Ep 76 with Judith Matz
The Shapeshifting of Diet Culture, and Breaking Free with Judith Matz
It was such a treat to have this conversation with the wise and wonderful Judith Matz, LCSW, whose depth of experience and insights into the ways diet culture has increasingly developed sneaky ways of presenting itself as “noooooo, not a diet", totally not a diet!” can equip us with the skills to see through the shapeshifting and develop new ways of coming back to trusting ourselves and our bodies. Please check out her cards “The Body Positivity Card Deck,” which she co-developed with previous podcast guest Amy Pershing - they are available via PESI and are absolutely amazing! (link below)
In this episode, Judith shares more about her inspiring and long career, how her first book ‘Beyond the Shadow of a Diet evolved and how it helped her find community, how this work has changed over time, the process of learning and unlearning and the cruciality of the ongoing learning/work, the many sneaky faces of diet culture, more about the Body Positive Card Deck created by Judith and Amy Pershing and Judith’s hope for the future of HAES(R) and anti-diet work.
Listen to the Episode here:
Here Fi and Judith speak about:
Judith’s incredible and long career; from being pulled deep inside diet culture herself to witnessing injustices and working towards changing the culture beyond her practice.
‘Beyond the Shadow of a Diet”; Judith’s love for writing and how her first book came to be.
Finding community in the non-digital world; how Judith found colleagues and friends by putting her work out into the world.
How the work has changed and evolved over time and the joy of watching the younger generation come through in this space.
The Learning, The Unlearning & The Ongoing Learning/Work; the importance of staying open and why we need to keep listening.
How some clients come to therapy and its generational impact.
Judith steps us through the many sneaky-faces of diet culture and how we can begin to navigate them with our clients.
The Body Positive Card Deck created by Judith Matz, LCSW and Amy Pershing, LMSW;
The idea behind the cards and what Judith hopes they will offer.
Fi then walks us through one of the cards and Judith shares how they have been used by clients and colleagues.
Judith shares her hopes for the future of HAES and anti-diet work.
As mentioned in the podcast:
Beyond the Shadow of a Diet, 2nd Edition (Book), by Judith Matz, LCSW and Dr Ellen Frankel, PhD.
The Diet Survivors Handbook, by Judith Matz, LCSW
Body Positive Card Deck by Judith Matz, LCSW and Amy Pershing, LMSW, ACSW, CCTP-II
Jess Campbell, HAES student doctor and Nutritionist.
Dr Natasha Larmie, The Fat Doctor.
Dr Joshua Wolrich MBBS MRCS, NHS Surgical Doctor (HAES).
Dr Lisa Erlanger, MD
Dr Lesley Williams, MD, Author, Physician, Advocate
More about Judith:
Judith Matz, LCSW is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of diet culture, binge eating, emotional eating, body image, and weight stigma. She is co-author of The Body Positivity Card Deck, The Diet Survivor’s Handbook and Beyond a Shadow of a Diet, and author of the children's book, Amanda's Big Dream.
Judith's work has been featured in the media including NPR, New York Times and Psychotherapy Networker, and she has a private practice in the Chicago area. Judith offers a popular full day training (live webinar or digital) for mental health/health professionals: Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Bingeing and Body Image: What Every Clinician Needs to Know through PESI, Inc.
Connect with Judith: