The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

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What if our struggles with food and body image have as much to do with our need for safety and connection as they do with food itself?

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Today I'm welcoming back Dr. Vanessa Scaringi and Kate Garland, therapists, eating disorder specialists, and authors of Hungry for Connection: Heal Your Relationships with Food and People in an Insecurely Attached World.

In our first...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a good woman. Particularly in light of what’s been happening at Cornell, the actions of this administration, and the ways we’re watching people and institutions respond to injustice, violence, and abuses of power.

And I keep coming back to this conversation with Savala Nolan.

Savala Nolan is an essayist, speaker, and teacher whose work explores race, gender, power, and the body. She is the author of Good Woman: A Reckoning, which is the book at the center of our conversation. It’s a...

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What if you’ve been working on your relationship with food and your body for years…and you’re still struggling? Does that mean you’re doing recovery wrong?

This is at the heart of today’s bonus episode of Full Plate, and I think it’s a conversation we desperately need more of.

(To hear the full conversation, become a paid subscriber right here.)

Eating disorder stories are often told from one of two places: from...

Today I’m speaking with Stephanie Dodier, a non-diet nutritionist, certified Intuitive Eating counselor, and cognitive behavior coach. Our conversation covers a lot of ground, but constantly circles this question:

What happens when you understand all of this diet culture stuff intellectually…but it still doesn’t quite feel true for you and your body?

We get into:

* The difference between eating something because you genuinely enjoy it and eating it because diet culture told you to

* Why satisfaction and pleasure matter in having a calm, compassionate relationship with food

* Ho...

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This is part two of my conversation with Ragen Chastain. We pick up with the question of what happens when people stop taking GLP-1 medications, and whether “taking them for life” is actually supported by the research.

From there, Ragen takes us deeper into the research on weight regain, body composition changes, and the increasingly broad claims that GLP-1 medications can treat everything from cardiovascular disease to mental health concerns. We also talk about pharmaceutical influence on healthcare providers, what...

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have gone from relatively niche diabetes medications to one of the biggest (and most controversial) stories in health and wellness.

As you may have noticed, I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from the podcast the past couple of months while I’ve been recovering from a SCAD heart attack.

Today, I'm back with a brand new conversation about weight loss drugs with Ragen Chastain, a researcher, writer, speaker, and board-certified patient advocate who has spent more than 20 years examining the intersections of weight science, weight stig...

What does it mean to live in a body that doesn’t always do what you wish it would? A body that’s unpredictable, maybe in pain, maybe exhausted — a body shaped by chronic illness, disability, or medical trauma?

This week on the podcast, I’m revisiting an episode with the deeply compassionate Dr. Jennifer Caspari, a psychologist who specializes in health psychology and lives with cerebral palsy. Her personal and professional wisdom come together in such a powerful way — this conversation felt like a breath of fresh air in a world that so often asks us to overrid...

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Today's episode is a bit different than usual. I'm sharing (solo) a bit about where I've been, what's been going on with my health, and what it all means for this podcast.

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In the episode, I get into:

- what happened (the...

Abbie is joined by the incredible Monika Ostroff, executive director of MEDA, clinician, author, and person with lived experience of both anorexia and DID — for one of the most illuminating conversations the show has ever had. This one will change the way you think about survival, the body, and what healing actually asks of us.

In this episode:

- What dissociative identity disorder (DID) actually is — and how it's almost nothing like what you've seen in media

- Why DID is far more common than most people realize, and why diagnosis takes so long...

I'm joined by DK Ciccone — comprehensively certified Pilates instructor, pain reprocessing therapy practitioner, and author of You're Meant to Move — for a conversation that is both deeply personal and clinically rich. We talk about what chronic pain actually is, why so many people have been dismissed or mislabeled, and what it looks like to rebuild a relationship with movement that isn't driven by fear, punishment, or diet culture.

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In this episode:

DK's...

This week's episode is one I have been so excited to share. I'm joined by two brilliant, generous, and deeply thoughtful guests — writer, educator, and body liberation advocate Chrissy King, and creative and founder Claire — who have co-created the Child-Free Coven, a community and mutual aid space for people who are child-free, by choice or by circumstance.

In this episode:

*What the word “childfree” actually means — and why Chrissy and Claire are actively reclaiming it

*Why being childfree is not anti-child, and the James Baldwin quote at the center of their community

*Chrissy...

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This is part two of my conversation with Kate Zigrang, founder of Viva Voce — and this is where everything shifts.

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We left off last week with Kate at a turning point: an OCD diagnosis, a doctor who finally told her the truth about her health, and something beginning to loosen. This episode is about what came next — the harder, slower, more relational work of actually stepping out of diet culture afte...

Kate Zigrang is an advocate, entrepreneur, impact investor, and the founder of Viva Voce — a size-inclusive fashion marketplace and community rooted in body justice. But before we get to what she's built, we go back to where it all started.

In this first part of a two-episode conversation, Kate takes us through her personal history with her body — from watching her mom navigate the world in a larger body and absorbing the shame that surrounded her, to puberty changing her own body in ways she wasn't prepared for, to a disordered relationship with food that developed in her...

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Abbie sits down with Dana Colthart, LCSW, a therapist specializing in OCD and eating disorders, to explore one of the most under-diagnosed and misunderstood overlaps in mental health. From intrusive thoughts to diet culture to why you can’t logic your way into recovery, this conversation explores what's truly driving our fears, our coping strategies, and the compulsions holding us back.

The first part of this episode is free for everyone. Paid subscribers can hear the entire conversation. You ca...

Abbie speaks with Anna Maltby — health journalist, personal trainer, and author of the How to Move newsletter — for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on the fitness industry. At the heart of this episode is: what does look like to rebuild a relationship with movement that isn’t rooted in shrinking, earning food, or “fixing” your body?

They talk about how fitness media manufactures insecurity to sell us solutions, what people are unlearning when they come to weight-neutral movement, why decoupling exercise from aesthetics can temporarily leave people unmotivated (and what to do about that), and why your s...

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 in...

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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...

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 liste...

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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 d...

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...

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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 ca...

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

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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 w...

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, diab...

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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. lo...

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

* Mid...

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Fiber is having a moment — and like most wellness trends, the story is more layered than the headlines suggest. In this episode, we're slowing down the “fibermaxxing” conversation and coming at it through the lens of science, context, and a compassionate relationship with food.

In this episode, we discuss:

* What the fibermaxxing trend is, what the research actually says about fiber’s benefits, and where those benefits level off

* How diet culture turns neutral nutrition advice...

How do kids learn about bodies and food before anyone even talks about it? Zoë Bisbing, psychotherapist and eating disorder specialist, joins me to unpack the invisible lessons our kids absorb—and how parents can respond to “hard body moments” without shame or overcorrection.

We talk about:

* Zoë’s journey from inpatient eating disorder treatment to prevention work—and how becoming a parent reshaped her lens.

* What kids are really learning about bodies, food, and morality.

* How to respond when a child expresses body distress.

* Why tolerating “body grief” builds resilienc...

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Zoë Rom is a journalist, elite runner, and advocate for nuanced storytelling in sports media. Kylee Van Horn is a dietitian working directly with athletes. They join me to share their insights on how diet culture and running culture intersect. We explore nutrition myths, challenge unrealistic body ideals, and talk about what it means for athletes to foster a healthier, science-backed relationship with movement and food.

Tune in for more on:

* How diet culture shows up in r...

Therapists Ashley Wilfore and Sarah Louer know what it's like to have dieting and body shame passed down to you like a family heirloom. We discuss what it means to experience intergenerational trauma, how disordered eating and body hatred get inherited and perpetuated through family values and behaviors, and what it's like to grow up surrounded by diet culture in your home. Ashley and Sarah and speak with honesty, compassion, and humor about their experiences letting go of the pursuit of thinness, and trying to raise their own children while being cycle-breakers.

Tune in to hear more...

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Abbie sits down with Meg Bowman, a nutritionist who works at the intersection of mental health, trauma, and nutrition, to explore how our lived experiences—especially chronic illness and trauma—shape our relationship with food and our bodies.

Meg shares her own story of being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, how it led her to a career change from PR to nutrition, and what she’s learned from working with clients who live with trauma, mental health conditions, and digestiv...

Abbie is joined by Christyna Johnson, a registered dietitian whose work sits at the intersection of nourishment and social justice (a perfect fit for Full Plate, as you all know).

They unpack the way systems have weaponized hunger. And why that matters so much at a time where extreme thinness is being celebrated, hunger suppression is being normalized, and health is feeling more like a performance than ever.

Tune in for more on:

* Hunger as a tool of control—historically, politically, and culturally* Growing up with limited food variety, dieting, and respectability politics* Di...

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Abbie is joined by registered dietitian Anna Sweeney for a conversation that gently but firmly pushes back on the loudest nutrition narratives we’re seeing and hearing right now (carbs, sugar, protein hype, processed foods, “good fats” and everything in between). Together, they unpack the potential harms of the newly released dietary guidelines, the moral panic around convenience foods, and the way “real food” nutrition messaging lands on disabled folks, people with eating disorders, parents, and anyone just trying to get fed.

Sharon Maxwell returns (she might hold the record!?) to talk about embracing pleasure with food and bringing fat joy into the new year. Oh and...why body liberation is not dead, they just want us to think it is.

Tune in for more on:

- Why pleasure matters in healing

- How Sharon is learning to savor food, perhaps for the first time

- Psychedelics in Sharon's recovery

- Finding “glimmers” of joy during hard seasons

- Fat joy in the new year

- How comm...

Because it's the end of the year, I figured we needed this one: Yasmine Cheyenne helps us walk some of our most challenging paths: self-forgiveness, people-pleasing, unhealthy relationships, and comparison.

In this revisited episode, we explore:

How perfectionism leads to self-abandonment

Setting boundaries as protection from burnout

How early relational dynamics shape the way we show up in the world

Identifying red flags in relationships

Breaking free of what keeps us stuck in painful cycles

How we lose ourselves when we make choices out of...

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If you’re heading into this season feeling overwhelmed, under-rested, or bracing yourself for the inevitable comments about food, bodies, health, or “being good”… you’re in good company. And you deserve support.

Below are the questions I’m answering this month’s community Q&A episode (thinking we should call these Q&As our monthly Full Plate Potluck??? Anyone?!🤣).

My thoughts on the first two questions are free for everyone, and the rest are behind the paywall. Join as...

Perimenopause often starts quietly. Maybe your sleep gets weird, maybe your cycles change, maybe you just don’t feel like yourself. And when that happens, most of us do the obvious thing: we start looking for information. We want reassurance. We want a roadmap.

And that’s where the trap springs.

Because the loudest voices don’t talk to you like a human moving through a profound hormonal transition. No—they talk to you like a problem, a project, and a body in need of tightening, shrinking, purifying, or fixing.

Cole Kazdin returns (her seco...

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Eating disorders have long been treated through talk therapy, nutrition support, and medication, but what happens when these approaches aren’t enough? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Marissa Raymond-Flesch, a leading researcher exploring the potential of psychedelic therapies as a treatment for anorexia.

We dive into:

The science behind psychedelic therapy and its emerging applications in mental health.

Current research on psychedelics for anorexia and what the early findings suggest.

Ho...

Deb Benfield, RDN, returns to talk about what it really means to age unapologetically. We explore how diet culture and anti-aging messaging collide in midlife, why our bodies deserve more kindness (not more control), and how to build a relationship with food, movement, and aging that feels spacious and grounded rather than restrictive and punishing.

Deb shares practical, compassionate ways to reclaim vitality, joy, and presence in a world obsessed with youth and thinness.

We get into:

How to move from “I know diet culture is harmful” to actually living differently

Why...

Hunger is messy and imperfect. It shows up at the wrong times, in the middle of a meeting, or when your calendar is packed. It comes when you don’t think it “should,” or when no one else around you is eating. It’s sometimes loud, sometimes quiet. It can be helpful, and it can also be frustrating—but that doesn’t make it the enemy. That makes it human.

Our bodies have a rhythm older than us, older than culture, older than the spreadsheets of rules we’ve been taught to follow. Hunger is simply asking for attention...