Body image researcher and Rutgers University psychology professor Dr. Charlotte Markey is back for a second time on the podcast. She has spent nearly three decades researching body image, and has written books for tweens, teens, boys, girls, and adults.

We get into so much…including:

* Body image as relational: how environment and relationships shape how we feel in our bodies

* The father dynamic, achievement culture, and how a critical home environment affects girls

* Biohacking and wellness culture as diet culture in disguise

* What happens when food gets moralized into good and bad

* Parents disparaging their own bodies and how it lands on daughters

* Body dissatisfaction across racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds

* Puberty: why normalizing it matters and why the conversation needs to extend beyond adolescence

* How diet culture exploits women’s hormonal life stages

* Whether there is a critical window for body image intervention

* Social media’s impact on body shame and how to learn media literacy for critical thinking and protection

* Body diversity and why the bodies we’re sold are not achievable for most people

* The protein obsession in wellness culture and why it’s concerning in adolescents

* What to do when your daughter is already struggling

* How parents can audit their own relationship with food and body in service of their kids

Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., is a world-leading expert in body image research, having studied body image and eating behavior for nearly three decades. She is passionate about understanding what makes us feel good about our bodies and helping people to develop a healthy body image and relationship with food. Charlotte is an experienced book author, research scientist, clinician, speaker, and psychology professor at Rutgers University, Camden.Her books: https://www.thebodyimagebook.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/char_markeySubstack: https://drcharlottemarkey.substack.com/Find Full Plate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullplate.podcast/Find Abbie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbieattwoodwellness/Subscribe to the newsletter: https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/Listen to the first episode with Dr. Charlotte Markey

Full Plate by Abbie Attwood is a reader-supported publication. To receive special posts, bonus episodes, and support this work, consider becoming paid subscriber.

Abbie answers a listener question about one of the most complicated intersections: dating (relationships) and diet culture — especially when you're carrying a history of body shame, disordered eating, and the ongoing, nonlinear work of recovery.

Elizabeth, a listener in her early 30s, writes in about the men she keeps encountering on the apps — the gym-obsessed ones, the salad-only ones — and asks a question that cuts to the heart of it: is this my gut, or is this fear?

What you'll hear:

*Why "too sensitive" isn't a useful frame — and what to ask instead

*Safety and self-worth as the foundation of dating in recovery

*Learning to trust your intuition when diet culture has distorted it

*When to share your mental health history (and when you don't have to)

*The difference between a trigger and something to work through

*Revisiting your dating app parameters — and the biases built into them

*Abbie's own experience navigating ED recovery while dating

Then Jeb, Abbie's husband, joins for an unplanned conversation about what it was actually like when they met — both carrying things they weren't sure how to share.

*What happened when Jeb disclosed his sobriety on a rooftop, early on

*Why vulnerability can work as a filter, not just a risk

*What Jeb was looking for in a partner when he was newly out of treatment

*The moment Abbie knew he was someone she could be with through hard things

This episode is ultimately about openness — what it costs, what it protects, and what becomes possible when you find someone willing to meet you there.

This is a BONUS episode for paid subscribers on Substack. To hear it, upgrade here: https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a lot of noise right now around GLP-1 medications—conflicting advice, emotional stories, and a cultural shift that feels hard to name.

Abbie sits down with Virgie Tovar—author, activist, and leading voice on weight stigma—to slow things down and ask a deeper question: what is actually happening here?

They talk about how GLP-1s work, how they’re being marketed, what ethics have to do with this, and why so many people are feeling confused, overwhelmed, and even destabilized—especially those with a history of dieting or eating disorders.

As you listen, please remember: this episode zooms out and looks at the big picture and the culture around these medications. Body autonomy is not up for debate.

Tune in for more on:

What GLP-1s are—and how they drive appetite suppression and restriction

Is this really “new”? (dieting, weight loss, and long-term outcomes)

The marketing machine: confusion and co-opting body positivity

The concept of “food noise”

Virgie’s brilliant perspective on the big picture and why this feels so intense right now

Weight stigma vs. the promise of empowerment

Hunger explained: objective vs. subjective

Is there true “peace with food” through this medication?

The cultural shift: weight loss as expectation, not choice

The business behind it all: profit, scalability, and the GLP-1 “gold rush”

The core ethical question: is intentional starvation, at an industry and cultural level, ever justified?

Staying grounded: navigating conversations, protecting recovery, and finding support

This episode is available for free for everyone.

To support the show, please consider upgrading to paid on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

​Virgie Tovar is a plus-size Latina author, lecturer, and leading expert on weight-based discrimination and body image with over a decade of experience. She is the founder of Body Image Reset, an AI app for people struggling with GLP-1 ad overwhelm. Tovar is a contributor for Forbes.com where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight discrimination at work, and she's the host of GLP-1 Truth Serum, a podcast dedicated to asking critical health questions about the current explosion in injectable weight-loss medications.

Resources mentioned:

Virgie's Substack - https://virgietovar.substack.com/

Abbie’s episode on the Minnesota Starvation Study

GLP-1 Overwhelm App - http://www.glp1overwhelm.com

The Body Positive Journal by Virgie Tovar

You Have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar

GLP-1 Truth Serum Podcast: https://virgietovar.substack.com/podcast

Today's episode is available in full for paid subscribers. You can upgrade right here. Thank you so much for your support!

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Leslie Schilling, and we get into the harder, thornier stuff—the cultural forces that make all of this so difficult to navigate, and the clinical tools Leslie uses to help people find their way through.

We cover:

— What weight suppression actually means, and why it has nothing to do with body size

— The physical toll of even "light" under-eating, and why it can feel like it's working until it suddenly isn't

— GLP-1 medications, informed consent, and what most prescribers aren't telling their patients

— The way exercise intersects with GLP-1s and why being told to work out more while your hunger cues are suppressed is a problem

— Muscle loss, sarcopenia, and why fueling your body matters more as you age

— RED-S and why it's not just for elite athletes

— "Weaponized compassion" and the way diet culture and the medical system dress up restriction as care

— How belonging and community drive so many of our behaviors around food, movement, and medication

— Body grief and the real, valid loss that comes with a changing body

— Why lowering the bar is not giving up

This episode is available in full for paid subscribers. Upgrade here to listen to the whole thing.

Part 1 is free and available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Find Leslie: Instagram: @LeslieSchilling Website: leslieschilling.com

Find Full Plate: Instagram: @fullplate.podcast Substack: abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

About Leslie: Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-C, owns a Las Vegas-based private practice specializing in nutrition counseling for disordered eating and performance nutrition for professional athletes, performers, and military personnel. In her more than 20 years in the fields of sport nutrition, eating disorders, and strength and conditioning, Leslie has served in many settings, including as a performance nutrition consultant for Cirque du Soleil and the NBA, and as an expert contributor to U.S. News & World Report. One of her favorite things to do is support registered dietitians, coaches, and other professionals working at the intersection of eating disorders and sport through professional supervision and mentorship in the Dietitian Development Hub Mighty Network Community. Check out Leslie’s latest book, Feed Yourself, about how diet culture shows up in our safest places, which is available anywhere books are sold.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

In today’s episode, I chat with Leslie Schilling, a registered dietitian who specializes in working with athletes and disordered eating, about what it looks like when our relationship with exercise is no longer healthy.

We get into so much, including:

- what exercise dependence actually means (and why it’s often missed)

- why it’s not about quantity—but compulsion, rigidity, and fear

- the overlap between exercise dependence and eating disorders

- signs your relationship with exercise might need support

- why rest days can feel so distressing

- exercise as a coping mechanism for anxiety, stress, and discomfort

- the subtle difference between: “I want to move” vs. “I have to move”

- how body image, food rules, and weight concerns drive compulsive movement

- why most people are under-fueling (even when they don’t realize it)

- “if you fuel it, you can do it”—and what happens when you don’t

About Leslie: Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-C, owns a Las Vegas-based private practice specializing in nutrition counseling for disordered eating and performance nutrition for professional athletes, performers, and military personnel. In her more than 20 years in the fields of sport nutrition, eating disorders, and strength and conditioning, Leslie has served in many settings, including as a performance nutrition consultant for Cirque du Soleil and the NBA, and as an expert contributor to U.S. News & World Report. One of her favorite things to do is support registered dietitians, coaches, and other professionals working at the intersection of eating disorders and sport through professional supervision and mentorship in the Dietitian Development Hub Mighty Network Community. Check out Leslie’s latest book, Feed Yourself, about how diet culture shows up in our safest places, which is available anywhere books are sold.

Find more on Leslie: https://www.instagram.com/leslieschillinghttps://schillingnutrition.com/https://a.co/d/0blRJV9z

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie is joined by Shannon Kopp, founder of SoulPaws Recovery Project, to explore the role of the human-animal connection in recovery from eating disorders, substance use, trauma, and mental health challenges.

Shannon shares her personal experience with bulimia, depression, and loss—and how her relationships with animals became a turning point in her healing. They also talk about the science behind why animals can help regulate the nervous system and support emotional healing in ways that traditional approaches sometimes can’t.

This conversation is a deeper look at connection, safety, and what it actually takes to access healing.

Tune in for more on:

- Shannon’s recovery from bulimia and depression—and how animals became a turning point- Why shame keeps people stuck (even when they’re in therapy)- The frustrating gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it- How animals help regulate the nervous system and create a sense of safety- Why healing requires connection—not just behavior change or control- Powerful moments with Buster and Bella, and what they reveal about healing- How animals interrupt panic, dissociation, and harmful coping patterns- The neuroscience behind calm → connect → heal and why it matters- What SoulPaws Healing Circles are and how they support recovery- How the human-animal bond can build trust, connection, and access to healing- Simple ways to incorporate your own animal into grounding and recovery

About Shannon: Shannon Kopp (she/her) is the founder and Executive Director of SoulPaws® Recovery Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unleashes the healing power of the human-animal connection to support individuals recovering from eating disorders, substance use disorders, and other regulatory challenges.

She is also the best-selling author of Pound for Pound: A Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life and a national speaker on mental health, eating disorders, and animal-assisted healing. Her work has been featured in PEOPLE, NPR, CNN, Women’s Health, and Psychology Today.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie is joined by adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Lauren Hartman to talk about what it really means to care for kids in a culture obsessed with shrinking them.

They explore the rise in eating disorders among younger children, the sneaky evolution of diet culture into “wellness,” and the complicated, high-stakes reality of GLP-1 medications in adolescence. At its heart, this conversation is about protecting kids from shame — and helping parents trust their instincts.

In this episode, we discuss:

* What adolescent medicine actually is — and why ages 10–25 (and even younger) require specialized, developmentally informed care

* The moment that shifted Lauren away from weight-centric medicine

* Why disordered eating is on the rise in young kids

* How diet culture has become more insidious under the branding of “health,” “wellness,” and “longevity”

* Early red flags parents can look for

* The impact of social media on both girls and boys — from protein obsession to muscle dysmorphia

* What happens when doctors dismiss parental concerns because a child’s BMI is “normal”

* A nuanced conversation about GLP-1 medications in adolescents

* How to repair harm — whether you’re a parent, provider, or educator

This is a conversation about growth — literal and emotional. About letting kids develop in bodies that are allowed to change. And about building systems of care that prioritize safety over stigma.

Dr. Hartman's book: https://www.aspengroveayam.com/copy-of-presentations-publications

Dr. Hartman is double board certified in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics. She is known for her patient-centered approach, and has dedicated her career to supporting teens, young adults, and their loved ones as they navigate adolescence.  She aims to focus on the strengths in every patient and nurture a sense of hope to help support them to live their most fulfilling and healthy lives.  

She has held numerous leadership positions, including the chair of adolescent medicine at Kaiser Permanente for Northern California, the director of the pediatric eating disorder program in the East Bay, and served as the West Coast Medical Director at Equip.  She also helped create programs and held leadership positions in multidisciplinary programs for gender expansive youth and pediatric autonomic disorders.

With more than a decade of dedicated practice, she has honed her skills in the specialized field of adolescent medicine, particularly in the realm of eating disorders in the hospital, outpatient and virtual settings. 

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

How do our attachment styles shape our relationship with food, body image, and disordered eating?

In this episode, I’m joined by therapists Vanessa and Kate to explore the powerful connection between attachment theory and eating behaviors—why food can feel like safety, control, or comfort, and how early relationships influence the way we cope today.

If you’ve ever wondered why your patterns with food feel so hard to change, this conversation will help you understand them with more clarity and compassion.

In this episode, we cover:

*What attachment theory is and the four main patterns: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized

*How attachment patterns are linked to disordered eating and body image struggles

*Looking as food behaviors through the lens of seeking safety and regulation

*The difference between comfort-seeking and numbing (and why both can show up in any eating pattern)

*How relationships and family dynamics can trigger changes in eating behaviors

*The impact of diet culture, GLP-1 medications, and social media on body image and food choices

*Why “rupture and repair” is essential for healing your relationship with food and your body

*Practical ways to build a more secure, compassionate relationship with eating

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness 

Find Kate & Vanessa on Instagram: instagram.com/calmcounselingatx/

Vanessa Scaringi is a licensed psychologist based in Austin, Texas, working with adolescents, young adults, and adults. Through individual, group, and family therapy, she helps clients build self-awareness and recognize patterns that may be getting in the way of the life they want. Her work centers on creating a safe, collaborative space to explore difficult experiences, while integrating insight-oriented and evidence-based approaches to support meaningful, lasting change.

Kathryn Garland is a licensed clinical social worker, supervisor, and certified eating disorder specialist. Her approach is collaborative and grounded in curiosity and trust, integrating psychoanalytic, relational, and mindfulness-based frameworks. She works with adolescents, adults, and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity, disordered eating, body image concerns, and chronic illness. Her experience spans foster care, community mental health, college counseling, and eating disorder treatment, including leading an adolescent intensive outpatient program.Her work focuses on helping clients move through barriers, navigate transitions, and create meaningful, lasting change.

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Perfectionism shows up in how we see our bodies, measure our health, and define our worth. This week, I’m bringing back a listener favorite—my conversation with Dr. Lisa Folden, who is a physical therapist, anti-diet coach, and weight-inclusive movement practitioner.

At its core, this episode is about how breaking free from perfectionism allows us to reclaim joy in our bodies, relationships, work, and yes—our lives.

We get into so much, including:

* Growing up as a “role model” and shedding that identity

* What research really says about weight, joint pain, diabetes, and intentional weight-loss

* Navigating disordered eating as a Black woman and why underdiagnosis is common

* Rebuilding a joyful, intuitive relationship with movement

* Letting go of the perfectionism trap and showing up authentically

* How health providers can approach shifting from weight-centric to weight-inclusive care

If you’ve ever felt your worth is tied to your body or achievements, this conversation is full of science, compassion, and practical tools to help you move with freedom and joy.

Find Lisa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/healthyphit/

Find the show on IG: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on IG: @abbieattwoodwellness

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

In this bonus episode, Abbie is joined by her husband Jeb (nearly a decade sober) to respond to a listener question: Is healing actually worth how hard it feels?

It's a listener favorite, vulnerable conversation about the messy middle of recovery — from dieting, disordered eating, addiction, and the coping mechanisms that once kept us afloat.

Some of the topics discussed:

Why recovery often feels harder before it feels better

The short-term relief vs. long-term cost of coping mechanisms

How dieting and addiction share similar roots (shame, fear, inadequacy, belonging)

Personal examples from Abbie and Jeb and pieces of their stories

Physical vs. emotional discomfort in recovery — and how to tell the difference

The power of community (and why healing in isolation is so much harder)

Small, quiet “wins” that signal real healing

Why “dabbling” in restriction tends to snowball

Privilege, barriers to recovery, and the realities of healing in this world

Here is the question that inspired this episode:

Hi Abbie,

I’ve been recovering from decades of dieting and disordered eating. I’m completely on board with doing this work for myself, for my kids. I recognize now - many thanks to you - how much of my life has been wasted on trying to control my body.

But I’m struggling, and many days I have these thoughts of: is this harder than just continuing to diet and restrict? I’m uncomfortable, I feel stressed and anxious, and it’s hard to cope with the body changes. I just feel defeated in many ways.

I know I don’t want to go back, but at the same time, healing is feeling so hard. I am hoping you’ll have some advice for where to go from here. Your podcast has meant so much to me and my daughter. Thank you.

Alex

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

What if being “good” was never meant to protect us?

In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by the incredible Savala Nolan (back for the second time) to talk about her new book Good Woman: A Reckoning, which is a lyrical, unflinching exploration of the expectations placed on women’s bodies, voices, marriages, appetites, and lives.

We explore what happens when the bargain of goodness stops “working” and what becomes possible when we refuse it.

Tune in for more on:

* The myth that being “good” (thin, quiet, agreeable) will keep women safe

* Midlife as rupture: dieting, divorce, and the unraveling of social conditioning

* Body liberation as a daily practice — especially in the age of GLP-1s

* What it means to become “illegible” to misogynistic culture

* Raising daughters who are fluent in their bodies, not afraid of them

This is a conversation about wilderness, refusal, and the kind of freedom that feels both exciting and terrifying because of its importance and truth.

Find Savala on IG: https://www.instagram.com/savalanolan/

Order "Good Woman" here: https://savalanolan.com/

Savala's Substack: https://savala.substack.com/

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.