Men Also Have Eating Disorders with Aaron Flores, RDN
Aaron Flores is a registered dietitian nutritionist based out of Los Angeles, California. He also works at Center for Discovery as Senior Coordinator for Weight-Inclusive Care He uses Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size® in his work to help individuals learn how to make peace with food and their bodies. He is a Certified Body Trust® provider and he also the co-host of the popular podcast, Dietitians Unplugged.
We seem to think that disordered eating is a girl thing, perhaps because that’s what the “numbers” tell us. But the numbers only reflect people who get help and people who know they have a problem. For various reasons, that doesn't quite frequently happen in men. Aaron and I talk about what may be similar or different in eating disorders in men. And we talk about shame.
Sprinkled into this episode is Aaron’s Star Wars love and his knack for taking lessons from the series. You can’t see but his office is full of Star Wars paraphernalia.
Stay tuned until the end, we chat a bit about clinicians who have their own eating disorders and disordered eating struggles. I won’t say more about that here, you’ll have to listen! 🙊
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Show Notes
[0:01-03:00] Introductions
Introducing our guest speaker
[03:01 - 11:06] How Aaron Became a Dietitian?
Aaron shares his career change and what influenced it.
He shares his experience spiraling into over-exercising and restrictive eating.
The magic moment that redefined his vision for his career.
[11:07 – 17:38] The Leap that Comes From Unlearning Certain Practice
Why a society of diet-obsessed culture finds it hard to work toward a healthy relationship with food.
How one's relationship with fear and anger affect one’s ability to establish healthier habits and acceptance in oneself.
[17:39 - 25:25] Men Have Eating Disorders Too
The impact of stigmatizing discussions around food and diet.
How the patriarchy affects everyone in relation to food, health, and habits.
Aaron emphasizes the need for self-compassion, especially in moments where one struggles to accept his body.
The damage caused by using flawed and non-inclusive assessment tools for individuals suffering from eating disorders
[25:26 – 38:00] Aaron’s Words of Enlightenment To Individuals and To Clinicians
Experiencing shame is okay. Easier said than done!
For clinicians - the value of understanding and supporting people's shame for their healing.
His perspective on the debate - whether or not clinicians can better provide service because of their experiences and how can their personal struggles affect their performance as a clinician.
[38:01 – 39:50] Outro
Where to find Aaron?
Resources Mentioned:
Tweetable Quotes
“It’s just a different way of thinking, that is more centered on experience, making sustainable choices that come from a place of compassion and not shame. I think it feels like a leap because we’re so entrenched in the diet culture.” - Aaron Flores
“Self-compassion is being kind, and we’re allowed to be kind to ourselves. It’s not an excuse. It’s sort of understanding what life is like, what is realistic, it doesn’t have to be a standard that is so high, it can be somewhere in the middle.” - Aaron Flores.
More From Rachelle
Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
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