How Anti-Diet Culture Became Like Diet Culture with Jessica Brown
There is no doubt that I disagree with diet culture.
But recently I’ve been noticing that a lot of these things that frustrate me with this culture are starting to show up in the anti-diet culture as well. Between the judging, the internal shaming, and the “cult behaviors”, the lines are starting to blur and the cycle we were trying to break has begun to repeat itself.
In this episode, I’m talking with Jessica Brown about how anti-diet culture has started to become similar to diet culture. This conversation highlights some of the gray areas that aren’t discussed as often.
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Jessica Brown has been a clinical nutritionist for over 20 years and is the author of the mind-body book, 'The Loving Diet.' She is a graduate of Stanford University's year-long Applied Compassion Teacher Training Program, where she explored how self-compassion can increase interoceptive awareness in individuals with disordered eating. Currently, she focuses her professional time on facilitating the eight-week self-compassion for disordered eating online groups she created. Her website and social media is The Loving Diet (www.thelovingdiet.com)
Over time, the anti-diet culture movement has seen significant changes, with the original values and mission statement giving way to new perspectives and approaches.
Jessica started out as a clinical nutritionist working with individuals on a restrictive diet to help with their autoimmune disease. Within months, she noticed that the people she was working with were developing severe eating disorders. After this, she took a stance and publicly voiced her opinion “restrictive diets are causing disordered eating”. She believes there should be a more detailed approach to recommending treatment rather than saying one size fits all. Because of this, she was banned from the autoimmune paleo diet community.
Through this experience, she created her self-compassion-disordered eating group.
The Dilemma of Being "Wrong"
We emphasized the importance of nurturing inner resilience instead of creating external villains like diet culture. Equipping individuals with tools to face diet culture empowers them to make informed choices.
The Debate Around Ultra-Processed Foods
Jessica believes there is a debate around ultra-processed foods and the factors that influence what we eat. Ultimately, with intuitive eating, we do not label foods as “good” or “bad”. There is just food.
However, my question to Jessica is why are people labeling foods as good or bad? She believes that overall, factory foods, including ultra-processed foods, lack essential nutrients like fiber. While there should be a “balance” between the foods we consume, the term “balance” can trigger anxiety in individuals with a history of disordered eating.
The Dangers of Strict Rules
Oftentimes when individuals hear specific information, they begin to create strict rules around their diets. This is especially concerning when individuals with disordered eating tendencies latch onto advice and end up reinforcing their eating disorders.
Root Causes
Jessica and I reflected on the importance of recognizing that deep-seated issues often drive disordered eating behaviors. Past traumas, self-worth, and self-love are key factors that can fuel unhealthy relationships with food.
The Complexity of Change
Promoting healthier behaviors is not limited to dietary changes. Factors like improved sleep, stress management, physical activity, and therapy contribute to holistic well-being. The book, "Change or Die" by Alan Deutschman, discusses how most people diagnosed with life-threatening conditions fail to make necessary changes in their lives. True change goes beyond dietary alterations.
Peace, Happiness, and Body Image
Sometimes it feels like our body's size directly correlates with our happiness. Society has long perpetuated the notion that having a specific body type will bring joy. Jessica emphasized the importance of finding peace with our bodies, regardless of societal standards. Peace entails a willingness to accept and embrace the parts of ourselves that may not align with our ideal body image, demonstrating resilience in the face of disappointment.
The Challenges of Social Media
Body shaming and bullying on social media platforms is a big issue. These online platforms can sometimes turn into breeding grounds for negativity, as some individuals resort to public humiliation rather than constructive criticism. We also believe there is a responsibility of celebrities and influencers to spread messages about diet and body image.
The Role of Emotional Resilience
Emotional resilience plays a significant role in a person’s ability to process messages about food, body image, and health. Jessica shared her approach to enhancing emotional resilience, with the importance of self-compassion, which serves as an antidote to shame and fosters a more informed decision-making process.
Focusing on Compassion and Self-Acceptance
Self-compassion is a powerful tool for when it comes to battling societal expectations. It helps us to find safety within ourselves rather than seeking it externally through diets, lifestyles, or others' opinions. The premise of self-compassion is treating oneself as one would treat a friend.
With compassion and resilience, we can empower ourselves and create a kinder, more understanding world.
Tweetable Quotes
"I feel like even people who we really disagree with, we can acknowledge that everyone messes up and that that was not a good journalistic moment." - Jessica Brown
"Self-compassion isn't relying on things going your way. It's saying I can be with myself in any state, happy, hurting, confused, scared, and the premise of self-compassion is how would I treat a friend?" - Jessica Brown
"At the end of the day, work on your own self-compassion." - Rachelle Heinemann
"We're really focusing more on the culture that's been created around all of this phenomenal help that's been really abundant these days." - Rachelle Heinemann
“It's sort of like the merging of common sense and looking at the science, which is if you eat a diet that's primarily ultra-processed food, you might run into some problems. But should we say you should never eat it?” - Jessica Brown
Resources
https://www.thelovingdiet.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thelovingdiet/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLovingDiet
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheLovingDiet
Related Episodes
Episode 87. Ultra Processed Food, Food Addiction and Eating Disorders with Dr. David Wiss
Episode 79. When Recovery Isn’t Quite Recovery At All
Episode 76. The Basics of Health at Every Size
Episode 69. High Functioning Eating Disorders
Episode 67. Is It All About Control?
Episode 22. Hustle Culture and Diet Culture with Jennifer McGurk RDN, CDN, CEDRD-S
Episode 13. Stop Dieting, Start Living with Allie Landry, MPPD, RD, LDN
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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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