Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast

Binge Eating in Midlife: Why It Starts (or Resurfaces) in Your 30s, 40s, 50s

Have you ever wondered why binge eating can suddenly begin or return in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, even if you thought you had moved past it?
In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller explores why binge eating often emerges or resurfaces during midlife and why this experience is far more common than most people realize. She unpacks the combustive mix of hormonal changes, long-term dieting, stress, trauma, cultural pressures about aging, and neurodivergence that collide during this stage of life.
You will learn why midlife binge eating is not about willpower or lack of discipline but about unmet needs in the body and nervous system. Dr. Marianne also offers practical steps for interrupting the binge-restrict cycle, cultivating nervous system regulation, and reclaiming a compassionate relationship with food.
If you are feeling shame about binge eating in midlife or are wondering why it has become harder to manage now than it was in earlier years, this episode will help you understand what is happening and what recovery can look like.
Content Caution
This episode discusses binge eating, dieting, weight stigma, hormonal changes, and the effects of midlife stressors on eating behaviors. It also includes references to trauma and emotional regulation challenges. Please take care of yourself while listening and pause if you notice discomfort or distress.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why binge eating often begins or resurfaces in your 30s, 40s, and 50s
The connection between chronic dieting, hormonal changes, and binge eating urges
How midlife stress, caregiving, and identity shifts influence eating patterns
The role of trauma and emotional regulation in binge eating behaviors
How neurodivergence and sensory sensitivities affect midlife eating cycles
Why diet culture and medical weight stigma intensify binge-restrict patterns
What sustainable, non-diet recovery can look like at this stage of life
Check Out Related Episodes:
How to Manage Triggers & Cravings During Recovery From Binge Eating & Bulimia on Apple & Spotify.
Binge Eating Urges: Why They Happen & How to Manage Them Without Shame on Apple & Spotify.
Midlife Bulimia Recovery: Coping With the Internal Chaos on Apple & Spotify.
Welcome to the Jungle: Eating Disorders in Midlife & Our Personal Recovery Stories with Amy Ornelas, RD on Apple & Spotify.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Go to my website https://www.drmariannemiller.com
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com
 

Autism & Anorexia: When Masking Looks Like Restriction, & Recovery Feels Unsafe

Have you ever wondered why recovery feels unsafe if you are autistic, or why masking can look like restriction? In this episode, Dr. Marianne examines the overlooked intersection of autism and anorexia. She explains how autistic masking, the survival strategy of hiding or suppressing traits to “fit in,” can overlap with food restriction and why recovery often feels unsafe in treatment spaces that center neurotypical experiences.
Dr. Marianne explores how sensory sensitivities, alexithymia, executive functioning challenges, and monotropism can shape eating patterns for autistic individuals and how traditional recovery models fail to accommodate these realities. She also addresses intersectionality in recovery, highlighting that unmasking is riskier for BIPOC, disabled, fat, queer, and trans individuals whose overlapping identities increase the dangers of being fully visible in systems that marginalize them.
She emphasizes why neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, and intersectional recovery spaces are essential. Recovery cannot be one-size-fits-all when it must account for layered oppression, systemic barriers, and the complex ways autistic traits interact with anorexia.
Dr. Marianne also discusses the overlap between anorexia and ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), particularly among autistic people, and explains why understanding this overlap is crucial for effective and sustainable healing.
If recovery has felt unsafe, Dr. Marianne wants listeners to know it is not because they have failed. It is because treatment often fails to recognize autism, honor intersecting identities, and adapt care to meet those realities. She believes every person deserves support that not only accommodates differences but celebrates them as integral to the healing process.
🎧 Listen now to learn:
Why autistic masking can mimic restrictive eating behaviors
How anorexia presents differently in autistic individuals
Why recovery often feels unsafe for autistic people in standard treatment settings
The importance of intersectionality in unmasking and eating disorder recovery
How anorexia and ARFID can overlap, especially in autistic populations
Approaches to sensory-safe, neurodivergent-affirming, and identity-inclusive recovery
Check Out Related Episodes:
Autism & Eating Disorders Explained: Signs, Struggles, & Support That Works on Apple & Spotify.
The Invisible Hunger: How Masking Shows Up in Eating Disorder Recovery on Apple & Spotify.
How Masking Neurodivergence Can Fuel Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify.
For those who connect with this discussion and suspect ARFID may be part of their experience, or for clinicians seeking to better understand this overlap, Dr. Marianne offers her ARFID and Selective Eating Course. This self-paced program provides neurodivergent-affirming strategies and tools to address ARFID, including its intersection with anorexia, in both teens and adults.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Go to my website https://www.drmariannemiller.com
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com

From Diet Rock Bottom to Intuitive Eating & Fat-Positive Care: A Eating Disorder Recovery Story With Chelsea Levy, RDN @chelsealevynutrition

Dr. Marianne Miller is joined by Chelsea Levy, RDN (@chelsealevynutrition), a certified intuitive eating counselor, registered dietitian nutritionist, and fat-positive healthcare provider based in New York City. Chelsea shares her powerful journey from "diet rock bottom" to embracing intuitive eating and becoming a leading advocate for weight-inclusive and fat-positive care in eating disorder treatment and chronic illness support.
Chelsea opens up about her career shift from the art and production world to dietetics, how she discovered intuitive eating, and why she now rejects the weight-centric medical model. Together, Marianne and Chelsea discuss the harms of weight stigma in healthcare, why fat-positive spaces are essential for healing, and how weight-inclusive care improves outcomes for eating disorder recovery, diabetes management, PCOS, and more.
Content Caution: This episode discusses eating disorders, chronic dieting, medical weight stigma, and anti-fat bias.
Listeners will learn:
Why intuitive eating is transformative for eating disorder recovery
How weight stigma in healthcare creates harm and barriers to treatment
The difference between weight-inclusive care and fat-positive care
How Chelsea integrates gender-affirming, fat-affirming, and evidence-based approaches in her practice
What it means to dismantle anti-fat bias in medical and therapeutic spaces
Chelsea also shares how validating clients’ grief around body image and holding space for autonomy are essential parts of her approach. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking liberation from diet culture, professionals wanting to integrate fat-positive care into their work, and anyone navigating recovery in a world steeped in anti-fat bias.
Check Out Other Episodes About Intuitive Eating & Fat Positivity:
Anorexia, Accessibility to Care, & Intuitive Eating with @the.michigan.dietitian Lauren Klein, RD on Apple & Spotify.
Intuitive vs. Mechanical Eating: Can They Coexist? on Apple & Spotify.
Fat Positivity, Accessibility, Body Grief, & Emotions with @bodyimagewithbri Brianna Campos, LPC on Apple & Spotify.
Diabetes in a Fat Body: Navigating Stigma, Care, & Self-Trust with Amanda Martinez Beck @thefatdispatch on Apple & Spotify.
🌟 Connect with Chelsea Levy, RDN:
Website: chelsealevynutrition.com
Instagram: @chelsealevynutrition
🎧 Tune in now to hear Chelsea’s story and learn how intuitive eating and fat-positive care can reshape recovery and health!
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Go to my website https://www.drmariannemiller.com
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com

How Childhood Trauma Shapes Eating Disorders & Body Shame (Content Caution)

Content Caution:
This episode discusses childhood trauma, eating disorders, and body shame. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed.
Episode Overview:
Eating disorders are not about willpower or personal failure. They are survival responses rooted in trauma, body shame, and environments where safety or acceptance were missing.
In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, I explore how childhood trauma and eating disorders are connected, and why understanding this link is essential for true healing. We’ll talk about how early emotional invalidation, conditional love, medical or religious trauma, anti-fat bias, racism, ableism, and other forms of oppression shape our nervous systems and our relationships with food and our bodies.
Key Topics in This Episode:
How Childhood Trauma Shapes Eating DisordersTrauma is not only abuse or neglect. It includes emotional neglect, growing up where love felt conditional, being shamed for your body or identity, and living in oppressive environments. These experiences teach the nervous system that the world is unsafe, leading to food-based coping strategies like restriction, binge eating, or obsessive control.
Why Eating Disorders Are Survival StrategiesEating disorders are intelligent adaptations to trauma and distress. They are not choices or flaws but protective responses from a body trying to survive unsafe conditions.
The Role of Shame and OppressionShame reinforces eating disorders by convincing people they are weak or broken. Systems like fatphobia, racism, and ableism magnify this shame, making recovery harder. Understanding how body shame and systemic oppressionintersect with trauma is crucial for healing.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to RecoveryRecovery is not about force or willpower. It is about compassion, safety, and nervous system regulation. Healing involves body liberation, trauma-informed care, and neurodivergent-affirming practices that honor each person’s story and needs.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
The connection between childhood trauma and eating disorders
Why eating disorders are survival mechanisms, not failures
How shame and body image distress perpetuate disordered eating
The impact of oppression, fatphobia, and ableism on body shame
How trauma-informed eating disorder therapy supports healing
Related Episodes:
Childhood Trauma & Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify.
Using EMDR & Polyvagal Theory to Treat Trauma & Eating Disorders with Dr. Danielle Hiestand, LMFT, CEDS-S on Apple & Spotify.
Trauma, Eating Disorders, & Levels of Care with Amy Ornelas, RD via Apple or Spotify.
Work With Me:
If you’re ready for support, I offer trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapy in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Learn more and schedule a consultation at www.drmariannemiller.com.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com

Liberation Truths About Who Gets Eating Disorders

For too long, eating disorders have been falsely framed as illnesses that only affect white, thin, affluent girls. This narrow stereotype erases countless people’s experiences and blocks them from diagnosis and treatment.
In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller dismantles this damaging myth and explores the liberation truth: eating disorders affect every race, gender, body size, religion, and ability. Yet bias in healthcare, anti-fat bias, racism, ableism, cissexism, and cultural stigma keep many people unseen and untreated.
Content Caution:
This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, misdiagnosis, systemic bias, and marginalized identities. Please take care while listening and pause if you need to.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
How eating disorders impact BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, fat, neurodivergent, disabled, and faith-based communities
Why biased diagnostic criteria exclude those who don’t fit the stereotype
How systemic oppression drives misdiagnosis and denial of care
Why ARFID is often overlooked in neurodivergent adults, fat bodies, and marginalized identities
What a liberation-focused, inclusive, and neurodivergent-affirming approach to care looks like
If you have ever felt unseen in eating disorder spaces or dismissed because you didn’t “look sick enough,” this episode validates your experience and calls for a more equitable path to recovery.
Check Out Related Episodes:
Why Thinness Still Equals “Goodness”: Exposing the Morality Behind Wellness, MAHA, & Christian Diet Culture on Apple & Spotify.
The Hidden Risks of Non-Specialized Eating Disorder Treatment with Edie Stark, LCSW, @ediestarktherapy on Apple & Spotify.
Breaking Free: Body Liberation After Binge Eating Disorder with Sophia Apostol @fatjoy.life on Apple & Spotify.
Body Acceptance, Size Diversity, & Body Liberation on Apple & Spotify.
✨ Learn More About ARFID Support
If ARFID is part of your story—or someone you love—I created a self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating Coursedesigned for adults with ARFID, parents, and professionals. It’s neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and sensory-attuned.
Check it out here: www.drmariannemiller.com/arfid
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com

Adult ARFID Explained: Real-Life Strategies for Managing Food & Nutrition With Caroline Holbrook, RD

ARFID is not just a childhood diagnosis. In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, I am joined by registered dietitian Caroline (Callie) Holbrook, RD, to discuss what Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder looks like in adults and how to navigate food and nutrition in ways that feel safe and supportive.
Callie shares her expertise in working with adults with ARFID, highlighting how it often intersects with neurodivergence, sensory sensitivities, and the pressures of adult life such as relationships, work events, travel, and meal planning. We also talk about how shame develops around food, the impact of wellness culture, and why rigid nutritional rules can make ARFID even harder to manage.
Content Caution:
This episode includes discussions of eating disorders, food-related anxiety, shame, and nutrition planning. Please take care while listening and step away if needed.
What We Cover in This Episode:
How ARFID presents differently in adults compared to children
The role of shame and social pressures in adult ARFID
Strategies for building safe foods lists and reducing overwhelm
Why processed foods can be a helpful and low-stress option
Collaborative, neurodivergent-affirming approaches to nutrition
Addressing sensory sensitivities, executive functioning challenges, and interoception
Why progress may mean building energy intake and problem-solving around meals instead of immediately trying new foods
This episode emphasizes flexibility, autonomy, and creating supportive environments for eating, including practical tips such as adjusting lighting, using sound regulation tools, and using distractions during meals.
Why This Episode Matters:
Adults with ARFID often feel misunderstood and pressured to eat in ways that do not align with their needs. This episode validates adult ARFID experiences and offers real-life strategies to navigate food safely and respectfully.
About Caroline "Callie" Holbrook, RD:
Callie is a Registered Dietitian based in San Diego, California. Originally from Alabama, she relocated across the country four years ago. Callie has extensive experience working in various levels of eating disorder treatment, including residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care.
She has long been passionate about the field of eating disorders and has valued every step of her professional journey. Callie recently opened her own private practice in San Diego, specializing in eating disorders, ARFID/selective eating, and Intuitive Eating. She also provides nutrition counseling for individuals seeking a weight-neutral approach to diabetes care.
Listen to Related Episodes:
ARFID & Nutrition with Callie Holbrook, RD on Apple & Spotify.
Living with Adult ARFID: Relationship Challenges No One Talks Abouton Apple & Spotify.
Complexities of Treating ARFID: How a Neurodivergent-Affirming, Sensory-Attuned Approach Works on Apple & Spotify.
Stuck on Empty: Autistic Inertia, ARFID & the Struggle to Eat on Apple & Spotify.
ARFID in Adults vs ARFID in Children on Apple & Spotify.
Resources and Links:
Connect with Caroline Holbrook, RD: www.holbrookrd.com
Email Caroline: caroline@holbrookrd.com
Contact me: hello@drmariannemiller.com
Learn more about ARFID and my neurodivergent-affirming approach at www.drmariannemiller.com
Take the Next Step
If you want in-depth tools for understanding and supporting ARFID in yourself or someone you love, check out my ARFID and Selective Eating Course. This self-paced course covers ARFID research, sensory sensitivities, neurodivergence, and practical strategies for everyday life.
👉 Enroll here: https://www.drmariannemiller.com/arfid

Eating Disorders as a Coping Strategy for Deeper Pain With Amy Ornelas RD @amyornelasrd

Eating disorders are not just about food. They often begin as survival strategies...ways to manage overwhelming emotions, cope with trauma, or create a sense of control in a world that feels unpredictable. In this powerful episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, I sit down with Amy Ornelas, RD (@amyornelasrd), an eating disorder dietitian and somatic therapist, to explore what recovery really looks like beyond behaviors.
We discuss how eating disorders often develop as protective mechanisms, why nervous system healing is essential for deeper emotional work, and how somatic therapy helps bridge the gap between body and mind. Amy shares her professional expertise, her personal journey of recovery, and how her own healing has deepened her ability to guide others.
Content concerns: This episode discusses eating disorders, trauma, and recovery.
This episode also dives into:
How eating disorders can be rooted in trauma, sensitivity, or neurodivergence
Why recovery happens in layers, not in a straight line
The role of nervous system regulation and somatic therapy in healing
The importance of safe therapeutic relationships in uncovering deeper wounds
Why lasting recovery is about more than “just eating”
Amy and I also discuss our own experiences with vulnerability, relationships, and how healing from eating disorders often involves re-learning safety, connection, and authenticity over time.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the idea of a “quick fix” in recovery or wondered why healing feels so complex, this episode will validate your experience and help you see recovery as a layered, lifelong journey of coming home to yourself.
ABOUT AMY ORNELAS, RD
 
Amy is an eating disorders specialist, yoga teacher, and intuitive practitioner. She is trained in somatic therapy. Amy works with individuals, families, and groups. She has been in the eating disorder field for 18 years.
 
Her own eating disorder recovery really sparked her desire to help others fully heal from diet culture and body image struggles.
 
She lives and practices in San Diego, California. She is able to work virtually with people in many states across the USA.
 
Contact Amy via Instagram @amyornelasrd
Check out her website https://www.i-heart-nutrition.com/
Email Amy at amy@i-heart-nutrition.com
 
Check out past episodes when Amy was a guest!
On Eating Disorders in Midlife & Our Personal Recovery Stories via Apple or Spotify.
On Atypical Anorexia via Apple or Spotify
On Eating Disorder Recovery, Higher Level of Care, & Renourishment via Apple or Spotify
On Reconnecting With Your Body in Eating Disorder Recovery via Apple or Spotify
On Trauma, Eating Disorders, & Levels of Care via Apple or Spotify.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course
Learn about my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Live in California, Texas, or Washington D.C. and interested in eating disorder therapy with me? Sign up for a free, 15-minute phone consultation HERE or via my website, and I'll get you to where you need to be!
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com
 

Breaking the Silence: Eating Disorders in Men & Boys & the Toll of Toxic Masculinity

In this essential solo episode, Dr. Marianne challenges the narrow and harmful narrative that eating disorders primarily affect girls and women. She explores how toxic masculinity shapes, and often hides, disordered eating and body shame in boys and men. Backed by recent research, this episode unpacks how muscle dysmorphia, bingeing, and restriction are frequently dismissed as “normal” male behaviors, even when they reflect deep emotional pain. Dr. Marianne offers a liberation-focused framework for understanding the unique barriers boys and men face in getting help, and how we can dismantle the systems that reinforce silence, shame, and suffering.
CONTENT CAUTION:This episode includes discussion of eating disorder behaviors, muscle dysmorphia, trauma, and toxic masculinity. Please take care while listening.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:
How toxic masculinity discourages emotional expression and reinforces disordered eating
Why boys and men with eating disorders are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
What muscle dysmorphia is and how it manifests in teen boys and adult men
How social media trends like “looksmaxxing” fuel body obsession and psychological distress
The role of trauma, emotional suppression, and performance culture in male ED experiences
How clinicians, caregivers, and educators can support male-identified folks through a liberationist lens
What affirming, emotionally honest healing can look like outside of gendered expectations
LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES ABOUT MEN, MUSCULARITY, & EATING DISORDERS:
Men, Muscularity, Exercise, & Eating Disorder Stigmas with George Mycock, MSc @myo_minds on Apple & Spotify.
Muscularity-Oriented Issues, Men, & Eating Disorders with MyoMinds’ George Mycock, MSc on Apple & Spotify.
Men, Eating Disorders, & Body Image with Jonny Landels, Certified Nutritionist & Personal Trainer on Apple & Spotify.
RESOURCES & LINKS:Work with Dr. Marianne: www.drmariannemiller.comFollow on Instagram: @drmariannemiller
RATE & REVIEW:If this episode spoke to you, please consider leaving a 5-star review and sharing it with your community. Your support helps amplify these critical conversations and brings liberation-based eating disorder care to more people.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com

Fat Liberation & Neurodivergent Rights: Challenging Stigma in ADHD, Autism, & Beyond

What happens when someone is both neurodivergent and fat in a world that punishes difference? In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne unpacks how fatphobia and ableism intersect to create barriers in medical care, mental health treatment, and everyday life for people with ADHD, autism, PDA, and other forms of neurodivergence.
She explores why fat liberation and neurodivergent rights must go hand-in-hand, and how body justice is essential—not optional—in eating disorder recovery, therapy, and community care. From sensory needs and executive functioning to the pressure to mask and shrink, this episode offers a powerful call to unlearn bias and build liberatory spaces where all bodies and minds are treated with dignity.
Whether you're a fat neurodivergent person, a therapist, or someone committed to anti-oppressive care, this conversation is for you.
CONTENT CAUTIONS: In this episode, Dr. Marianne discusses anti-fat bias, ableism, disordered eating, masking, and systemic oppression in medical and mental health settings. Please care for yourself as needed.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:
Why fat liberation is essential to neurodivergent-affirming care
How anti-fat bias and ableism reinforce each other in ADHD and autism communities
What executive dysfunction, sensory needs, and masking have to do with food and body shame
Why fat neurodivergent people are underdiagnosed and often dismissed by providers
What therapists and support people can do to stop reinforcing stigma
How to practice body autonomy and community care outside of diet culture and compliance
🎧 LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES ON FAT LIBERATION & NEURODIVERSITY
How Masking Neurodivergence Can Fuel Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify.
Breaking Free: Body Liberation After Binge Eating Disorder with Sophia Apostol @fatjoy.life on Apple & Spotify.
Minding the Gap: The Intersection Between AuDHD & Eating Disorders With Stacie Fanelli, LCSW @edadhd_therapist on Apple & Spotify
Body Acceptance, Size Diversity, & Body Liberation on Apple & Spotify.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Dr. Marianne provides neurodivergent-affirming therapy in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. and offers consultations for professionals seeking liberation-focused support models.
Learn more at: https://www.drmariannemiller.com
RATE & REVIEWIf this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to rate, review, and share it with your community. Your voice helps us amplify liberatory conversations and reach more people doing the work of unlearning body shame.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com

Why Thinness Still Equals “Goodness”: Exposing the Morality Behind Wellness, MAHA, & Christian Diet Culture

In this raw and emotionally charged solo episode, Dr. Marianne unpacks why thinness continues to be equated with goodness in mainstream culture. Drawing on the New York Times opinion piece The Unrepentant Return of Christian Diet Culture by Jessica Grose, Dr. Marianne explores how weight loss is still moralized through religious teachings, wellness trends, and political rhetoric.
This episode critically examines the resurgence of Christian diet culture, the backlash against weight-loss medications like Ozempic, and the deeper implications of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Marianne reveals how these systems are not just about health, but about control, obedience, and purity. She discusses how thinness is still framed as a sign of self-discipline and spiritual worth, while fatness is treated as failure or sin.
Using a liberationist lens, Dr. Marianne also highlights the historical roots of fatphobia in white supremacy, referencing Dr. Sabrina Strings’ groundbreaking book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. This episode challenges listeners to question how religion, politics, and public health are deeply entangled in oppressive narratives about bodies and morality.
For neurodivergent people, those raised in religiously rigid environments, and anyone recovering from body shame, this conversation offers both validation and a call to resistance. You may want to listen in short segments, especially if you’re prone to sensory overload or religious trauma responses.
CONTENT CAUTION:In this episode, Dr. Marianne discusses anti-fat bias, Christian purity and wellness culture, diet culture, disordered eating, white supremacy, and weight-loss medications. Please take care while listening and pause as needed.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:
How Christian diet culture can moralize thinness and spiritualizes weight loss
Why Ozempic and similar medications are being rejected by some conservative groups
The political motives and fatphobic messaging behind MAHA
How alt-right Christian nationalism reinforces thinness as virtue
The white supremacist roots of fatphobia, based on Dr. Sabrina Strings’ research
Why these systems disproportionately harm fat, neurodivergent, disabled, and BIPOC individuals
What it means to reclaim body autonomy in a culture that demands control
RELATED EPISODES:
How Diet Culture & Purity Culture Fuel Eating Disorders: Unpacking the Trauma Behind the Rules with Cassie Krajewski, LCSW @inneratlastherapy on Apple & Spotify.
When Faith Hurts: Religious Trauma & Eating Disorders in Neurodivergent Communities with Victoria Leon, LCSW, on Apple & Spotify.
Breaking Up With Diet Culture with Dr. Lisa Folden, @healthyphit on Apple & Spotify.
WORK WITH DR. MARIANNE:Dr. Marianne offers therapy to individuals in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C., specializing in eating disorders, ARFID, body image healing, religious trauma, and fat liberation. She is neurodivergent-affirming and is LGBTQIAA+ affirming. Learn more or inquire about working together at drmariannemiller.com.
INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?
Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course
Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.
Check out my blog.
Want more information? Email me at hello@mariannemiller.com