This episode will walk you through five powerful studies that challenge diet culture and reshape the way we think about food.

These studies highlight how health is influenced by connection, compassion, satisfaction, and beliefs — not just calories or nutrients.

I cover:

• The Rabbit Study and how kindness can influence health outcomes
• The Roseto Effect and the role of community in protecting heart health
• Research on Thai vs. Swedish women showing that satisfaction impacts nutrient absorption
• The Sugar Drink Study proving that beliefs about food can affect blood sugar levels
• Mann et al.’s review of long-term dieting outcomes and why diets rarely work long-term

Resources mentioned:

• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Download your free research guide PDF: https://leahkernrd.kartra.com/page/8Tz18
• Lived Experience with Ozempic— Jamie's Story: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/lived-experience-with-ozempic-jamies-story-an/id1616910063?i=1000617648346
• Why your relationship with food matters on a physiological level: https://leahkernrd.com/how-intuitive-eating-impacts-your-metabolism-and-digestion/

More From Leah:

• 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack
• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
• Subscribe to my personal Substack
• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.
• Send me a voice message on Speakpipe
• Email me: Leah@leahkernrd.com

When The Biggest Loser hit TV in the early 2000s, it was a cultural force that shaped how we think about weight, health, and discipline. Now, the new documentary Fit for TV revisits the show’s legacy.

In this episode, I share my reflections on the documentary through the lens of a non-diet dietitian who grew up watching The Biggest Loser.I break down what the documentary actually got right — and where it fell short.

We’ll cover:

• The moments that exposed the physical and psychological harms of the show.
• Where the doc reinforced fatphobia instead of unpacking weight stigma.
• The unsustainable and dangerous practices contestants endured
• How The Biggest Loser dehumanized people in larger bodies for entertainment and profit.
• The deeper truth about diet culture, capitalism, and who really benefits when you feel your body isn’t good enough.

Resources mentioned:

• Download your free research guide PDF: https://leahkernrd.kartra.com/page/8Tz18
• 5 Reasons Why Your Weight Doesn't Determine Your Health episode: https://leahkernrd.com/%F0%9F%91%89-5-reasons-why-your-weight-doesnt-determine-your-health/

More From Leah:

• 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack
• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
• Subscribe to my personal Substack
• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.
• Send me a voice message on Speakpipe
• Email me: Leah@leahkernrd.com

What happens when your anti-diet values collide with the realities of a weight-obsessed medical system?

In today’s solo episode, I respond to a deeply vulnerable listener story about being required to undergo weight monitoring during pregnancy as a gestational surrogate—after more than a decade of avoiding the scale as part of her healing from disordered eating.

I unpack the emotional toll of being reduced to a number, the grief of not having full autonomy in medical spaces, and how weight stigma is baked into the system.

I explore:

• Why mandatory weigh-ins can be so activating, even years into healing
• How to move from “knowing” your worth isn’t tied to weight to feeling it in your bones
• Reflective tools to challenge internalized beliefs
• Practical strategies for protecting your peace during weigh-ins

This episode is full of validation, support, and reminders that you are not the problem—the system is.

Whether you’ve experienced this exact situation or just felt the pain of weight stigma in healthcare, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned:

• Bri Campo's episode
• Nicola Smith of fat positive fertility episode

More From Leah:

• 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack
• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
• Subscribe to my personal Substack
• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.
• Send me a voice message on Speakpipe
• Email me: Leah@leahkernrd.com