Anna Lutz and Elizabeth Davenport have a conversation with Erin Bowers, a Presbyterian pastor, and Leslie Schilling, a Registered Dietitian, about diet culture in churches. They explore the ties between the culture we are raised in and how that affects the way we interpret religion.

They discuss:

• How diet culture is not congruent with Christian theology, and how privilege is often not acknowledged in the church.
• The difference between spiritual fasting and fasting with the intention of weight loss, and how fasting can so easily trigger disordered behaviors.
• How the spiritual undertone in diet culture messaging in the church is particularly harmful because it is often tied to one’s worthiness.
• Advice for making changes in your own church, and ways to navigate negative food or body related commentary while attending church, or at church functions that involve food.

Links: 

• Leslie’s website
• Leslie’s book: Born to Eat
• Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy
• Pinney Davenport Nutrition
• ThirdwheelED
• m8design
• Sonics Podcasts

Erin Kesterson Bowers, PhD is the Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of High Point, NC, where she has served in parish ministry for the last 13 years. Prior to returning to North Carolina (her home state!) she was in New Jersey, where she earned both her MDiv and her PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDRD-S, owns a Las Vegas-based coaching practice specializing in nutrition counseling for families, those of all ages with disordered eating concerns, professional athletes, and performers. In addition to running her practice, Leslie serves as the performance nutrition consultant for Cirque du Soleil® and as an expert contributor to U.S. News & World Report, sharing advice on parenting and health.

Anna Lutz and Elizabeth Davenport have a conversation with McCall Dempsey, founder of Southern Smash, about parents who have their own history of an eating disorder and the ways in which that can make feeding a family challenging. 

They discuss:

• The unique challenges faced by someone who has recovered from an eating disorder when feeding their children.
• How being relaxed about sugar and processed foods can make feeding kids easier and helps raise intuitive eaters.
• The challenges that arise around feeding kids when someone has a complicated relationship with food.
• The power of letting your kids know that it’s ok to not be ok.
• Advice for parents who have struggled with an eating disorder and are afraid that their child will also develop an eating disorder. 

Links: 

• McCall Dempsey
• Southern Smash Program
• Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy
• Pinney Davenport Nutrition
• ThirdWheelED
• M8 Design
• Sonics Podcasts

•  

McCall Dempsey, founder of Southern Smash, is an eating disorder survivor and passionate recovery advocate. After a 15-year battle, McCall sought treatment in December 2010. Since then she has made eating disorder awareness and prevention her life’s work and passion. McCall travels the country, sharing her story of hope and healing with audiences everywhere. From high school auditoriums to treatment centers to corporate meetings, her message of authenticity and embracing your inner-uniqueness transcends all ages.

McCall also writes the popular blog, Loving Imperfection. Her writing has been featured in various national television, print and online publications, including Today Show, Women’s Health, Southern Living and Huffington Post. A Louisiana native, McCall now resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with her husband, Jordan, and her two children, Manning and Marjorie.