172. Navigating the Impacts of Diet Culture

From a young age, Alisha Carlson remembers constantly comparing her body to those of her friends and other girls. Though she struggled with disordered eating, an unhealthy relationship to exercise, and body dysmorphia throughout her life, it wasn’t until she was in her 30’s that Alisha realized exactly what she was dealing with and how she was being impacted physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Throughout her teen years, Alisha now realizes that she was internalizing messages from her family, the media, and her coaches. She was a figure competer, which she says is a sport that highly focuses on physique. She was hyperfocused on the appearance of her body and she was constantly trying to be in control of what she was eating and her weight. What her body looked like caused her a lot of stress and anxiety. She explains that the messages that promote disordered eating are so common and normalized that many people could be engaged in disordered eating and not know about it.

In our conversation, Alisha defines disordered eating and body dysmorphia and how the diet industry preys on our insecurities and encourages disordered eating and unhealthy relationships with food. 

Alisha speaks with me about the steps she took to live a healthier life and how focusing less on her body and food has enhanced the rest of her life and her ability to live a more fullfilling life.

Listen to this conversation to learn how you can develop a healthy relationship with food and your body.