The racist roots of the diet industry.
There's a history behind how you feel about your body shape and size.
I’m white, thin, non disabled, & cis gender- and those are just a few of the many privileges I have that must be acknowledged to be an effective coach who works with humans. Period.
And I continue to learn from people of color with lived experiences and knowledge in this field- and you should too.
So here’s just a quick synopsis of why I coach the way I do, and a list of resources at the bottom. The more education you have, the easier it is to see how racism and fitness are linked to each other ...
Why do we idealize thinness?
🔻A big part of it stems from the 1800’s, when white European men felt they needed to create a bullshit evolutionary hierarchy to place themselves at the top. So they ranked people according to physical traits and catalogued them to fit their narrative.
🔺These men decided that fatness was a sign of ‘savagery’- only because it was a trait they were seeing more frequently in the people of color they were examining. So fatness=Blackness=uncivilized became a thing, and thinness=whiteness=superior took hold.
🔻Taking a deeper look shows that large Black bodies were labeled negatively long before doctors decided weight was a ‘health issue.’
🔺And health professionals that continue to equate thinness with health are also continuing to perpetuate this racist agenda.
🔸The research and the history is well documented if you choose to see it.
🔻Because the truth is white supremacy directly impacts your relationship with your body.
To fight against racism is to also fight against diet culture- because they are indeed the same fight.
Buy the books, take the courses, and absorb the free education from just some of the brilliant humans that work in this field .
Note: Please be mindful of how you interact with creators who offer so much free education in the form of blogs and social media. Use Google when and wherever you can instead of asking for more free labor from humans who work hard to share their knowledge with us.
BOOKS:
Fearing the Black Body, by Sabrina Strings
Anti-Diet, by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD (My absolute favorite book on this topic. She also has a fantastic podcast and website as well)
Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness, Da’Shaun Harrison
What We Don’t Talk about when we Talk about Fat, Aubrey Gordon
The Body is not an Apology: The power of Radical Self-Love,by Sonya Renee Taylor
Intuitive Eating 4th Edition & The Intuitive Eating Workbook, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
WEBSITES:
asadah.org
christyharrison.com
isabelfoxenduke.com
haescommunity.com
sizediversityandhealth.com
intuitiveeating.org
danceswithfat.org
thefuckitdiet.com
immaeatthat.com
SOME OTHER PLACES TO LEARN: INSTAGRAM
@sonyareneetaylor
@moemotivate
@chrissyking
@yrfatfriend
Author
Gretchen
Coach
Growing up I was a half-hearted athlete who struggled with my relationship with both food and exercise. I smoked for over a decade and spent much of my youth either binging or not eating at all. But after breaking my leg in a car accident, months of physical rehab and years of psychological counseling lead me to a renewed appreciation for my health and my ability to just move-something I'll never take for granted again. I overcame a lot and have spent much of my life sharing what I've learned. I became a NASM personal trainer over 16 years ago. The type of clients I've trained and my own personal interests lead me to attain many other certifications. These include Sports Specific and Orthopedic exercise specializations, Pre and Post Natal exercise, MMA conditioning, and ACE Mind Body Specializations. I've taken 2 TRX qualifying courses in general and functional fitness. I am Kettlebell certified through both NETA and Kettlebell Kings, also completing an independent study facilitated by Steve Cotter, founder of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation. I am also a certified Animal Flow Instructor. In the fall of 2021, I became a Certified Intuitive Eating Facilitator, as IE was integral to my own ability to divest from diet culture. I think this was the missing piece to be able to put together a holistic, meaningful training program for all my clients.
