Buzz
As the season rolls around, we’re bombarded once more with relentless ads promoting beach-ready bodies, trendy diets, and squeezing into old jeans. Staying healthy and mentally balanced means tuning out the chaos and focusing on what truly works for you. These podcasts dismantle harmful dieting narratives, explore why they resonate, and remind you to find humor in the madness.
Rebel Eaters Club
Step into the world of Rebel Eaters Club, a podcast dedicated to freeing you from the grips of diet culture. Hosted by Virgie Tovar, a passionate writer and activist, this show dives into intuitive eating, food traditions, and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones. With her authenticity, humor, and wisdom, Virgie delivers engaging interviews and conversations that are both enlightening and entertaining. Here, pizza is celebrated, and cheese fries are always a yes.
Fad Camp
Diet culture is undeniably harmful, but it can also be absurdly laughable. Seriously, who came up with the idea of "revenge bodies?" On Fad Camp, comedians Conor Dowling and Grace Mulvey hilariously dissect the absurdities of wellness trends, fat camps, BMI myths, and wedding diets. They’re like your best pals, encouraging you to reject societal pressures about thigh gaps and beach-ready bodies—all while keeping you entertained. Fad Camp is a joyride of laughter and a much-needed boost for anyone grappling with body image issues, whether momentarily or long-term.
Food, We Need to Talk
Food, We Need to Talk is more than just motivational and humorous—it’s rooted in science. Host Juna Gjata, who has faced her own body image struggles, teams up with Dr. Eddie Phillips, a Harvard professor, to explore topics like fiber supplements and artificial sweeteners with a mix of expertise and wit. (Ozempic? Hard pass.) Juna’s relatability makes the conversations engaging, while Dr. Eddie’s insights validate your skepticism about diet culture. Whether you’re just starting your body acceptance journey or well into it, Juna and Dr. Eddie’s lively, fact-packed discussions offer something for everyone.
This Is (Not) About Your Body
While body positivity is widely known, body neutrality offers a fresh perspective—focusing on acceptance rather than judgment of your body. It’s about recognizing your body simply as it is, free from societal pressures or beauty standards. This Is (Not) About Your Body delves into this concept. Host Jessi Kneeland, a body image coach and author of BODY NEUTRAL: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Body Image Issues, tackles the complex factors shaping our body image, featuring expert discussions on mental health, beauty norms, sexuality, gender, and beyond.
Rethinking Wellness
Christy Harrison MPH, RD, CEDS, author of The Wellness Trap and Anti-Diet, and host of Food Psych Podcast (another fantastic listen!), brings us Rethinking Wellness. This podcast critically examines trends like "clean eating" and alternative medicine, revealing the truths behind these so-called wellness strategies. It’s an anti-wellness podcast that paradoxically guides you toward genuine well-being. Christy dismantles the wellness industry’s deceptive marketing tactics, exposing how it fuels our obsession with body image. Once you see through the illusion, there’s no going back—the truth is out of the bottle.
Weight For It
Ronald Young Jr., who identifies as fat, hosts Weight for It, a podcast featured in Tribeca’s 2023 Official Audio Storytelling Series. This show blends narrative storytelling with intimate memoir, diving into themes of self-worth, shame, and personal relationships. Ronald doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, even recording his visits to the doctor to expose the often ridiculous and biased treatment fat individuals endure.
Maintenance Phase
After departing You’re Wrong About, Michael Hobbes channeled his energy into Maintenance Phase, a podcast he co-hosts with Aubrey Gordon. Together, they dissect and critique popular health and wellness fads, from dubious diets to questionable supplements and beauty products. Armed with extensive research and plenty of sarcastic humor, they reveal how these trends often rely on misleading or harmful information. If you’ve ever questioned the validity of the BMI, scoffed at the ‘90s food pyramid, or groaned at the latest cleanse craze, you’ll find their myth-debunking approach both enlightening and entertaining.
Life After Diets
Diets often fail, so what’s the alternative? If you’re ready to ditch diet culture, Life After Diets offers a supportive space. Hosted by intuitive eating coach Stefanie Michele and psychotherapist Sarah Dosanjh, this podcast tackles disordered eating and negative body image, drawing from their personal experiences to provide relatable and empowering advice. They remind you that you’re not alone in your struggles and guide you toward a life free from the constant obsession with your body.
Go Love Yourself
Laura Adlington, a 2020 Great British Bake Off finalist, and her best friend Lauren Smith host Go Love Yourself, a fearless podcast challenging the toxic messages many of us absorbed in the ‘90s and ‘00s—like obsessing over waistlines, demonizing fat, and the pressure to fit into skinny jeans. With warmth, humor, and solidarity, they tackle topics like body dysmorphia, "almond moms," cosmetic surgery, and intrusive family opinions. It’s a rallying cry to reject diet culture and embrace self-love.
We Can Do Hard Things
We Can Do Hard Things isn’t solely about diet culture—it’s about tackling life’s challenges. For many, one of those challenges is simply existing in a body. Glennon Doyle, author of Tamed, recently opened up about her battle with anorexia, sharing her journey toward health and unlearning harmful beliefs. Unlike many stories that focus on recovery after the fact, Glennon dives into the messy, ongoing process. Alongside her sister Amanda and wife Abby Wambach, a soccer legend, she offers profound insights on recovery, fatphobia, and dismantling diet culture. The podcast also explores broader topics like maintaining relationships and overcoming self-doubt, often tying back to body image. If your goal is to break free from dieting, this show is a powerful companion.
