Hello and welcome to another episode of the Perception Podcast with me your host Caroline Partridge. In today's episode I'm delighted to be joined once again by relationship expert and trauma specialist Sally Baker. In this fascinating and informative conversation Sally breaks down why the latest government 'jab for a job' scheme for unemployed overweight people is short sighted, and over simplifies a deeply complex and layered issue. We discuss the mental, emotional and legal fallouts from failed short cuts to weight loss, as well as body dysmorphia, ageing, the poison of comparison and the pandemic of dangerous and unnecessary cometic procedures amongst women in their early twenties. So please join me as we look a life through a different lens.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· As a trauma specialist and relationship expert, Sally Baker believes the government's proposed Ozempic scheme for unemployed people is dangerously simplistic, drawing on her extensive experience with weight related trauma cases
· Through her clinical practice, Sally has supported numerous clients using Ozempic, observing not just physical side effects but also a phenomenon she calls "Ozempic sadness" where suppressed traumas surface when food can no longer be used for emotional comfort
· Sally's long-term work with bariatric surgery patients has given her unique insight into how weight loss shortcuts can backfire, from severe nutritional deficiencies to addiction switching when underlying emotional issues aren't addressed
· Drawing from decades of experience treating eating disorders, Sally reveals the connection between obesity and childhood trauma, particularly sexual abuse, which she's seen in cases dating back to when clients were as young as three
· Sally's expertise in body dysmorphia allows her to explain how modern beauty trends like the "Love Island face" are creating a concerning uniformity, with young women seeking Botox and fillers before they even develop wrinkles
· Through her therapeutic work, Sally has witnessed the devastating impact of social media comparison culture, seeing how heavily curated images are affecting her clients' mental health and body image
· Her work with post-surgery clients has shown Sally how body dysmorphia often worsens after procedures, as patients develop a hyper focused attention to increasingly minor "imperfections"
· Sally's holistic approach to treatment emphasises the need for therapeutic intervention alongside any physical interventions, based on her observation that quick-fix solutions often lead to more complex problems later
BEST MOMENTS
"It works. It does work. Although I've also met clients now, the longer it's around, the more you meet clients who've had different experiences with it. And I've also met clients that couldn't stick with it or didn't want to stick with it, and they haven't lost weight or they've regained the weight they lost as soon as they stopped paying for the jabs."
"Whatever you get done becomes your new normal... If you're always searching for something to make better, you'll find imperfection."
"We're comparing ourselves to these choreographed, beautiful fantasies and these women are fantasies as well."
"These are strategies that people have come up with in really difficult, challenging times in their lives. And they're not great strategies, but that's absolutely all they had at that time."
"It's an introspective gaze that we see a lot now with the pressure of social media, the pressure of societal norms on women, that it makes women introspective, where really we need to be looking out to the horizon for mental health to have an impact on the world."
ABOUT THE GUEST
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Sally Baker APAQAM
Sally is a highly experienced licensed and accredited award winning therapist, writer and speaker. She sees adults and young people face to face in London and worldwide via Zoom. She is trained to an advanced or master practitioner level