The Problem With Our Culture and How To Change It with Michael Levine, Ph.D., FAED
How do we challenge cultural norms when society has a strong perception of how things “should” be?
Cultural and environmental factors undeniably influence our understanding and experience of our relationship with food and our bodies. But, let’s reconsider them. This is an opportunity to examine how our personal, professional, and political actions can drive meaningful change.
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This exploration blends personal experiences with broader societal observations, encouraging us to reflect on how culture shapes our views on body image. The insights from this conversation are both enlightening and empowering, prompting us to think about how we, as individuals and as a society, can combat pervasive negativity and work towards a future of body positivity, equality, and genuine connection.
We discuss the pioneers who envisioned a world where prevention was possible, such as Neva Piran and Diane Newmark Steiner. These trailblazers ventured into uncharted territories, facing skeptics who doubted their approach and believed they were diverting resources from “real” psychiatry. Spoiler alert: they were right!
Today, prevention has transitioned from an elusive dream to a strategic priority at prestigious institutions. We will explore the progress made and the challenges that remain, from influencing policy changes in dietary supplement sales to educating clinicians.
In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Levine. Together, we explore life skills that go far beyond just getting by. These skills challenge the norms that society loves to impose—norms that make us question our worth based on how we look or how we measure up to others. Spoiler alert: these norms are garbage, and we're here to dissect them.
Michael P. Levine, Ph.D., is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he taught from 1979 through 2012. In the field of eating disorders, his commitment to research, writing, and advocacy focuses on the intersection between sociocultural risk factors, prevention, and community psychology. He has authored three books and three prevention curriculum guides, and he has co-edited three books on prevention. In 2015, as co-editor with his long-time collaborator and colleague Dr. Linda Smolak, he published a two-volume Handbook of Eating Disorders (Wiley & Sons Publishing). In 2021 he and Dr. Smolak published a new, extensively revised, and expanded edition of their 2006 book The Prevention of Eating Problems and Eating Disorders (Routledge/Taylor & Francis). In addition, Dr. Levine has authored or co-authored approximately 115 articles, book chapters, and book reviews, and he has presented his work throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, England, Spain, Austria, and Australia. Dr. Levine is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), which has awarded him their Meehan-Hartley Award for Leadership in Public Awareness and Advocacy (2006), and their Research-Practice Partnership Award (2008).
In this episode, we’re discussing:
Life skills that counteract societal pressures and personal insecurities.
The impact of culture and environment on the development and maintenance of eating disorders.
Addressing the causes of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues.
The historical context of eating disorders and the evolution of awareness and understanding in the field.
The concept of "nervosa" and its implications in understanding eating disorders.
The widespread cultural issues related to body image and self-esteem, particularly among women.
The transformative potential for cultural shifts to improve body image, equity, and mental health.
The role of societal norms in shaping behaviors and attitudes toward body image and eating.
The necessity of interdisciplinary efforts to address the complex issues surrounding body image and eating disorders.
The complexity of eating disorders and the importance of a public health effort to tackle them.
Raising awareness, funds for research, and involving everyday citizens, parents, recovered individuals, and professionals in transforming unhealthy practices.
The influence of myths and unhealthy beliefs on professionals like psychologists, social workers, and dietitians.
Promoting change on personal, professional, and political levels.
The importance of discussion, respectful listening, and assertiveness in addressing societal issues.
The evolution of the prevention field from a "luxury" to a recognized necessity in the 1990s.
The lack of training on body image and eating disorders in dietetics programs.
The role of life skills and interpersonal connections in promoting change, especially among young people.
Note: We’re celebrating three amazing years of the Understanding Disordered Eating podcast! Just as a reminder, we’re taking a two-week break at the end of August. We’ll be back with fresh content after Labor Day weekend, on September 10th. In the meantime, catch up on our older episodes—they're still gems!
Tweetable Quotes
"These are life skills which are going to work on the personal level, the professional level, and the political level." - Michael Levine
"A sense of hope that the same kinds of massive transformations that have taken place in our culture can take place, and in fact are starting to take place, when it comes to the issues of body image, of equity, of control." - Michael Levine
"I really do see a world also where the exploitation of bodies, particularly female bodies, but bodies is not a multi-trillion-dollar industry." - Michael Levine
"It's going to require citizens and professionals from multiple disciplines, thinking about really complex matters. And I fall back to the fact that I believe we can do this." - Michael Levine
Resources
Michael Levine’s Book: Prevention of Eating Disorders
Michael Levine’s Book: Paradigm clash in the field of eating disorders
Grab the Replay of the Resistance in Treatment Webinar
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Related Episodes
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Episode 79. When Recovery Isn’t Quite Recovery At All
Episode 73. Food and Desire with Dr. Judith Brisman
Episode 68. The Neurobiology of Recovery with Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo
Episode 62. Perfectionism and Disordered Eating with Colby Golder, RD
Episode 60. Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life with Jen Diaz
Episode 27. Eating Disorders and the Mind/Body Disconnect with Danielle Novack, Ph.D
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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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