"Why the Rise in Eating Disorders Among Boys and Men?" with Dr. Jason Nagata

Dr. Jason Nagata is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and is an expert in eating disorders, particularly in boys and men.

In my time with time with Dr. Nagata, we consider the damaging effects of societal body image ideals among boys and men. We also discuss the lack of research and awareness regarding eating disorders in males, the increasing prevalence of eating disorders in general, the normalization of disordered food and exercise-related behaviors in athletics, and the impact of social media on body image struggles and eating behaviors.

"Detoxing from Diet Culture: The Holiday Edition" with Lisa Diers, RDN, LD, E-RYT

Lisa Diers is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified yoga teacher who specializes in supporting eating disorder and body image recovery. Lisa has a combined over 20 years of experience in nutrition and yoga services and previously served as the National Nutrition and Yoga Director for a large national eating disorder treatment program.

In our time together, Lisa and I discuss the prevalence of disordered eating, as well as what a balanced relationship with food actually looks like. Lisa also explains how nutrition and yoga can be instrumental and complementary in reconnecting with our bodies, why “carbs” and sugar aren’t the fear foods diet culture makes them out to be, and offers guidance for those struggling with body image this time of year.

"Why the Song 'Skinny' is Getting So Much Attention," with Emmy Russell

Emmy Russell is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who has been performing for the majority of her life. Touring on the road with her grandmother, country legend Loretta Lynn, Emmy started singing on stage at the age of two.

Most recently, Emmy released the song, “Skinny” with The Song House, detailing her struggle with an eating disorder. The song has received a warm reception and has been widely shared, getting over 300k likes on Instagram. In our time together, Emmy shares about her struggles with disordered eating, the pressures of image in the music industry, and how she’s moved toward healing in her own journey.

"The Toxic Waters of Beauty and Diet Culture" with Christie Dondero Bettwy

In this episode, Christie Dondero Bettwy, helps us name some of the toxic beliefs and messages that we are being fed, so we might be freed from them. Christie is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery in Arlington, Virginia. Rock Recovery is a Christian eating disorder therapy nonprofit where clients can access low-cost therapy and support groups.

In our time together, Christie talks about her own recovery from a decades-long eating disorder, how her recovery story connects with her faith journey, and her passion for working at Rock Recovery. We also talk about how struggles with food, body image, and exercise may go unnoticed or undiagnosed because of how normalized disordered messages around food and body image are. Christie and I also name how such societal messages around food and our bodies impact all of us to varying degrees and she shares some fresh insights about body image.

"Self-Deprivation, Disordered Eating, & Fasting as a Spiritual Practice" with Brittany Braswell, MS, RDN, LD

Lent is a time rich with spiritual significance. It’s also a time when the ideas of self-deprivation and fasting can get emphasized in faith-based circles. This Lent I have the privilege of being a part of a teaching series called “Losing the Lies for Lent.” The lie I am tackling is the message that “self-deprivation makes us holier or brings us closer to God.”

In today’s episode, Registered Dietitian, Brittany Braswell, and I do a deeper dive on this particular lie. Brittany is a non-diet dietitian who approaches nutrition and wellness from a holistic standpoint. She is passionate about helping her clients establish a healthy relationship with food and body to improve their quality of life and walk free and fearlessly in their purpose.

Melissa KucharskiFebruary 13, 2023impossiblebeauty, brittanybraswell, fasting, disorderedeating, eatingdisorders, selfdeprivation, selfdenial, lent

"Making Peace with Food & Body Through Intuitive Eating" with Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S

In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with one of the co-creators of Intuitive Eating, Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S. Elyse is a nutrition therapist, with forty years of experience, specializing in eating disorders, Intuitive Eating, and Health at Every Size. She is the co-author of Intuitive Eating, now in its 4th edition, and is nationally known for her work in helping patients break free from diet culture through the Intuitive Eating process.

In my time with Elyse, we discuss what first drew her to the concept of Intuitive Eating, what Intuitive Eating is and how it differs from diet culture, sneaky ways diet culture is showing up these days, and how the concept of health can be expanded beyond weight.

"Clean Eating, Wellness Culture, and Eating Disorders" with Dr. Colleen Reichmann

In this episode, I talk with licensed clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist, Dr. Colleen Reichmann, all about the trends of wellness culture and clean eating. Dr. Reichmann helps us see how, through the lens of diet culture, our ideas on health and wellness may be a bit warped.

In addition to being a licensed clinical psychologist and eating disorders specialist, Dr. Reichmann is the founder of Wildflower Therapy LLC, and the coauthor of the book, The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery: Advice from Two Therapists Who Have Been There.

"Raising Kids in Diet Culture" with Sumner Brooks, MPH, RD, CEDRD

Sumner Brooks is a registered dietitian (RDN), author, and mom who has spent over 13 years working in the field of nutrition and eating disorders. She most recently co-authored her second book, entitled How to Raise an Intuitive Eater: Raising the Next Generation with Food and Body Confidence.

In this week’s episode we talk about how diet culture disrupts our relationship with food and our bodies, why fear-based messaging is unhelpful in those relationships, and how to go about raising kids with food and body confidence.

"Why Disordered Eating is Everywhere" with Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani

Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani is an eating disorders expert physician and the Founder and Medical Director of the Gaudiani Clinic in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Gauidiani completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard, medical school at Boston University School of Medicine, and her internal medicine residency and chief residency at Yale. In 2008, she was one of the founding team members of the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders at Denver Health.

In our time together, Dr. Gaudiani covers so many important topics, including the shocking percentage of people whom she believes have a disordered relationship with food, how diet culture has impacted the medical field, and how most doctors don’t understand eating disorders. She also talks about thin privilege, weight stigma, weight-inclusive medical care, and what a balanced relationship with food and our bodies looks like.

"Social Media, Sizeism, and Eating Disorders" with Maggie Meyers, DMFT, LPCC

Maggie Meyers is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy. Maggie has worked with clients with various diagnoses; however, much of her work has been in the field of eating disorders. For years, she worked in various levels of care and in leadership roles at a nationally renowned eating disorder clinic. More recently, she has decided to fully commit her time at a private practice in the Twin Cities area, called Wholehearted Healing.

"Body Image and Beauty Standards" with Christyna Johnson

Christyna Johnson is a Dallas-based, Non-Diet Registered Dietician whose nutrition philosophy is rooted in the social justice framework of Health at Every Size (R) and seen through the lens of Intuitive Eating. In short, Christyna loves helping others find freedom in their bodies and with food. As Christyna puts it, “Life was not meant to revolve around food and thoughts about our bodies. It’s a big world out there just waiting to be explored!”

"Why I'm So Passionate About Beauty, Part Two" with Melissa Johnson

Today’s episode is a little different. Back in Episode 18, I shared a little about my story and why I’m so passionate about beauty and why I even started Impossible Beauty in the first place. In today’s episode, I share a bit more about why I care so much about this topic and why I hope you’ll join me in redefining beauty and seeking after true beauty.

"Letting Go of Comparison" with Javoni Cobb

Javoni Cobb is an eating disorder recovery coach at the Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland. She has her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and currently works with teens and adults struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and body image issues. In her work with clients, Javoni seeks to help them break free from disordered behaviors to discover food freedom, body acceptance, and self-compassion.

"Exercise, Athletics, and Body Image" with Whitney Otto

In this episode, Whitney Otto talks about her experience as an endurance athlete, particularly as a world champion rower. Whitney was a member of the national rowing team and an alternate in the 2000 Olympics. She has also worked with Women’s Sports Foundation to help bring sport to girls in the inner city. Following her full-time rowing career, Whitney went on to get her masters degree in Counseling Psychology and work in the eating disorder field.