Ep. 25: Secrets behind the 'Biggest Loser' - Kai Hibbard

01/11/18 • 55 min

Kai was first cast into the spotlight through her participation in, and subsequent denunciation of the weight loss game show The Biggest Loser. Going through the program, she realized the negative impact the show had, not only on her own life, but on society in general. Vowing to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem, Kai has fought, often as the lone voice, against unrealistic and damaging message in the media regarding our bodies in general. Over time that struggle has been featured in countless magazines and newscasts, both domestically and internationally, ranging from The Huffington Post, Time Magazine, Good Morning America, ABC News, CBS News, E!, Star Magazine, US Weekly, People, TMZ, The NY Times, The NY Post, Inside Edition, Redbook, Access Hollywood, FoxNews,The Globe, Jezebel, Huffington Post Live and Upworthy, where Kai’s honest, straight forward approach to her own story never fails to shine through.

Most of Kai’s time is spent juggling family and professional life. When not writing for publications like xoJane, working on her books, speaking, chiming in on body shaming as a contributor for CNN, being interviewed for various outlets or keeping people encouraged on social media, she is reading studies, finishing on her MSW at UNE, preparing new presentations, starting a new podcast, planning the opening of her private psychotherapy practice with telecounseling services, and plotting ways to keep her kiddo in bed at bedtime.

In addition she is adjusting to life with chronic illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. She is also very tired.

https://kaihibbard.com/about/

Studies Mentioned:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27136388/

http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol22/iss3/2/

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In addition she is adjusting to life with chronic illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. She is also very tired.

https://kaihibbard.com/about/

Studies Mentioned:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27136388/

http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol22/iss3/2/

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Ep. 24: Fat Kids, Working Moms, Mother-Blame and more - PART TWO - Dr. Natalie Boero

Dr. Natalie Boero is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at San Jose State University. She joins Every Body this week to discuss the ways our society pigeon holes obesity as a personal problem for the individual rather than examining the wider socioeconomic scope (access to good health care, food deserts, safe places to play and be active) and its effects on public health. Dr. Boero discusses how she began in the field with her first book, Killer Fat: Media, Medicine and Morals in the American Obesity Epidemic. She explains the problem with medicalizing non-medical instances such as weight or violence with words like "epidemic" which cause panic and risky preventative measures. It was such a pleasure to hear Dr. Boero's thoughts and research on everything from obesity myths to the privilege of "the good fatty." Take a listen and join us in the conversation with us!

"My being the 'good fatty' probably has a lot to do with my class and race privilege in the sense that I have the resources to do certain things or I have the absence of other privileges that sort of blunt some of the other stigmas that I have experienced... we shouldn't judge moral worth based on health."

Dr. Natalie Boero

This Week on the Every Body Podcast:

How Dr. Boero began her study into the "obesity epidemic" with her dissertation.
How the term "obesity epidemic" was coined.
The ways that weight bias has become a scapegoat in blaming minority groups for their own disadvantages.
The effects of socioeconomics on weight and health.
The correlation between chronic dieting and food restriction in the last 70 years with the general increase in the weight of Americans.
The problematic ways we produce and distribute food globally.
How focusing on fatness distracts from the larger public interest (i.e. psychological effects of fat stigma, access to safe places to play/be active, etc).
The extremes that our culture falls into ("epidemic," "cleanse," "addict," etc) in the name of "health."
"The good fatty" and myths about "human value being predicated on health."

Additional Resources:

Studies Mentioned:

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Ep. 26: Eff Your Fitspo - Sarah Vance

Sarah Vance (@sarevance) began focusing on the body when she began walking in her parents' footsteps by competitively body-building. After spiraling with restriction, disordered eating and body dysmorphia, she decided she needed to realign her relationship with her body. She created #effyourfitspo and challenges ideas of "health" and "strength" that are simply diet culture with a new name. Now, as a health care professional, she keeps a vigilant eye out for fat-phobia in the health care industry. We covered a lot of ground, but there's always room to share more and ask more. Take a listen and join the conversation with us on instagram!

"[Body positivity is] becoming more problematic because now fitspo culture and diet companies and diet culture are now co-opting body positivity... then you have a system in a culture that has now utilized something that was in the first place-- body positivity-- that was actually trying to dismantle the system that is now using it."

Sarah Vance

This Week on the Every Body Podcast:

Sarah's first exposure to body consciousness with her body-building family.
The internalization of body dysmorphia as our bodies naturally change with age and experience.
How ideas of health are tainted with fat-phobia.
Sarah's experience with restriction and dieting beginning with her decision to hire a "fitness coach" for competitive body building.
A look at diet culture in "healthism" and fitspo culture.
The ways increased exposure to social media amplifies fitspo culture.
How "fitspo" started as a reaction to "thinspo," but still propels diet culture.
Sarah's #effyourfitspo passion and realigning our priorities toward respecting our bodies.
How Sarah began identifying as a "health nut" and the challenges with letting that go and rediscovering her relationship with her body.
The sneaky layers behind diet culture that Sarah had to work through to overcome her disordered eating.
How Sarah became and advocate for body positivity.
The steps Sarah took to step away from her superficial body obsession.
What it's like being in the health care industry as an advocate for HAES.
The merits of asking "why" to challenge peoples' biases and stigmas.
Our westernized relationship with death and how that feeds into the flawed health and wellness industry.