The team at Relatable want to share some of their faves with you. Whether it’s a worn-out copy of The Fuck It Diet, the latest episode of Pose or the dulcet tones of Michelle Buteau &Jordan Carlos from Adulting, we’ll bring you our best.
BOOK
Body Respect; What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand About Weight
by Linda Bacon, PhD & Lucy Aphramor, PhD, RD.
In my opinion, the book Body Respect, is the most holistic approach in regards to total wellness. For those who are opening up to an inclusive way of thinking about wellness and size, this is a rite of passage. It is compassionate, respectful, gentle and kind, encouraging thought patterns without being forceful.
It coaxes us to reconnect with our childhood instincts about food, basic likes, dislikes and needs. It also considers all the social determinants shaping us and our lives, making us look the way we do and behave the way we behave.
As I immersed myself in this book, I got my first introduction to the Health At Every Size doctrine (HAES) often seen as a positive step forward, miles away from harmful diet culture. Authors Lucy and Linda (both scientists) are respectful of their sceptics (and let’s face it, there are many) as they challenge the status quo of dieting and acknowledging everyone’s struggle. They understand what they write is a difficult pitch to a somewhat resolute audience, and in their words, is a total “paradigm shift” from societies current norm around perception of weight. However, if like me, the blinkers are off and you need direction in which way to look, read this book. It will open your eyes to the shaming, oppression, prejudice and social inequality around size, and offer alternative views on fatness, how we get there and how we live there.
I had so many epiphanies, insights, lightning bolts, flashes of sudden awareness and guilt reading this book; we know we all have bias of some degree and this helped me understand my own. Unfortunately, I fear I will fail to do this book justice in a mere couple of paragraphs, it truly impacted a fundamental shift in my thinking, I recommend you read it.
Finally if you struggle to find time to read (or nod off in non fiction!), do yourself a favour and subscribe to Audible – now that my friend will change your life!
