In this episode, we welcome Dr. Rachel Millner, a psychologist and fat activist who has spent two decades helping people untangle their relationships with food, movement, and body image. Rachel shares her powerful personal journey of healing from an eating disorder and learning to navigate life in a culture obsessed with thinness.

Together, we dive into the systemic realities of weight stigma, the heavy emotional cost of chronic dieting, and how modern trends like GLP-1 medications impact our collective body peace. Rachel also opens up about her viral Peloton campaign and the beautiful, complex process of reclaiming the pure joy of body movement.

Whether you are navigating medical weight stigma or trying to protect your children from diet culture, this conversation is a profound reminder of what it means to step off the battlefield, take up space, and fully claim your authentic self.

Key Takeaways

Chronic dieting carries a heavy cost, consuming the mental energy needed for joy and connection.

Weight stigma pathologizes normal bodily functions like sweating in larger bodies while normalizing them in smaller ones.

Taking a temporary break from movement can help disentangle it from punitive, compensatory diet mindsets.

Parents can protect children by eliminating negative body talk about themselves and other people at home.

Navigating medical weight stigma requires asking providers how they treat identical symptoms in thin patients.

Resources

Dr. Rachel Millner’s Website – https://rachelmillnertherapy.com/

Dr. Rachel Millner’s Instagram – @drrachelmillner

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Nina Manolson M.A. Body-Peace® Founder & Coach

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Jennie Kramer LCSW-R,CEDS

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