Body image, eating disorders & how to be a responsible health professional (ft. Randi Zimmerman, LCSW-R, CEDS-S)

We have been told if you have a negative body image, to change your body & it will fix your body image. Unfortunately that is NOT the answer. It is time to increase awareness and change our approach to overall health & wellness.

As a health & fitness professional, I encounter so many people who struggle with disordered eating, body image & yo-yo dieting. In addition, there are many health & fitness professionals who don’t know how to properly support someone who struggles in that area because it is out of our scope of practice.

Randi Zimmerman, LCSW-R, CEDS-S, is the founder & lead therapist at the group therapy practice, The Time Is Always Now Therapy Group. Randi & her team of incredible therapists see all ages & genders as well as treat all issues. They have a specialty in eating disorder treatment & recovery.

Randi has seen from a first hand view how the attention on weight loss has harmed the well-being of so many people. She believes that the overvaluation of appearance of the body and the measurement or judgment of a person based on their size & shape is what leads to weight stigma which in return, leads to fat phobia. This not only creates unrealistic & unhealthy expectations of ourselves & the feeling of “not good enough” from a very young age, but also can cause medical inequity as well as other health-harming disorders. 

My goal is to be the best health professional I can be. I want to help you reach your goal, but I want to help you live a really long, healthy life most importantly. 

I asked Randi to create this episode with me to raise awareness for everyone, specifically health & fitness professionals, on what signs to look out for & how to help somebody who is struggling. More importantly, I want her to help you learn to love yourself a little bit more.

We ask you to please share this episode with your community to spread awareness & help someone who may be struggling. If you are a health & fitness professional, please share this with your clients & network.

RESOURCES

• How to work with Randi Zimmerman: Visit her website www.thetimeisalwaysnow.group or email her directly at [e-mail]

• Eat-26 self assessment questionnaire that measures symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders. You can take the self-test here: https://www.eat-26.com/

• The Health At Every Size movement is a framework for care that supports people of different body sizes and shapes to adopt healthy behaviors and attitudes without focusing on weight or weight loss. It is based on the principles of weight inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating for well-being, and life-enhancing movement. It challenges the weight-centered approach that often stigmatizes, discriminates, and harms people who do not conform to the thin ideal. It also recognizes that health is influenced by many factors beyond individual control, such as socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and other identities. Learn more here: https://asdah.org/health-at-every-size-haes-approach/

• Intuitive Eating Book: https://amzn.to/3EBRRf5

• Intuitive Eating Workbook: https://amzn.to/3EEMMTa

• Recovery Record is a secure and evidence-based application that has been evaluated in clinical trials and is available to Optum/UnitedHealthcare members and their care teams to support eating disorder treatment and recovery. Learn more here: