Have you ever thought, “Starting this new diet is going to make me healthier, thinner, and more attractive! The upsides totally outweigh any small negatives.” I know I have, but that was before I came to know the sometimes devastating harm intentional weight loss can cause - to our minds and our bodies. Dieting isn't a benign or neutral intervention for many people, and in this episode I outline what actually happens in your body and brain when you start that “healthy” cleanse or “balanced” diet. TW: mention of eating disorder behaviours, specific calories, and self-harm.
#WeightInclusive #HarmsOfDiets #FatLiberation #FierceFatty #WeightNeutral
Episode show notes: http://www.fiercefatty.com/210
Support me on Ko-Fi and get the Size Diversity Resource Guide: https://ko-fi.com/fiercefatty/tiers
Bacon, L. (2010). Health at every size: The surprising truth about your weight (Rev. & updated). BenBella Books.
Bacon, L., & Aphramor, L. (2011). Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift. Nutrition Journal, 10(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-9
Berg, S. (n.d.). The Fog of Hunger: A hungry woman is easier to dismiss than a well-fed woman. Aeon. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://aeon.co/essays/a-hungry-woman...
Brookshire, B. (2025). Fat Doesn’t Deserve Its Bad Rap. Scientific American. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
Brown, J. (Host). (2026). When Eating Less Backfires: What Your Body’s Really Doing to Protect You [Broadcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Chang, S. (2026). The Complexity of Eating Disorders in Trans & Non-binary Community. https://www.folxhealth.com/library/ea...
Drury, C. R., Beccia, A. L., Shaqour, S., Riddle, M., Gorrell, S., Singh, S., Duffy, A., Mehler, P. S., Zucker, K., Le Grange, D., Rienecke, R. D., & Reilly, E. E. (2026). Eating disorder severity and treatment outcome across race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status: Intersectional inequities in a clinical sample. Social Science & Medicine, 404, 119504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2...
Ferrucci, K. A., McPhillips, E., Lapane, K. L., Jesdale, B. M., & Dubé, C. E. (2023). Provider perceptions of barriers and facilitators to care in eating disorder treatment for transgender and gender diverse patients: A qualitative study. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00...
Gaudiani, J. L. (2018). Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351184731
Guetzkow, H. S. (1946). Men and hunger: A psychological manual for relief workers. Brethren Publishing House. http://archive.org/details/MenAndHunger
Gunawardana, S. C. (2014). Benefits of healthy adipose tissue in the treatment of diabetes. World Journal of Diabetes, 5(4), 420–430. https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v5.i4.420
Mann, T. (2015). Secrets from the eating lab: The science of weight loss, the myth of willpower, and why you should never diet again. HarperWave.
Miller, K. (2016). The Starvation Study You Need To Read. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/minn...
Norgan, N. G. (1997). The beneficial effects of body fat and adipose tissue in humans*. International Journal of Obesity, 21(9), 738–746. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800473
Penwell, T. E., Bedard, S. P., Eyre, R., & Levinson, C. A. (2024). Eating Disorder Treatment Access in the United States: Perceived Inequities Among Treatment Seekers. Psychiatric Services, 75(10), 944–952. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230193
Persaud, A., Duncan, A. E., & Shields, M. C. (2026). Exploring Barriers Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups Face in Accessing Eating Disorder Treatment and Proposed Solutions. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 77(3), 241–249. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20250197
Sakers, A., Siqueira, M. K. D., Seale, P., & Villanueva, C. J. (2022). Adipose-tissue plasticity in health and disease. Cell, 185(3), 419–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.1...
Tomiyama, A. J., Ahlstrom, B., & Mann, T. (2013). Long‐term Effects of Dieting: Is Weight Loss Related to Health? Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(12), 861–877. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12076
Tylka, T. L., Annunziato, R. A., Burgard, D., Daníelsdóttir, S., Shuman, E., Davis, C., & Calogero, R. M. (2014). The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity, 2014, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/983495
Have you ever thought, “Starting this new diet is going to make me healthier, thinner, and more attractive! The upsides totally outweigh any small negatives.” I know I have, but that was before I came to know the sometimes devastating harm intentional weight loss can cause - to our minds and our bodies. Dieting isn't a benign or neutral intervention for many people, and in this episode I outline what actually happens in your body and brain when you start that “healthy” cleanse or “balanced” diet. TW: mention of eating disorder behaviours, specific calories, and self-harm.
#WeightInclusive #HarmsOfDiets #FatLiberation #FierceFatty #WeightNeutral
Episode show notes: http://www.fiercefatty.com/210
Support me on Ko-Fi and get the Size Diversity Resource Guide: https://ko-fi.com/fiercefatty/tiers
Bacon, L. (2010). Health at every size: The surprising truth about your weight (Rev. & updated). BenBella Books.
Bacon, L., & Aphramor, L. (2011). Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift. Nutrition Journal, 10(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-9
Berg, S. (n.d.). The Fog of Hunger: A hungry woman is easier to dismiss than a well-fed woman. Aeon. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://aeon.co/essays/a-hungry-woman...
Brookshire, B. (2025). Fat Doesn’t Deserve Its Bad Rap. Scientific American. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
Brown, J. (Host). (2026). When Eating Less Backfires: What Your Body’s Really Doing to Protect You [Broadcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Chang, S. (2026). The Complexity of Eating Disorders in Trans & Non-binary Community. https://www.folxhealth.com/library/ea...
Drury, C. R., Beccia, A. L., Shaqour, S., Riddle, M., Gorrell, S., Singh, S., Duffy, A., Mehler, P. S., Zucker, K., Le Grange, D., Rienecke, R. D., & Reilly, E. E. (2026). Eating disorder severity and treatment outcome across race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status: Intersectional inequities in a clinical sample. Social Science & Medicine, 404, 119504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2...
Ferrucci, K. A., McPhillips, E., Lapane, K. L., Jesdale, B. M., & Dubé, C. E. (2023). Provider perceptions of barriers and facilitators to care in eating disorder treatment for transgender and gender diverse patients: A qualitative study. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00...
Gaudiani, J. L. (2018). Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351184731
Guetzkow, H. S. (1946). Men and hunger: A psychological manual for relief workers. Brethren Publishing House. http://archive.org/details/MenAndHunger
Gunawardana, S. C. (2014). Benefits of healthy adipose tissue in the treatment of diabetes. World Journal of Diabetes, 5(4), 420–430. https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v5.i4.420
Mann, T. (2015). Secrets from the eating lab: The science of weight loss, the myth of willpower, and why you should never diet again. HarperWave.
Miller, K. (2016). The Starvation Study You Need To Read. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/minn...
Norgan, N. G. (1997). The beneficial effects of body fat and adipose tissue in humans*. International Journal of Obesity, 21(9), 738–746. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800473
Penwell, T. E., Bedard, S. P., Eyre, R., & Levinson, C. A. (2024). Eating Disorder Treatment Access in the United States: Perceived Inequities Among Treatment Seekers. Psychiatric Services, 75(10), 944–952. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230193
Persaud, A., Duncan, A. E., & Shields, M. C. (2026). Exploring Barriers Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups Face in Accessing Eating Disorder Treatment and Proposed Solutions. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 77(3), 241–249. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20250197
Sakers, A., Siqueira, M. K. D., Seale, P., & Villanueva, C. J. (2022). Adipose-tissue plasticity in health and disease. Cell, 185(3), 419–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.1...
Tomiyama, A. J., Ahlstrom, B., & Mann, T. (2013). Long‐term Effects of Dieting: Is Weight Loss Related to Health? Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(12), 861–877. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12076
Tylka, T. L., Annunziato, R. A., Burgard, D., Daníelsdóttir, S., Shuman, E., Davis, C., & Calogero, R. M. (2014). The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity, 2014, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/983495