Rachelle Heinemann Therapy

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Body Positivity is a Farce

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What comes to mind when you hear the term “body positivity”?

First off, it’s become a mainstream concept. Body neutrality, all foods fit, and body positivity are all terms to describe a phase of coming to terms with your body. However, we have to recognize that this approach may not resonate with everyone seeking help. While we shift towards inclusivity, we also inadvertently exclude individuals who may not be ready or comfortable with these concepts. 

These individuals hear these terms and think “Nope, I want nothing to do with this” and run from treatment. 

To understand true inclusion, we have to understand each person's unique needs and tailor treatment accordingly. Listen to the person who’s in front of you: What do they need? What do they want? What are they asking for?

In this episode, I'm diving into:

  • The importance of understanding the deeper meaning of one's relationship with food.

  • The evolution of traditional eating disorder treatment towards concepts like body neutrality, body positivity, and size inclusion.

  • The potential drawbacks of excluding individuals who may not resonate with or be ready for these approaches.

  • The need for inclusivity in treatment.

  • Exploring the semantics of body positivity and the possibility of alternatives like body acceptance.

  • The idea that not everyone may aim for body positivity, and different individuals may find resonance in various terms such as body neutrality.

  • The challenge of using nuanced language, especially on social media.

  • The role of flexibility in language.

  • The foundational concept of "all foods fit" and its translation into "all foods are equal".

  • The misconception that intuitive eating implies immediate acceptance of all foods at the beginning of the recovery journey.

  • The structured approach needed in the early stages of recovery.

  • The importance of addressing individual fears and concerns, fostering understanding, and creating a more inclusive conversation within the realm of eating disorder recovery language.

Tweetable Quotes

"I think it's really amazing the field has gotten to this place where we're like, yes, you can pursue health wherever you're at. You can get healthcare and we're incorporating size inclusion.” - Rachelle Heinemann

"Body positivity is incredible. If you can look in the mirror and be really loving your body and appreciative of your body, all that is really incredible." - Rachelle Heinemann

"Maybe one of the goals of eating disorder treatment is not body positivity for a lot of people. Maybe it is body acceptance.” - Rachelle Heinemann

“All foods are not equal.” - Rachelle Heinemann

“I don't believe anything that you say, because you're telling me that I can eat cake and salad in the same way, but it's not the same thing." - Rachelle Heinemann

"The beginning will not look like incorporating all this food. The beginning is going to look like a lot more structured." - Rachelle Heinemann

Resources

Grab my Healing Journal Prompts!

Related Episodes 

Episode 99. Intuition, Decisions, and Food

Episode 98. Body Stuff with Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani

Episode 94. Unraveling the Truth: It's Not About the Food

Episode 86. Medical Complications of Eating Disorders

Episode 81. What Do I Do About My Emotional Eating?

Episode 77. How to Accept Your Body

Episode 76. The Basics of Health at Every Size


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Grab my FREEBIE!: As you navigate recovery, you may be feeling like something is missing. You're doing a lot of work challenging yourself with the food, your body, and exercise. You're probably working on lots of other things at the same time, like stuff at work or relationship issues.

But, still, something doesn't feel like you're getting to the bottom of it. Grab my free journal prompts below and begin to work through the emotions of healing.

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