In todayâs episode, Iâm joined by Dr Joshua Wolrich, a NHS doctor, nutrition counsellor and author of Food Isnât Medicine. We talk about why food has become such a fraught subject, including the rise of shame and âshouldsâ, weight stigma in everyday life and in healthcare, and the way diet culture can start far earlier than we imagine. Joshua shares his own journey from dieting and public âaccountabilityâ online to a weight neutral, evidence led approach. We explore why dieting is not risk free, why intuitive eating is so often misunderstood, and how fear rather than science drives so much of what weâre told about sugar, health and body size.
If you have ever felt tension around food, whether that is eating in secret, feeling judged in a doctorâs room, worrying you are âdoing it wrongâ, or panicking about what you might pass on to your children, this conversation is for you. Joshuaâs closing thought is beautifully simple: do one thing that brings more joy to eating, what you love, how you love to eat, and who you love to eat with, because a peaceful relationship with food is not a luxury, it is part of living.
00:36Â Debunking Food Myths
01:44Â Early Childhood and Food Relationships
03:11Â Impact of Food Scarcity on Health
06:07Â Navigating Diet Culture and Parenting
11:24Â Personal Journey into Nutrition and Medicine
13:49Â The Role of Social Media in Dieting
15:11Â Challenging Diet Culture and Embracing Intuitive Eating
20:34Â Reflecting on Problematic Dieting
21:08Â Accidental Social Media U-Turn
21:30Â Exploring Intuitive Eating
22:40Â Transition to Nutritional Science
25:00Â Challenging Dieting Risks
31:43Â Weight Stigma in Healthcare