4 podcasts that are an antidote to diet culture
Are you a podcast listener and curious to learn more about diet culture, Intuitive Eating and Health At Every Size®? Then this list of four is for you! These are podcasts I tune into regularly and enjoy for different reasons. One thing they all have in common though, is that they challenge the toxic messages of diet culture and offer a gentler, kinder, more self-compassionate approach to food, movement and your body.
Food Psych by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS
Food Psych® is a podcast by Christy Harrison who answers listeners questions and talks with guests about intuitive eating, and Health At Every Size®. Woven into her show are moments where she shares her own journey from dieter and disordered eater to food writer and anti-diet dietitian.
Food Psych® was the first podcast I started listening to after learning about Intuitive Eating and the anti-diet approach to nutrition and health. I deeply appreciate Christy’s quiet, gentle and scientific approach. As a quick aside: Christy is also the author of two books. Her first book: Anti-Diet -Reclaim your time, money, well-being and happiness through Intuitive Eating (2016) was the first book I read after Intuitive Eating – A revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach (2020) by Evelyn Tribole MS RDN CEDS-S & Elyse Resch MS RDN CEDS-S and cemented my decision to become an anti-diet dietitian. Her second book The Wellness Trap – Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and dubious Diagnoses was published in 2023 and also makes a brilliant read.
Food Psych® offers safe and non-triggering support for listeners in recovery from an eating disorder, weight stigma, and body shame.
Where to start?
If you are new to Intuitive Eating, consider starting with #277 Intuitive Eating lessons from babies #episode 261 The Evolution of Intuitive Eating Over Time and the Impact of Diet Culture with Evelyn Tribole or episode#320, Healing from Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating, and Body Shame with Judith Matz and Amy Pershing. If you’re a parent with young children, consider episode #322 From Picky Eating to Peace with Food: Feeding Kids with Heidi Schauster RD.
Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield RD
Another favourite, Rebecca Scritchfield is a registered dietitian nutritionist whose show Body Kindness is a soothing balm to the harsh, self-critical messages that many people absorb about their bodies. Her podcast aims to redefine what it means to pursue health, supporting listeners to prioritise well-being rather than weight loss through self-compassion and acceptance. Like Christy, she brings a warm and gentle approach to her podcast, along with her experience as a mother to two daughters who is dedicated to anti-diet parenting.
I also appreciate the way her podcasts are sorted under headings such as „parents“, „diet culture“, „Body Kindness for Beginners“, „Pregnancy and Post-Partum“, „Weight Stigma“, which makes it easy to find podcasts on the subject you want.
Where to start?
I recommend starting with: episode #165 You Are MORE Than A Body. How To Heal Your Relationship With Yourself with Drs. Lindsay and Lexi Kite (founders of Beauty Redefined and authors of „More than a Body“ , episode #138 Why being “ANTI-diet” is “pro” health with Christy Harrison, HAES dietitian, host of Food Psych podcast and author of Anti-Diet or episode #154: How to Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness with Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch authors of Intuitive Eating. If you’re a parent, consider episode #92 Talking About Food and Bodies in the Home with Anna Lutz, RDN and mum.
As an aside, Rebecca’s book Body Kindness (published in 2016) is another great read or listen (it’s available on Audible).
Full Plate by Abbie Attwood
Abbie Attwood’s Full Plate is one podcast I started listening to only recently. Abbie is an anti-diet nutritionist and runs a virtual private practice dedicated to weight-inclusive care, food freedom, body image healing, and dismantling diet culture. Her podcast, Full Plate, is about healing from diet culture, creating peace with food, reclaiming body autonomy and trust, and taking a weight-inclusive approach to well-being. Abbie interviews guests or answers listener questions that explore our relationship to food and our bodies.
Where to start?
Consider starting with episode #116 “But Isn’t Being Fat Bad for Your Health?”: Unpacking Weight Science with Ragen Chastain. If you’re a parent, consider starting with episode #122 with Virginia Sole-Smith on Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture or episode #88 Building Diet Culture Resilience & Preventing Eating Disorders in Teens with Oona Hanson.
Maintenance Phase by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes
For a change of pace, tune into Maintenance Phase by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes who explore a wide range of topics while taking a good, hard look at weight science in a light-hearted way. During their conversations, Aubrey frequently draws on her own experiences as a fat woman living in diet culture which – if you’re in a smaller body – offers an invaluable perspective. Together, these two take a skeptical look and poke fun at diet culture while debunking health and wellness myths. Some episodes focus on a food item, some on weight loss companies or the weight-loss reality show “The Biggest Loser.” Others dive into anti-fat bias and the problems associated with using the body mass index as a measure of health.
As an aside, Aubrey is author of two books: „What we don’t talk about when we talk about fat“ published in 2021 and „You just need to lose weight and 19 other myths about fat people“ published in 2023. The documentary film featuring Aubrey – „Your Fat Friend“ – directed by Jeannie Finlay is highly recommended.
Where to start?
Episodes you could consider starting with include: The Body Mass Index or anti-fat bias. Be prepared for lots of swearing!
Ten Percent Happier podcast episode 220
Bonus suggestion! This is a specific episode of the Ten Percent Happier podcast @tenpercenthappier with Dan Harris called ‘The Anti-Diet’ #220 with guest Evelyn Tribole RDN, co-author of Intuitive Eating. This episode offers an overview of Intuitive Eating & is a great listen, especially if you’re just starting out with Intuitive Eating.
What’s so special about this episode? Well, after the episode aired, Dan Harris (the host) wrote: “This interview you’re about to hear changed my life. That’s an overused phrase, but in this case, it happens to be true. I came into this conversation with a rather hostile attitude toward my own body, filled with unrealistic expectations & unsustainable restrictions. Over the course of this encounter, you will hear my mind start to change. And ever since this interview was recorded, about a year ago, I have been working one-on-one with my guest, Evelyn Tribole, on these issues”.
Happy listening!
Ready to take the next step? Contact me and request a complimentary call to find out more about Intuitive Eating and how it can help you truly nourish yourself – body, mind and soul.
