#142: Is Ozempic the End of Body Liberation? (Reasons to Stay Hopeful) with Therapist Edie Stark and Fat Activist Sharon Maxwell

The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

Two returning guests join us (who happen to be my amazing friends and colleagues): therapist Edie Stark and fat activist Sharon Maxwell. We're getting into the impact of GLP-1s (like Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.) on disordered eating recovery, body acceptance, and generally navigating this world in a human body amidst the constant chatter about weight loss medications.

Edie and Sharon share their wisdom and lived experience as we talk about how we can keep hopeful in the face of increasingly problematic diet culture messaging, GLP-1s, and general uncertainty in the world. We explore the differences between individual and macro change, and the need for tangible ways to resist diet culture and comparison. It gets real, and honest, and I think it is a timely episode for anyone who has felt hope waiver these past few weeks.

Tune in to hear more about:

• What’s on their plates, literally and metaphorically
• Eating easy things when you’re feeling uninspired or overwhelmed
• How Ozempic and GLP-1s are impacting weight-inclusive and anti-diet movements
• What to do when the weight loss conversation feels louder than ever (especially in disordered eating recovery)
• Hope in the context of both diet culture and the world right now
• The role of macro and micro efforts in overcoming systemic issues
• Differences between body positivity and body liberation
• Social media's role in perpetuating the Ozempic craze and misinformation
• What it looks like to invest in the fat-liberation movement
• How we can overcome moments of doubt and body grief
• Ways to cultivate community around our values
• Sharon's call for more fat joy
• So much more!

This episode is the first of two parts, so stay tuned for next week's second act!

About Edie:

Edie Stark, MSc, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and the owner of Stark Therapy Group, a psychotherapy group practice specializing in eating disorders, trauma, and anxiety from a humanistic, fat-positive, and inclusive lens. She believes in the value of lived experience being met with clinical knowledge to create a collaborative therapeutic experience for all of the clients. Edie is passionate about Trader Joe's snacks– we talk a little bit about that–dismantling the US healthcare system, and the complete and total takedown of diet culture in no particular order.

Learn more at https://starktherapygroup.com/

About Sharon:

Sharon Maxwell (She/Her) is a mental health advocate and fat activist. She works as a weight inclusive consultant, providing education to treatment centers and healthcare providers on the immense harms of weight stigma. Due to her lived experience facing weight stigma, Sharon provides unique insight and offers practical tools to make treatment centers and healthcare settings safe and accessible for fat folks. Sharon is passionate about breaking down the stigma around eating disorders and working to eradicate societal anti-fat bias. When she’s not studying or engaged in her activism work, Sharon can be found exploring San Diego with her dog and her best friend.

Read "You Don't Look Anorexic" in New York Times Magazine

Connect with Sharon on IG: @heysharonmaxwell

Learn more about Sharon: https://www.heysharonmaxwell.com/

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Group program:

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

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