#183: "What If I'm Just Uncomfortable Being Fat?" with Edie Stark, and Sharon Maxwell

This might be my favorite conversation we’ve had on this podcast. It's a conversation I had with Edie Stark (an ED therapist) and Sharon Maxwell (a fat activist and weight-inclusive consultant), and we’re answering a very important – very hard – listener question.

The essence of it is: “I believe in body liberation and anti-diet culture. But what if I’m just uncomfortable being fat?”

Tune in for:

* How and why Sharon relates to this listener, and moments where she's worked through this thought

* How Ozempic culture impacts the desire for weight loss

* What it means to practice self-compassion while living within systemic anti-fatness

* Whether changing your body can change discomfort

* Times when eating disorder thoughts creep in the most

* Discomfort as a signal of something deeper

* The role of mental and emotional pain on physical symptoms

* Navigating the medical system when it blames body size for everything 

* SO much more!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

About Edie: 

Edie Stark, MSc, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and the owner of Stark Therapy Group, a psychotherapy group practice specializing in eating disorders, trauma, and anxiety from a humanistic, fat-positive, and inclusive lens. She believes in the value of lived experience being met with clinical knowledge to create a collaborative therapeutic experience for all of the clients. Edie is passionate about Trader Joe's snacks– we talk a little bit about that–dismantling the US healthcare system, and the complete and total takedown of diet culture in no particular order.

Learn more at https://starktherapygroup.com/

About Sharon:

Sharon Maxwell (She/Her) is a mental health advocate and fat activist. She works as a weight inclusive consultant, providing education to treatment centers and healthcare providers on the immense harms of weight stigma. Due to her lived experience facing weight stigma, Sharon provides unique insight and offers practical tools to make treatment centers and healthcare settings safe and accessible for fat folks. Sharon is passionate about breaking down the stigma around eating disorders and working to eradicate societal anti-fat bias. When she’s not studying or engaged in her activism work, Sharon can be found exploring San Diego with her dog and her best friend.

Read "You Don't Look Anorexic" in New York Times Magazine

Connect with Sharon on IG: @heysharonmaxwell

Learn more about Sharon: https://www.heysharonmaxwell.com/

Support the Show:

Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership, which meets every other week: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Administrative Support by Alexis Glaubach

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

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#182: Perimenopause, "Belly Fat," and Carb-Phobia: How Wellness Culture Targets Women in Midlife with Debra Benfield, RDN