Shoulders Down

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah sits down with Chelsea Levy, MS, RDN, a weight-inclusive dietitian specializing in eating disorders, PCOS, diabetes, and endocrine-related conditions. Chelsea shares her personal journey from chronic dieting and weight cycling to discovering intuitive eating while studying to become a dietitian. Together, Leah and Chelsea explore the realities of living in...

In this solo episode, Leah talks about why it can feel so hard to figure out what to eat when you’re coming from a history of dieting. She outlines some of the main obstacles she sees clients running into, and then offers a solution for how to transition into intuitive eating without feeling like you’re free falling. She gets into: Why figuring out what to eat is likely a muscle you haven’t streng...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Ragen Chastain, speaker, researcher, board-certified patient advocate, and leading voice in the fields of weight science, weight stigma, and healthcare. Ragen shares her personal journey from years of chronic dieting and an eating disorder to becoming a weight-inclusive health advocate. She explains what happened when she conducted an extensiv...

In this episode, I respond to and unpack some of the most common comments I received after the viral Jillian Michaels vs. Body Positivity debate video was published. I’ll be honest: it took me a long time to record this episode. Reading through hostile and misinformed comments is unpleasant. But I ultimately decided this conversation was worth having, because the comments reveal deep misunderstand...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah reconnects with former client Lizzie Marks for a conversation about what intuitive eating looks like five years later — and how healing your relationship with food can ripple into every area of life. Lizzie shares how her early intuitive eating journey began with swinging fully away from rigid food rules and exercise habits, and how she eventually found her...

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah sits down with Brittany Modell to explore the nuanced relationship between ADHD, body image, and eating behaviors — and how neurodivergence can shape our experience with food in ways that are often misunderstood. Brittany shares her personal story growing up immersed in diet culture, from early Weight Watchers meetings to navigating a lifelong sense of feel...

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah sits down with Karly Borden, founder of The Public Run Club, to explore what it really looks like to rebuild a relationship with running after disordered eating. Karly shares her personal story of navigating eating disorder recovery and the often-overlooked challenge of returning to exercise in a way that feels safe, grounded, and self-trust-driven. Togethe...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with certified eating disorder specialist Sydney Greene, to explore the overlap between disordered eating and substance use. Sydney shares her personal story of growing up around addiction, developing orthorexia, and later navigating sobriety — only to find her compulsive behaviors shifting toward exercise, clean eating, and wellness. Leah and Sydn...

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah sits down with plus-size style expert and reality TV producer Marcy Guevara-Prete to reflect on their experience participating in a viral Jubilee debate with fitness personality Jillian Michaels. Leah and Marcy unpack what it was like to engage in a highly charged, public conversation about body positivity, health, and weight — and how lived experience, med...

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah sits down with therapist Edie Stark, LCSW , to discuss their thoughts on the final edit of the Jillian Michaels x Body Positivity debate.  Leah and Edie reflect on what they thought of the edit, how it felt to watch the video back (after experiencing it in real time a few months ago), and what frustrated them about the final video. Mentioned in this episode...

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah sits down with therapist Edie Stark, LCSW , to unpack their experience participating in a debate with fitness personality Jillian Michaels on the popular YouTube channel Jubilee. Leah and Edie reflect on what it was like to step into a highly produced debate environment discussing body positivity, weight stigma, and health claims — and how the format of vir...

Is the backlash against ultra-processed foods really about health… or is it about control? In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah and Laura Thomas, PhD, explore the growing moral panic around ultra-processed foods — and what’s really driving the conversation. Laura explains why much of the research linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to poor health outcomes is observational, and how these headl...

In this episode of Shoulders Down , Leah talks with Jamie (returning guest and close friend) about navigating wedding planning as a plus-size bride — without pursuing weight loss. Rather than changing her body for her wedding day, Jamie shares how she made intentional accommodations to support comfort, confidence, and presence. Together, Leah and Jamie explore wedding culture pressures, how to pri...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast , Leah takes a deep dive into Orthorexia Nervosa — a form of disordered eating that often hides behind “clean eating,” wellness, and the pursuit of health. Leah shares her personal experience with Orthorexia, explains how healthy eating can cross the line into rigidity and anxiety, and breaks down the symptoms, risk factors, and potential health consequenc...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast , Leah talks with Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, about why dieting and weight-focused care can be especially harmful for children and teens — and what she’s seeing on the front lines of adolescent eating disorder treatment. Drawing from nearly 20 years of experience across hospital systems, out...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast, Leah talks with therapist and certified intuitive eating counselor, Libby Supan, about her 15 years in Overeaters Anonymous (OA) — and why she ultimately believes the program worsened her eating disorder rather than healed it. Libby shares how OA’s abstinence-based model, the idea of food and sugar addiction, and rigid sponsorship dynamics fueled binge ea...

In this episode, Leah's reflection on 6 wellness trends that shaped 2025. She covers: The proteinification of everything & whether or not its worth the hype GLP-1s and the normalization of thinness at all costs Increased body monitoring— Oura Rings, Glucose Monitors, & Apple Watches— & how this might impact intuitive eating  Pilates culture: the matching sets, the "toned but...

In this episode, I sit down with fat activist, author, podcaster, and feminist, Virgie Tovar. We cover: Virgie's experience growing up in a fat family and how that shaped her early relationship with her body Fat activism vs body positivity & the evolution of these frameworks  The intersection of queerness & fatness, & the having your heartbroken by the culture  The ethics of GLP-1...

In this episode, Leah is joined by licensed therapist and body image expert, Bri Campos, to talk about picture grief. Learn more from Bri on her website. More from Leah: Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Kit Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program Join my self-paced course, The Return Subscribe to my personal Substack Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerin...

In this episode, we cover: My story with navigating the holiday season before and after becoming an intuitive eater and healing my body image Common hurdles to navigating the holidays as an intuitive eater Specific tips for handling loved-ones still entrenched in diet culture How to avoid eating past comfortable fullness at the big holiday meal(s) Dealing with the desire to fill the void of unmet...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Alexis Conason, Licensed Therapist and Certified Eating Disorder Consultant.  We discuss: How Alexis went from studying  Obesity Medicine to weight inclusive medicine What the Obesity Medicine research actually points to How to navigate the tension between validating desire for weight change while also wanting food freedom What might really be underneath sta...

In this episode, we discuss: How diet culture can steal our values Values-aligned living, resilience, & confidence How to tell if you're acting out of alignment with your values An exercise for figuring out your values  Resources Mentioned: Values Exercise: https://d11n7da8rpqbjy.cloudfront.net/leahkernrd/482_1669901562874Confidence_ValuesDrivenLiving_Module2.pdf Brene Brown values list:...

In this episode, Leah shares how diet culture sneaks into the wedding industry—from “bridal bootcamps” to being asked about “weight goals” at dress fittings—and how these pressures can rob us of joy on one of life’s most meaningful days. Through her own wedding dress shopping story and reflections from clients, Leah explores what it actually looks like to reject body shame, hold space for body gri...

In this episode we’re talking about why I’m worried that Chat GPT might be making intuitive eating harder for people. 👉Get on the waitlist for our new 10 steps to food freedom audio course 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...

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 h...