#100 - Diet Culture Exists Because We Don't Want to Die with Michelle Allison the Fat Nutritionist

Psychology research in terror management theory has shown that when people are primed with thoughts of mortality, their behaviors change, but not necessarily in helpful ways. Tune in as I talk with dietitian Michelle Alison (the Fat Nutritionist) about how she was able to extrapolate Ernest Becker’s research from the 1980s to today’s diet culture which is full of “wellness” messages about saving your life with every bite of food, every minute of exercise, and every pill. Acceptance of mortality doesn’t mean that you suddenly stop caring about your health and your life. In fact, you may appreciate and celebrate life even more after accepting that perfect health, weight, and bodies don’t actually exist.  About Michelle Michelle Alison, also known online as The Fat Nutritionist. She is a registered dietitian with the College of Dietitians of Ontario. She has an accredited degree (BASc) in nutrition from Ryerson University. She works online to help people stop dieting, deal with picky eating, and relearn normal eating. She’s a member of Dietitians of Canada, and the Association for Size Diversity and Health. She completed the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics-approved Treating the Dieting Casualty workshop, where she learned how to teach people eating competence. Prior to becoming a RD, Michelle worked in hospitals as a nutrition supervisor, and then a clinical diet tech. All told, she’s worked in nutrition for over a decade. Website | Twitter | Facebook Links mentioned How Goop’s Haters Made Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Worth $250 Million (New York Times) Eating Toward Immortality (The Atlantic) People Obsessed With Wellness Can't Accept That We're All Gonna Die (Tonic) Body Kindness Episode 16: The Religion of Diet Culture --- Get the Body Kindness book It's available wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Read reviews on Amazon and pick up your copy today! Order signed copies and bulk discounts here! --- Donate to support the show Thanks to our generous supporters! We're working toward our goal to fund the full season. Can you donate? Please visit our Go Fund Me page. --- Get started with Body Kindness Sign up to get started for free and stay up to date on the latest offerings --- Become a client Check out BodyKindnessBook.com/breakthrough for the latest groups and individual support sessions --- Subscribe to the podcast We're on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Enjoy the show? Please rate it on iTunes! Have a show idea or guest recommendatio? E-mail [email protected] to get in touch. --- Join the Facebook group Continue the episode conversations with the hosts, guests, and fellow listeners on the Body Kindness Facebook group. See you there! Nothing in this podcast is meant to provide medical diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Individuals should consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical advice and answers to personal health questions.