"What If I'm Just Uncomfortable Being Fat?" with Therapist Edie Stark and Fat Activist Sharon Maxwell

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com This might be my favorite conversation we’ve had on this podcast. It's a conversation I had with Edie Stark (an ED therapist) and Sharon Maxwell (a fat activist and weight-inclusive consultant), and we’re answering a very important – very hard – listener question. The essence of it is: “I believe in body liberation and anti-diet culture. But what if I’m just uncomfortable being fat?” Tune in for: * How and why Sharon relates to this listener, and moments where she's worked through this thought * How Ozempic culture impacts the desire for weight loss * What it means to practice self-compassion while living within systemic anti-fatness * Whether changing your body can change discomfort * Times when eating disorder thoughts creep in the most * Discomfort as a signal of something deeper * The role of mental and emotional pain on physical symptoms * Navigating the medical system when it blames body size for everything * SO much more! 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 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/ 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 .