Rachel appeared on episode #1145 of the Food Psych Podcast, originally published February 26, 2018.
Listen to Rachel's episode of the Food Psych Podcast Here!
Health at Every Size psychologist and Body Trust Provider Rachel Millner joins us to discuss how diet culture masks anorexia, why it’s so important for everyone in our society to address our own weight bias, the power of community in breaking free from diet culture, the role of clinicians as activists, how we can spread the Health at Every Size message and plant seeds for change, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about dealing with anger toward a parent who constantly pushed diets on you in childhood.
Rachel Millner, Psy.D., CEDS is a licensed psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist. She sees adults with all forms of eating disorders and disordered eating and those wanting to break out of diet culture in her private practice, and treats children and adolescents with eating disorders as part of the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Millner is a certified Body Trust(r) provider. She practices from a Health at Every Size(r), fat positive, weight inclusive perspective. Find her online at RachelMillner.com.
Grab Christy's free guide, 7 simple strategies for finding peace and freedom with food, to start your intuitive eating journey. You can also text "7STRATEGIES" to the phone number 44222 to get it on the go :)
WE DISCUSS:
Rachel’s relationship with food growing up, including how being raised in a Jewish family resulted in internalizing mixed messages about food being abundant but off-limits
How food messaging changes based on body size
Rachel’s experience with sneaking food in order to avoid being shamed about her food choices
The problem with blaming the individual for health outcomes or body shape, and the role of diet culture in our understanding of health
Rachel’s struggles with the binge-restrict cycle
How hard it is to integrate body acceptance into our lives even if we intellectually understand and agree with fat acceptance
The power of community in breaking free from diet culture
The trajectory of Rachel’s eating disorder, including how being in a smaller body allowed her to get the help she needed
Why we need to shift away from treating bodies, and move towards treating symptoms
How pervasive fatphobia is in the medical field
Higher-weight anorexia, and the need for health professionals to break down and engage with their own weight bias
How to find a Health at Every Size, fat-positive healthcare
Rachel’s path to recovery, including the role of therapy and self-care, and how she set boundaries her family during that time
Rachel’s professional trajectory, including how she became more involved in the fat activist community
The role of clinicians as activists and the power in trusting your message
How valuable age is, both professionally and personally
How we can spread the Health at Every Size message, plant seeds for change, give space for people to have their own journey, and let go of the goal of perfection
RESOURCES MENTIONED
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FAT!SO? by Marilyn Wann
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