The Challenges of Eating Disorder Recovery in a Higher-Weight Body
Binge Eating Disorder, Recovery, Weight StigmaFrom a young age I was taught to believe that thinner equaled better, and larger equaled lesser. My dance teachers reinforced this, my father reinforced this, and the media reinforced this. Eating disorders are typically associated with thinness,…
Eating Disorders Have No Size
Recovery, Weight StigmaI was first diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2013 when I was 19, but my deadly eating disorder and terrifying habits had begun long before then. They started when I was 14 and progressed for five years until I was so deep in my eating disorder…
It’s Complicated: My Struggle with Emotional Eating
Binge Eating Disorder, Recovery, Weight StigmaThe use of food for emotional comfort is often normalized in our culture. It’s very common to see TV shows or movies portraying actresses drowning their sorrows after a breakup by eating a tub of ice cream or an entire box of chocolates. That…
Dear Melody: How Can I Accept Healthy Weight Gain?
Recovery, Weight Stigma“Dear Melody” is a monthly advice column by Dr. Melody Moore, a clinical psychologist, yoga instructor and the founder of the Embody Love Movement Foundation. Her foundation is a non-profit whose mission is to empower girls and women to…
My Best Friend and I Wear Different Sizes But We Wore the Same Dress. Here’s Why.
Body Image, Weight StigmaLast week, my close friend Colleen and I were invited by NEDA to see the NYC premiere of Fattitude. This documentary film was created by Lindsey Averill and Viridiana Lieberman and it explores the discrimination fat people face—done by society,…
Ugh. It’s 2017 and Women Are Still Judged by Their Looks on Job Interviews
Body Image, Weight StigmaI’ll never forget the day I arrived at a job interview with my hair dyed black with a subtle hint of blue. I didn’t think it would be an issue at a supposedly young and innovative media company, but my interviewer couldn’t see past my…
I’m Fat on the Inside
Body Image, Bulimia, Recovery, Weight StigmaOnce a year, the grocery store checkout magazines come out with their “Half my Size!” issue, featuring people who have dropped a significant amount of weight. They stand in one leg of their old jeans or flex in trendy athletic wear, smiling…
Raising Resilient Kids in a Fat Shaming World
Parents & Caregivers, Weight StigmaWe want our kids to grow up feeling strong and confident in their bodies. We’ve learned a lot about what to do—and what not to do—to promote a positive body image. We know better than to comment on other people’s weight and engage in…
The Weight I Carry
Binge Eating Disorder, Recovery, Weight StigmaThe family story about me that has enthralled me most has to do with my thighs. My mother says that the nurses who cared for me in the hospital nursery would pick up my newborn legs and laugh about the immense size of my thighs--far too big…
Society Must Stop Fearing Fat
Weight StigmaA picture is worth a thousand words, but what about the words themselves? For people who have struggled with an eating disorder, words can play a huge role in whether or not they engage in ED behaviors. Words and language are such critical elements…