Category: weight loss industry

Guilt is a complicated concept. It is a noun, a verb, and an emotion, usually used to refer to having done something wrong. There is the guilt associated with having committed a crime against society, and then there is the guilt we place on ourselves for not being perfect–or in...

Recently, I looked through years and years of old family photographs. I’d seen these pictures before, but this time was different. I didn’t begin looking at them with my eating disorder in mind, but as I watched myself grow from an infant to a toddler to a schoolgirl to a...

New types of weight loss drugs are being touted as life-changing in the “war” on obesity. Television commercials run consecutively, claiming easy access and low prices. And it scares the daylights out of me. I’ve hesitated to write about this thorny subject. At the end of one commercial, the actor...

Growing old isn’t a privilege I take for granted, but it isn’t easy in today’s youth-obsessed world. When I was in my 40s, I heard, “The golden years aren’t so golden.” I vowed never to say that and, at age 69, I’ve kept that promise. This doesn’t mean, however, that...

Kryptonite: something that can seriously weaken or harm a particular person or thing. * Compliments are generally seen as a good thing. Everyone likes to be complimented on appearance, intelligence, and accomplishments, to name a few. A sincere compliment can brighten a day that might otherwise feel dark and gloomy....

I don’t remember at what age I discovered Impressionism, an art movement in the 19th Century. Van Gogh, Monet and Degas, among others, created works of art that differed significantly from the painting style of their time. I was drawn to Impressionism the moment I saw it and have loved...

Nobody likes being told, “You’re a loser.” The word “loser” immediately conjures up feelings of inadequacy, failure, and shame. The only place I can think of where “a loser” is considered noble and revered is in diet culture and the weight loss industry, where “loss” is even in the name....

BMI or Body Mass Index is a term used frequently when discussing the health and weight management of humans. It appears in medical charts, insurance statistics and weight loss programs. People are judged by it constantly, sight unseen. In her book, “You just need to lose weight” and 19 Other...

Gain is not a four-letter word—at least not in the bad way fostered in diet culture. Diet culture taught me to fear and hate that word for decades. As I strived to achieve and maintain a smaller version of my body, I became a smaller version of myself partly because...

When the news broke, I couldn’t ignore it. The deceased young woman was reportedly at the Korean hospital for treatment of a weight loss drug addiction. News portals showed CCTV (closed circuit TV) footage of the woman, where she was forcibly restrained on a bed by hospital staff whose large...