Do No Harm Podcast

Hello all! I've missed you! This is a relatively quick update of the last six months or so of my life. My experience in the hospital gave me some additional insight to treating larger patients and I even talk a bit about the topic of the day, Covid-19. I personally love update podcasts, so I know some of you will be happy to listen. If you are not like me in this, I should be getting an interview or two out soon. Stay Safe!

This episode is fairly far ranging in topic and trying to pinpoint every topic was too daunting. We discuss philosophy, medicine, compassion, engaging with patients on a human level and more. Deb Burgard is such a thoughtful person who has taken a lot of time to really think about the topics surrounding not just fatness, but also social justice and how to make the world a more compassionate place. It starts with each of us individually, but I think it helps to listen to Deb and take in her joyous wisdom.

Thank you for your patience!! What a whirlwind August has been. Here is my interview with the marvelous Lesley Williams, MD. She does a lot of work talking to other physicians about why weight independent health care is so important to improving health outcomes!

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA), or a lack of menstruation caused by the disfunction of the hypothalamus often happens when someone is under-fueling their bodies. It is a common condition with athletes, but can affect anyone who menstruates and does not take in enough energy. A lack of the hormones that cause menstruation affect many aspects of health and can lead to infertility if not addressed. Nicola Rinaldi, PhD is the author of No Period, Now What? about HA and joins me today to discuss it.

The Fast Track Trial is a trial in Australia that is being done to determine the efficacy of intermittent fasting for weight loss in teens, which is significantly linked to eating disorders. My amazing guest, Louise Adams, has spent the last year actively trying to get the trial stopped. Content Warning: This episode includes information about fasting, eating disorders, weight change, and a brief discussion of normal adolescent weight gain.

An interview with Ragan Chastain, an activist and dynamic speaker about Fat Acceptance, weight stigma in health care, and Health at Every Size®. The conversation ranged across a broad array of topics and I really recommend listening to all of it. The bit that really stood out to me is the idea that practitioners and fat people should be on the same side an asking how to break down barriers to health, including bias.

Dr. May is a recovered yoyo dieter and the founder of Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training (www.AmIHungry.com) that helps individuals resolve mindless and emotional eating and senseless yo-yo dieting to live the vibrant life they crave. Over 800 health and wellness professionals from 30 countries have been trained to facilitate Am I Hungry? mindful eating programs worldwide. Dr. May is also the award-winning author of the Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat book series.

Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, author of Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders, joined me to talk about eating disorders and Heath at Every Size. She has found that HAES has made a great deal of difference, not only in recovery, but also in identifying patients who might have otherwise had a delay in diagnosis, or not been diagnosed at all.

Weight Inclusivity & Stories

Food Addiction, specifically sugar addiction, has become a hot button topic in recent years. People feel out of control around highly palatable foods and struggle to avoid over eating them. Sugar also lights up the pleasure centers of our brains, similar to drugs like cocaine and heroin. Does that mean that it, and other highly palatable foods are actually addicting? Listen to this great discussion I share with Marci Evans, RD to find out.

Can we treat type 2 diabetes without weight loss? Join Megrette Fletcher M.Ed., RD, CDE and I as we explore treating type 2 diabetes in a weight independent way. Megrette has been been working in diabetes care since 1995 and has a great deal of information to share about caring for diabetic patients using effective tools that shift focus away from weight loss. She is also the co-author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes and has authored five books for professionals.

This episode is a bit of an experiment for the podcast. I have included the stories of three people who have had challenging experiences with medical providers due to their sizes. There is an additional story that specifically talks about medical providers showing bias around each other as well. I also included a quick update about the future of the podcast.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Do No Harm Podcast! The first episode of the season is an interview with Dr. Jon Robison, a national leader in the Health At Every Size Movement for more than 2 decades.

This will be the last episode for the season and the year! I wanted to spend it talking about the importance of Fat Acceptance and Body Acceptance when it comes to individual health, and also to community health. The Fat Acceptance movement itself focuses on reducing and eliminating fat bias and fat stigma, thus improving overall health. I was joined by Shilo George who really added so much to this episode. 

Here is a bonus episode for you! It consists of a reading of the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) Guidelines for Medical Providers with Fat Patients. It reiterates some of the information in past episodes and adds some clarity and additional ideas to what I have presented already. Enjoy. A print version can be found here: https://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/about/Brochures/2017_Guidelines_for_Healthcare_Providers_with_Fat_Clients.pdf