Work

06:25 Unpacking the Show’s Opening – Is This Really the Magic Solution?

12:14 Thoughts on the “Food Addict” Statement

18:42 Amy’s Story

29:59 The Doctor’s Comments

36:59 Maggie’s Story

43:35 Are Weight and Health Tied?

47:50 Bringing on the CEO of WW

51:26 What We Really Need to Be Asking

55:21 Final Thoughts

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE

📌 Study Sugar Addiction, The State of the Science

📌 More Than A Body

📌 Katherine Flegal’s research on BMI

📌 Maintenance Phase Ozempic Podcast

📌 Aubrey Gordon’s Book

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