Rachel Millner, Psy.D.

Rachel Millner, Psy.D. Dr. Millner is a licensed psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist who works with people struggling with food and body issues.

New blog post (link to blog in bio)I’ve been reflecting on documentary that aired on recently. I do not recommend watc...
09/05/2025

New blog post (link to blog in bio)
I’ve been reflecting on documentary that aired on recently. I do not recommend watching it for many reasons, unless you want to just fast forward from one interview to the next. Thank goodness for Aubrey Gordon.
But what I’ve been thinking about is the connection between The Biggest Loser and the use of GLP-1s for weight loss. Given the amount of time that has passed between The Biggest Loser and the current Ozempic era, it may seem like the two aren’t that related.
But I think they are very connected. I’m not sure we would be in this place with GLP-1s for weight loss if The Biggest Loser never aired.
Image description: there are several slides with quotes from the blog post:
NEW BLOG POST
The Road to The Ozempic Era Was
Paved by The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser paved the way for the Ozempic Era. One made humiliation into prime-time entertainment. The other sells
“kindness” through a prescription pad.
Both profit off risking fat people’s lives in the name of thinness.
A show that made this much money, sparked this much controversy, and even inspired academic research seems like obvious material for a documentary. Yet it wasn’t until 2025 that one was released: a three-episode Netflix series titled Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. But the documentary neither broke new ground nor featured more than a small handful of former contestants. In a television landscape that offers a long list of documentaries to choose from, this one stands out for its lack of in-depth research, lack of revealing new information, lack of innovation, and general lack of intrigue. Still, the documentary sits at #3 on Netflix’s most-viewed shows two weeks after its release. The documentary makers knew what The Biggest Loser creators knew: people will tune in when the topic is weight loss, and even more will tune in when it includes the humiliation of fat people in the process.
(Continued in comments)

Fat liberation is a movement that centers the right of fat people to exist without stigma, discrimination, or bias again...
08/30/2025

Fat liberation is a movement that centers the right of fat people to exist without stigma, discrimination, or bias against them. It is about the freedom to exist in our bodies as we are right now.
When we center the fattest people in fat liberation work, every person- in every body size- gets free.
There is no way for any of us to be free in our bodies if we think of fat liberation as diets not working. And I think for a long time, that is what it has been about in many ways.
The idea that it’s “fine” to be fat if there’s no option to be thin, but if thinness is an option, then fatness is not acceptable.
No one, no matter what body size, can be free in a culture that centers that message and calls it fat liberation. It means that ultimately none of us are free because it still centers thinness as the ideal to be achieved.
Until fat liberation is held in the way it is intended and centers true liberation for the fattest people, and everyone else, it is susceptible to the impact of the way the culture is blowing at any given time.
Fat liberation is important not because diets don’t work. Fat liberation is important even if diets work, maybe even more so.
Image description: there is a teal border with text inside that says: We are witnessing what happens when fat liberation is reduced to “diets don’t work.” As soon as there is some hope or belief of a diet that “works,” fat liberation is abandoned. Fat liberation cannot begin nor end with “diets don’t work.” Fat liberation is so much more than that and needed whether there’s a diet that “works” or not.

and I have been co-facilitating this provider support group since 2019. Every round we open it up to new members. the ...
08/27/2025

and I have been co-facilitating this provider support group since 2019.
Every round we open it up to new members. the next round is beginning September 15th and we would love for you to join us.
The group is open to providers of any kind who are struggling with an eatting disorder, disorderedd eaating or want support around their relationship with food and body.
Providers need support, especially right now, and the stigma often means we suffer in silence. This group is a place to talk openly and a core value of the group is knowing that providers can be struggling with an ed and still be excellent providers.
Please reach out to us with any questions or for the link to register.
Image description: there is an orange border with text that says:
The next round of Aaron Flores and my Provider Group begins Monday, September 15th
2-3:30pm EST
Group is open to any type of provider who struggles with an eating disorder or disordered eating or wants to heal their relationship with food and body
Biweekly Monday, 9/15 through January 19th, 2926
Cost: $750 for 10 groups (payment plans available
Contact rachel@rachelmillnertherapy.com with questions or to register

In the same way that anorexia is the same illness and just as dangerous in higher weight people as in lower weight peopl...
08/22/2025

In the same way that anorexia is the same illness and just as dangerous in higher weight people as in lower weight people, so is the pursuit of intentional weight loss with GLP-1s (essentially prescribed anorexia).
As more and more people publicly announce they are using GLP-1s for intentional weight loss, if you find yourself reacting differently when it’s an already smaller bodied person sharing it than when it’s a higher weight person sharing it, that’s anti-fat bias.
The anti-fat bias isn’t your fault. We’ve been taught to believe that it’s fine (or good or necessary) for fat people to pursue weight loss and concerning when a thin person does.
When anti-fat bias shows up in these ways, it’s an opportunity to acknowledge it and start doing the work of unpacking it.
To return to what you know to be true and not what the culture has taught you; that dieting and intentional weight loss is just as dangerous for fat people as for thin people.
There is so much anti-fat bias and weight stigma in our culture, it’s impossible not to have internalized it and the work of unpacking it is ongoing. This is another opportunity to do so.

Image description: there is a green border with text in the middle that says: If you notice yourself having a different reaction when a person already in a smaller body announces they are taking GLP-1s for intentional weight loss than you do when a higher weight person announces the same thing, it’s an opportunity to unpack your anti-fat bias.

Intentional weight loss is just as dangerous for for fat people as it is for thin people.

We don’t need to “overcome” our bodies. We live in them. We find ways to be in relationship with them. The rhetoric from...
08/20/2025

We don’t need to “overcome” our bodies. We live in them. We find ways to be in relationship with them.
The rhetoric from the weight loss industry would have us believing we somehow have to “overcome” our bodies. “Overcome” our fatness. “Overcome” our “slow metabolism.” “Overcome” our “sweet tooth.”
We are supposed to “overcome” body changes and illness and the need for rest and hunger. It’s all such BS. We were never meant to “overcome” our bodies.
My job is not to “overcome” my fatness even though the culture wants me to believe that it is. I don’t need to “overcome” my body, because my body is not a problem. You do not need to “overcome” your body because your body is not a problem.
There is plenty we “overcome” in life including the messages from the weight loss industry and diet culture. But our bodies are not something to “overcome.”
Image description: there is a teal and orange background with text that says: a body is not something to overcome

There was a time that my body was a similar size to most of the instructors. I don’t share pictures of that time for se...
08/16/2025

There was a time that my body was a similar size to most of the instructors.
I don’t share pictures of that time for several reasons, one of which is that I don’t have many. I don’t have them because I had so much shame about my body that I avoided being in them.
For my body to be that size, my whole life had to be focused on the task of shrinking it. For my body to be that size, I had to starve it. For my body to be that size, I had to believe there was something wrong with it and that I needed to stay hidden. For my body to be that size, I had to have an eating disorder.
I never would have become a peloton instructor in that body, because I never would have applied.
My body is not meant to be that size.
My current body is much larger than most of the peloton instructors bodies. I have lots of pictures of my current body. I don’t feel the need to hide it.
My current body is not a failure or a lack of willpower or a loss of control or evidence of weakness. My current body does not need to be changed or fixed.
My current body holds my power and my truth and my hopes and my dreams and my voice and my desires and my joy and my determination to get hired by peloton.
My body and my life are not meant to be small. It is only in my bigger body that I can live a bigger life.
Image description: each picture is of me on the peloton bike. I am wearing dark leggings and a blue tank top. Each of the pictures has an aqua square with text inside that reads:
My body used to look like most of the Peloton instructor’s bodies. Thin.
Visible muscles.
This is my body now. The one I’m trying to get hired as a Peloton instructor in
PELOTON
I did not “let myself go”
I did not “lose control” or lack willpower
I did not give up or stop caring
This is the body I healed from an eating disorder into
PELOTON
This is the body l found my voice in
This is the body that allows me to take up space
This is the body that holds my power, my fierceness, my confidence
This is the body I want to be a Peloton instructor in

It’s and there is a long list of reasons that we need , one of which is that fat people doing some of the exact same...
08/11/2025

It’s and there is a long list of reasons that we need , one of which is that fat people doing some of the exact same things thin people do, is a radical act.
In this case, I was sitting by the pool in a bikini eating a soft pretzel. If you looked around the pool, there were a lot of people eating.
And I don’t want to minimize that there were probably a lot of people in all different size bodies feeling uncomfortable eating in public while wearing a bathing suit.
The difference is that while smaller bodied people may feel uncomfortable, the external world is not judging them for eating.
Fat people are told by the world not to eat certain foods, not to wear bikinis and definitely not to eat while wearing a bikini.
I enjoyed my soft pretzel by the pool and was so happy for the beautiful weather here this weekend that meant I could go the pool several days in a row.
Here’s to well-fed fat people swimming and eating and experiencing fat joy.

Image description: I am sitting and wearing a blue polka dot bikini. I am holding a piece of soft pretzel. There is text overlaying the photo that says: We need fat liberation because fat people doing the same thing thin people do is still a radical act

I was recently reading a discussion amongst providers about potential correlations between certain medical conditions an...
08/08/2025

I was recently reading a discussion amongst providers about potential correlations between certain medical conditions and body size. So many important points were made about how nuanced this is and how correlation does not equal causation.
But even amongst providers who understand weight inclusive care and Health at Every Size®️, there is anti-fat bias that seeps through.
It’s mostly unintentional and probably unconscious for some and no one is intending harm, and still, the anti-fat bias is there.
If you are going to enter these conversations or talk about these topics, please do your own work first. I promise you that if you don’t do your own work, your anti-fat bias will be there. It will be felt and it will come through in your words, even when you don’t think it is.
Your clients will pick up on it. Other providers will pick up on it. And you will cause harm and you will communicate misinformation. And your fat clients will have a sense that they aren’t safe with you, even if they aren’t quite sure why.
And I know all of it will be unintentional and causing harm is probably the last thing you want to do. And the opportunity here is to do your own unlearning. Unpack your antifat bias.
We all become better providers when we do our own work. And, when it comes to navigating this topic, it is absolutely essential that you do your own work before entering this conversation with clients. Your clients will thank you for it.
Image description: there is a purple background with stars in the corner and text in the center that says: Providers:
Before talking about possible correlations between certain medical conditions and weight, please unpack your anti-fat bias.
Because if you try to talk about this without having done your own unlearning, your anti-fat bias will come through no matter how well you think you are hiding it.

It’s and one way that shows up in my life is being in the photos. It means not hiding or worrying about how I’m stan...
08/04/2025

It’s and one way that shows up in my life is being in the photos.
It means not hiding or worrying about how I’m standing or what I’m wearing or anything except just being present in the moment and letting myself be seen.
I know how hard pictures can be. It’s a topic that comes up often for people I work with. There are a lot of reasons that pictures can be hard. And they make sense.
And also you deserve to be seen and be visible. You are worthy of being in the picture and having those memories captured of you.
If you aren’t ready to be in pictures, that’s ok. It’s a journey. And one you can practice. Try taking a picture of yourself and you be the only person who looks at it, but try to look at it through the eyes of someone who loves you. It’s not easy. But you’ve got this.
And, I highly recommend . was absolutely incredible. It’s hard to even put into words how amazing she was.
And while the theater seats still have a ways to go, I will say that the seats the Studio 54 theater were significantly wider than most Broadway theaters and had significantly more leg room.
And my dress was the perfect option for a day in NYC. And of course my bestie is always fun to spend the day with.
Image description: there is a picture of my friend and me standing in front of a background that has the name of the play “call me Izzy” and “Jean Smart” written on it. We are smiling at the camera. There is text overlaying the picture that says “fat liberation is being in the picture.”

The beginning of seems like the perfect time to announce that I’m going to be a panelist at this year and I can’t wai...
08/02/2025

The beginning of seems like the perfect time to announce that I’m going to be a panelist at this year and I can’t wait!
I will share more details about the panel in the weeks to come, but in the meantime, tickets are on sale and I would love to see you there.
The power of is hard to describe. It’s so important and life changing. Can’t wait to be in community with you!!
Image description: in pink and teal colors, the text says: I AM A 2025
PHILLY FATCON PANELIST
PHILLY FATCON
2025 NOVEMBER 1-2

Join me tomorrow (Wednesday 7/30 1-3pm EST) for this panel discussion hosted by .It’s free to join, but you need to reg...
07/30/2025

Join me tomorrow (Wednesday 7/30 1-3pm EST) for this panel discussion hosted by .
It’s free to join, but you need to register in advance via Instagram page. Hope to see you there!
Image description: there is an image of a person with text over top that says: TCF TALKS: A MONTHLY SERIES
LIVE
EP 01
I’M TIRED OF BEING RESILIENT-FATIGUE, BURNOUT,
AND THE PLUS SIZE PERSON
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Dr. Rachel Millner, Phath Montaga, Nick Darden $ Carmina Surannes
JULY 30TH, 1-3PM EST
Join the Conversation with Marie Denee on FB, YouTube, or IG

Diet culture and the anti-fat bias that result from it, seem louder than ever. It’s hard to go anywhere without hearing ...
07/29/2025

Diet culture and the anti-fat bias that result from it, seem louder than ever. It’s hard to go anywhere without hearing ads for weight loss or encountering weight loss stories.
So many of us have reflected on how loud the static of diet culture is right now. My clients share with me how brutal it is. My colleagues and I name how different it is right now for people because of the constant pressure to lose weight.
And there are so many awful things happening around us. Legitimately awful things. Not the things diet culture wants us to believe are awful, but aren’t. Truly awful things.
And it is no accident that in the midst of the awful things, diet culture is screaming at us. That is exactly what it’s designed to do.
Keep us small. Keep us hungry. Keep us distracted. Keep us from having a voice. Keep us from fighting back.
The more we know about what diet culture is up to, the more we can resist. The more we can hold onto our power. The more we can stay focused and fed.

Image description: there is a blue outline with text in the middle that says: It is no coincidence that in the midst of so many terrible things happening right now, diet culture and anti-fat bias seem louder than ever. It has always been true that the systems underlying all that is happening, are the same systems that want us hungry, distracted and small. We are more controllable that way.

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Rachel Millner, Psy.D., CEDS-S, CBTP is a psychologist in PA and NJ, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor, and Certified Body Trust® provider. Dr. Millner has been in practice since 2005, working with people struggling with all forms of eating disorders and disordered eating as well as those working to break free from diet culture and work toward body liberation. Since 2014, Dr. Millner has worked in the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she treats children and adolescents struggling with eating disorders using a family-based approach.

Dr. Millner is a trauma-informed, Health at Every Size®, fat-positive provider who works from a weight-inclusive lens. She works with people across the weight spectrum from a non-diet perspective. Dr. Millner believes in body autonomy and recognizes that weight stigma and diet culture impact all of us and the decisions we make about how to care for our bodies.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Millner serves on the board of the local International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals chapter. She is the co-chair of the Weight Stigma and Social Justice special interest group in the Academy of Eating Disorders, where she also serves as a member of the Awards and Scientific Review committee. Dr. Millner speaks nationally about weight stigma, weight-inclusive care, anorexia in higher-weight bodies, and her own eating disorder recovery. Dr. Millner has shared her expertise on popular podcasts such as the Food Psych podcast and the Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast. She has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Mercer County Community College and Gwynedd Mercy College.

Specialties: