The hottest Body Image Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Food & Drink Topics

Whose Bodies Get Studied

Culture Study • 4372 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research Women's Health Body Image
  1. The majority of research studies focus on cis-gender men, leading to biased advice, knowledge, and healthcare.
  2. Women's bodies have historically been considered anomalies in sports and medical research, impacting areas like sports gear design and participation rules.
  3. Excluding women from research studies leads to gaps in knowledge, affecting areas like injury prevention, gear design, and understanding menstrual health.

Reader Question: What is Food Noise?

Weight and Healthcare • 798 implied HN points • 06 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Healthcare Medication Body Image
  1. Be cautious of the concept of 'food noise' promoted by weight loss drug makers as a rebranding of normal hunger or a way to profit off people's broken relationships with food.
  2. Some weight loss drugs aim to manipulate hunger signals through impacting the brain and gut, with unclear long-term effects and potential risks.
  3. The weight loss industry's push for drugs like GLP-1 agonists raises concerns about informed consent, lack of long-term research, and prioritizing short-term weight loss over potential health consequences.

5 Questions with Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CDN

Weight and Healthcare • 599 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Mental health Wellness Body Image Eating Disorders
  1. Christy Harrison is an anti-diet registered dietitian and journalist who aims to challenge diet culture and promote body acceptance through her work.
  2. She learned about weight-neutral care around 20 years ago but fully embraced it later on through experiences in recovery and training in eating disorders.
  3. Harrison applies weight-inclusive principles in her work across various platforms like books, podcasts, online courses, and speaking engagements, critiquing diet culture and promoting critical thinking about wellness.
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A clarification but, crucially, not a correction

Close-reading the reruns with Phoebe Maltz Bovy • 334 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Gender Appearance Critique Body Image Social norms
  1. The author clarified a theory about online pseudonyms critiquing appearances of celebrities, emphasizing it was just a neutral guess.
  2. The author received feedback from a woman contradicting assumptions about their identity and intentions behind their critique of Taylor Swift's appearance.
  3. The discussion expanded to critique societal norms around women's body image and the impact of judgments on appearance.

Michelle Obama Is Not Coming To Save Us

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith • 2810 implied HN points • 23 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Diet Culture Body Image Fitness
  1. Michelle Obama has launched a brand called Plezi Nutrition focused on selling healthier products for kids
  2. Critics have raised concerns about the messaging and effectiveness of Plezi in addressing children's health
  3. Plezi has sparked debate on diet culture, marketing tactics, and societal responsibility in promoting healthy eating

Two Years of Writing Emails

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith • 2535 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Writing Community Personal Growth Body Image Feminism
  1. Virginia Sole-Smith started Burnt Toast newsletter two years ago after leaving freelance writing for corporate media.
  2. Paid subscriptions from the community made it possible to sustain Burnt Toast, support marginalized voices, and fund various projects.
  3. The newsletter created a safe space for discussing body liberation, anti-fat bias, and building a supportive community.

Reader Question - Dealing with Diet Culture at the Holidays

Weight and Healthcare • 758 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Diet Culture Holidays Boundaries Body Image Support
  1. During the holiday season, there is often an increase in diet culture behaviors like food policing and body shaming.
  2. Strategies like ignoring/responding silently, setting boundaries, and engaging in conversations can help navigate inappropriate comments about food and body during gatherings.
  3. It's important to prioritize enjoying meals in peace and remember that others' opinions about our food choices are not our concern.

I feel bad about my chin

The Shift With Sam Baker • 579 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Body Image Self-Acceptance Beauty Standards
  1. The author expresses feeling bad about a specific physical feature, the chin, in the context of societal pressures and norms related to body image and self-love.
  2. There is a reference to the body positive movement that encourages self-acceptance and love for all body types, contrasting personal struggles with societal expectations.
  3. The post also touches on discussions around menopause and the losses associated with it, reflecting on personal experiences and reactions shared online.

Beachbody's Pseudo Rebrand – I Tried It So You Don’t Have To Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 519 implied HN points • 24 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Body Image Nutrition Weight Loss
  1. Beachbody's rebrand to 'Bodi' still heavily focuses on weight loss rather than health.
  2. The programs offered by Beachbody continue to emphasize slimming, sculpting, and weight loss, lacking representation for diverse body types.
  3. Beachbody's MLM structure and 'wellness coaches' perpetuate the narrative of weight loss over true health and fitness goals.

Testing the Edmonton Obesity Staging System

Weight and Healthcare • 259 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Healthcare Weight Loss Research Body Image
  1. The Edmonton Obesity Staging System classifies people based on health issues, but fails to prove the necessity or effectiveness of weight loss interventions for higher stages.
  2. The study authors have conflicts of interest in the weight loss industry, promoting a body-size-as-disease paradigm without concrete evidence of its benefits.
  3. Health-supporting behaviors like fruit/vegetable consumption and fitness were shown to be more important than weight management in improving health outcomes.

Feel like your wardrobe hates you?

The Shift With Sam Baker • 379 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Menopause Fashion Body Image Health Women
  1. Menopause and perimenopause are being openly discussed now more than before, helping women seek information and support for symptoms and hormonal changes.
  2. Despite the challenges of menopause, with physical changes like weight and metabolism shifts, and mental changes like anxiety, it is essential to remember that you are not alone.
  3. As women navigate dressing during menopause, where bodies change unpredictably, it's important to seek ways to adapt and feel comfortable in their skin.

A New HAES™ Friendly Disordered Eating, Exercise and Body Image Screening Tool

Weight and Healthcare • 659 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Body Image Weight Stigma
  1. The screening tool aims to identify individuals struggling with disordered eating, body image issues, unhealthy exercise patterns, and weight stigma beyond traditional diagnostic tools.
  2. The tool underwent review by HAES-aligned providers to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness in identifying those in need of support.
  3. The challenge faced during development was maintaining conciseness while addressing the pervasive impact of weight stigma and diet culture on individuals' thoughts and behaviors.

To breast or not to breast

The Global Jigsaw • 137 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Surgery Body Image Women's Health Emotional Well-being
  1. There is societal pressure and fetishization surrounding female breasts, impacting personal decisions and experiences.
  2. Breast reconstruction procedures post-mastectomy can have high rates of complications, but are aggressively promoted by doctors and society.
  3. Patients should be informed and have autonomy in decisions regarding reconstructive surgery, being respected even if they opt out.

Weight Watchers - Up To Their Old Tricks

Weight and Healthcare • 559 implied HN points • 12 Nov 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Body Image Fitness Health Research
  1. Weight Watchers rebranded and uses language around health and wellness to try to improve their image, but their profit model still relies on weight cycling and short-term weight loss.
  2. Weight Watchers employs deceptive marketing tactics, showcasing weight loss results without providing clear disclaimers on realistic outcomes and promoting weight loss over health.
  3. Despite Weight Watchers' attempts to appear health-focused, their core model is profit-driven, leading to cycles of weight loss and regain for customers, benefiting the company financially while potentially harming individuals.

What We Can Learn From Made Up History

The Heart Attack Diet • 99 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Fitness Body Image Diet Health Effects
  1. Humans in the past often maintained a stable weight and strength without getting excessively fat, regardless of their diet or activities.
  2. The modern Western diet is linked to obesity and diseases of modernity spreading worldwide.
  3. There may be something in our current food environment contributing to the rise in obesity and health issues.

Friday Q&A: How to talk to teens about weight, eating, and bodies

Are You Okay? • 219 implied HN points • 20 Jan 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Body Image
  1. The post discusses how to talk to teens about weight, eating, and bodies, providing valuable insights for parents and caregivers.
  2. The author encourages engagement through questions and offers a 7-day free trial to access the full content and archives.
  3. Professional advice on sensitive topics like body image and health can be helpful for creating open and supportive dialogues with teenagers.

How to Spot the Dangerous "Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner" Approach to Weight Stigma

Weight and Healthcare • 259 implied HN points • 05 Oct 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Stigma Fat Activism Body Image Healthcare Industry
  1. Identifying the 'Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner' Approach to Weight Stigma involves recognizing when people suggest fat individuals pursue weight loss despite claiming to be against stigmatizing.
  2. Spotting those promoting anti-weight stigma may involve noting if they pathologize higher-weight bodies, claim weight stigma hinders weight loss efforts, or suggest weight loss as a solution to stigma.
  3. Vigilance is required to discern genuine anti-stigma advocates from those affiliated with the weight loss industry or who only reference pseudo-anti-stigma work.

Profit-Maximizing Barbie

Good Reason • 56 implied HN points • 19 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Movies Critique Corporate Influence Body Image Consumer Culture
  1. The movie 'Barbie' critiqued the doll's unrealistic standards while making billions in profit.
  2. Corporate entities like Vought in 'The Boys' and Mattel with Barbie can profit off criticism and controversial themes.
  3. Mattel faced criticism for Barbie's body image standards, attempted changes, but struggled due to societal norms and children's preferences.

Comparing Smoking with Being Higher Weight

Weight and Healthcare • 279 implied HN points • 01 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Body Image Public Health Interventions Health Risks
  1. Comparing smoking to being higher weight is not a fair comparison because they are different in terms of behaviors, interventions, and health impacts.
  2. Smoking and being higher weight are not directly comparable because body size is not a behavior like smoking, and the health implications differ significantly.
  3. Shaming fat people to be thin is not the same as shaming smokers to quit, as they are different issues with unique complexities and considerations.

The Ugly Side Effects of Being Extremely Attractive

Torture Chamber Small Talk • 79 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Body Image Medication Beauty Standards Physical health
  1. Weight loss drugs like Ozempic can have serious side effects but are increasingly popular for cosmetic weight loss.
  2. Beauty standards and societal pressures play a significant role in the obsession with appearance and weight loss.
  3. Health should be the priority over beauty, and extreme measures like weight loss drugs should only be considered for health reasons, not just aesthetic purposes.

What Cis-Male Pattern Baldness Can Teach Us About Weight Science

Weight and Healthcare • 299 implied HN points • 26 Feb 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Science Body Image Healthcare Research Stigma
  1. Correlation does not equal causation - a fundamental principle in research that is often overlooked in weight science.
  2. Weight loss attempts commonly fail and can even result in long-term weight gain - focusing on weight as a health indicator may be misguided.
  3. Improving health in fat individuals may not necessarily require weight loss - addressing barriers to health and promoting overall well-being can be more effective.

The “I just want to feel like I felt at my old weight” mistake

Weight and Healthcare • 319 implied HN points • 29 Dec 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Body Image Body Acceptance
  1. Don't assume your past body size is the key to feeling better now, as many factors can influence how we feel.
  2. Focusing on healthy habits rather than trying to attain a specific body size is more likely to support overall health.
  3. Fat patients deserve equal treatment for aches and pains without being pressured into weight loss interventions.

It's the Diets That Fail, Not the Patients They Are Prescribed To

Weight and Healthcare • 319 implied HN points • 27 Oct 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Body Image Health Risks Societal Impact
  1. Diets often fail, with studies showing a high failure rate around 95%, despite patients' efforts.
  2. Weight loss interventions can lead to biological changes that promote weight regain, indicating a flaw in the approach.
  3. Healthy habits, rather than weight loss, show significant health benefits regardless of BMI, challenging the common belief in weight loss as the key to health.

What it's Like to Have a Homeostat

The Heart Attack Diet • 19 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight management Physical activity Healthy Eating Body Image Metabolism
  1. Weight can be maintained consistently over time with a well-functioning homeostat, regardless of lifestyle or diet changes.
  2. Consistent physical activity and high calorie consumption did not impact the author's weight due to their stable homeostat.
  3. Even drastic changes like cycling across a country and significant weight loss were corrected quickly by the homeostat to maintain a stable weight.

5 Questions with Aaron Flores

Weight and Healthcare • 139 implied HN points • 16 Mar 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Body Image Mental health Eating Disorders Self-care
  1. Aaron Flores focuses on helping people develop behaviors rooted in curiosity, compassion, and non-judgment for a better relationship with their bodies and food.
  2. Flores learned about weight-neutral and body affirming care through Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size™, and body trust concepts over a period of several years.
  3. In his work, Flores emphasizes transparency with clients, validates their experiences with shame and blame, and aims to help them reconnect with their body wisdom and values for behavior change.

The Many Dangers of Conflating Weight and Health

Weight and Healthcare • 179 implied HN points • 28 Oct 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Healthcare Body Image Medical system
  1. Weight and health are separate concepts - people can have different health statuses at the same weight and vice versa.
  2. The idea of 'healthy weight' is problematic and has generated more harm than good, particularly for higher-weight individuals.
  3. Focusing on healthy behaviors rather than solely on weight loss is a better predictor of future health outcomes.

Diet Culture Perpetuates Eating Disorders, There is a Solution

Weight and Healthcare • 119 implied HN points • 02 Mar 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Eating Disorders Weight Stigma Healthcare Body Image Mental health
  1. Diet culture can perpetuate eating disorders, making recovery more difficult.
  2. Weight stigma and fat-shaming, especially among girls, can lead to unhealthy behaviors and eating disorders.
  3. Promoting a weight-inclusive approach and moving away from weight-centric models can help prevent eating disorders and support full recovery.