The Body Activists, LLC

let's tell a story at Con 💙💓

thankful for Jessica Thiefels and Jason Wood for joining me in this project!

Happy Eating Disorders Awareness Week! Just a reminder that I (and this page) are firmly and actively against...
🚫 racism
🚫 bigotry
🚫 patriarchy
🚫 white supremacy
🚫 inequality (+inequity)
🚫 oppression
🚫 intolerance
🚫 injustice
plus fatphobia, homophobia, transphobia, invalidating emotions and experiences, taking up space in places you shouldn't, and leadership without self-reflection...just to name a few.

Thankful for this community and the love as we continue this uphill battle together.

Posted • Recover with Carly Podcast]] Welcome to episode #38 of Recover with Carly Podcast]]

This week I sat down with - fat liberation advocate, educator, & host of the podcast

➡️ Link in bio to listen

On February 10th, published their response to the new fat phobic and harmful guidelines announced by the (AAP) and unfortunately they did not express their concerns for these new guidelines, instead they were submissive.

Throughout today's episode Serena shared what these new guidelines are, how they are affecting fat people and people with eating disorders, and how NEDA is causing trauma and extreme harm to these communities. The new guidelines state recommendation for bariatric surgery and the use of other weight loss drugs for children as young as thirteen years old.

NEDA is one of the largest eating disorder organization and they continually cause harm to the fat community. They are not upholding their mission to “prevent eating disorders” because if they were they would know bariatric surgery and the use of weight loss drugs increases the risk of eating disorders.

NEDA - we need you to do better.

To stay up to date on the work that Serena Nangia is doing, you can follow her on Instagram, listen to her podcast, and read her writing on her website. Check out the statement by that was mentioned in today's episode & make sure to follow them for more eating disorder education and awareness.

You can also stay up to date on all things Recover with Carly Podcast]] here on Instagram and feel free to follow my personal account, for more resources.

If this episode resonates with you, please leave a rating + review! Also, feel free to share today's episode or any other episode with friends and family. Your support means the world to me.

There is no truly safe space for Fat people. Here's a story from today that shows you why:

I was verbally assaulted on Tinder today by a random stranger.
A man I'd never texted before.
A person that chose to swipe right on me and send a horrific message.

I spend all day fighting for people with eating disorders, other Fat people who face systemic discrimination, and anyone who struggles with body image.

And in the middle of my work day I am met with a wicked message that reminds me I'm never safe.

As a Fat person, I'm never safe to be myself, to believe I'm beautiful without critique, to try to find some semblance of love just like everyone else.

This is a reminder of why I do the work I do - not just for others, but for me too.

The World is Hard Enough for Fat People. Why is the National Eating Disorders Association Making it Harder?

➡️ Read the full statement at the link in bio.

Saturday evening, I was enjoying a night with friends, including a thin friend of mine who recently became interested in my weight stigma awareness work. At dinner, she pointed out instances of fat shaming she’d seen that week, unpromptedly questioned her language around the potentially dubious “it’s all over when the fat lady sings,” and discussed how she can bring the conversation of weight-based discrimination into her corporate workplace. I felt supported, heard, and, frankly, like someone gave a s**t.

It was only a few hours later that I went on Instagram and was met with the National Eating Disorders Association’s statement on the mind-boggling treatment of childhood obesity guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. I sat there, feeling my face heat and my numbness set in. What did I expect? Not this. Not absolution. Not the weak and invalidating language referring to Fat kids as “some,” the harm as “potential.” We know how many Fat kids there are, and we know that Fat young people who have bariatric surgery are more at risk of su***de. With everything the field knows, in addition to the Fat community’s efforts to share our lived experiences, NEDA knew better, and they did it anyway.

Instead of addressing the fatphobic and unsubstantiated bunk of the AAP guidelines head-on, NEDA addressed a separate topic: the idea that BMI is BS (newsflash, we’ve been talking about that already). Despite the accuracy of that information, it wasn’t the time or place; instead, they should have addressed the egregious pharmaceutical and surgical treatment recommendations, including metabolic and bariatric surgery, for kids as young as 13 years old. As the “leading” eating disorders organization in the United States, it is NEDA’s responsibility to use their power, influence, and financial resources to support the eating disorder community -- not to undermine it.

➡️For more, please read the statement at the link in bio.

I have a lot of things to say in the coming days, but let's just enjoy this cute pic for now. Last year I met Heather from virtually, and we found out we live in the same town! Now I'm getting a really great opportunity to talk to dietetic and nutrition providers about weight stigma and my story. Catch me in Austin in April to speak at the Weight Inclusive Nutrition and Dietetics Spring Symposium! 🥂

Thankful to have presented to this special group from ! Thanks for the kind words 💜💜💜

I'm so thankful to for allowing me to share more of my story in their Artist Blogs. Most of you know me as an advocate, but I'm also an artist. I use art every day to help me cope and keep marching on. Art is healing. I use mine to release the ache, stomach the unbearable, and soak in the euphoria that is an incredibly complicated life.

What I said in this interview is the crux of why I am here (my purpose) and the foundation for the art I embody: the poetry, graphic design, painting, writing, music, dance, and more.

The way we walk the earth can be art if we make it so. In that way, I think everybody is an artist. What do you think?

Link in bio to read!

I'm very excited to present the first guest workshop for the members of The Recovery Collective] of 2023. I'll be presenting on weight stigma (and potentially adding some new content), so make sure to join!

From The Recovery Collective]
:
By the way- the doors to our membership are opening for the first time this year on Thursday! This means membership is officially available from Jan 19th- Feb 1st.

Now is your opportunity to add more community, connection and education into your eating disorder recovery treatment plan. (Woooohooooo)

We only welcome new members into our space three times per year. See the link in our bio to join the waitlist and be the first to join the 2023 new member cohort!!!

You. Must. Listen. The guidelines you set at the beginning of this week will have deadly consequences for years to come. I'm ready to come to the table and discuss changes...are you? Read the letter at the link in bio or https://www.theprojectheal.org/blog/opposing-new-clinical-guidelines-from-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics

New fave sweatshirt from ! Gender affirming healthcare saves lives.

Sitting down with in NYC last week. 🤍

Raw, unfiltered, flawed, simple. Embracing the storm, harnessing the shame, stepping into the new.