Karin Kratina, PHD, RD

24/05/2023

03/02/2023

If you need permission to skip the scale, here it is. I've been recommending this for decades.

Fatphobia persists in medicine because of a lack of education about weight management, our columnist writes.

03/02/2023

If you need permission to stay off the scale at the doctors office, here it is. I've been recommending this for decades: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/02/01/doctors-fat-shaming-fat-phobia/?utm_source=newsletter&wpsirc=nl_wellbeing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_wellbeing&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F3904c16%2F63dc4ed91b79c61f8776ed94%2F596b058eade4e24119ac534f%2F20%2F39%2F63dc4ed91b79c61f8776ed94&wp_cu=fb68be773b4175d19d81bb1945ce9d9a%7C46F52725CBD61656E0530100007FDC9C

18/09/2022

Parents...do not joke about size and eating. But, I would not recommend saying "I'm not in the mood for ice cream." Rather, I recommend modeling intuitive eating: "I'm not hungry right now. I think I'll wait until i get hungry before I decide if I want ice cream." From the article: "Refrain from associating food choices with body size, even in a joking way. You may not be eating ice cream because you want to lose weight (I’m not advocating this, I’m using this as an example. I hope you eat ice cream with your children) but do not express this to your child. Instead of saying “No ice cream for me, Mom has to get rid of this belly!” say “No thank you, I’m not in the mood for ice cream right now.” Though don't be surprised if your kids are on to you. It's pretty hard to fool children. Consider setting your weight aside while you raise your family."

How to protect your children from food and body shame. And from the harmful practices of diet-leader.

13/09/2022

Repost:

Dear Parents,
School has started and I want to ask you a favor, sit down with your child for 5 minutes and explain to them that being very tall, very short, chubby, skinny, curly, kinky, straight or red-haired, black, white or other shade of skin color and any characteristic in between, is not a joke to be made fun of.

That there is nothing wrong with wearing the same shoes every day. Explain to them that a used backpack carries the same dreams as a new one.

Please teach them not to exclude anyone for "being different" or not having the same possibilities as one.

Teach them to not tease and belittle others and what others love, just because they don't share the same love.

Explain to them that teasing hurts forever and that they go to school to LEARN, not to hurt others.

Teach them how to be KIND, loving, and independent.

Teach them to include the child standing/sitting/eating alone.

Prepare them to have hurtful things said and done to them without retaliation.

Let them know they are strong, brave, kind, caring, helpful, and capable.

Remind them that they matter and that their gifts will impact the world.

EDUCATION BEGINS AT HOME.
🏫 🚌 🎒 🍎 📚 📖 📙 🎒
Copied and pasted because conversation matters.

04/11/2021

Take this quiz to find out if you have a healthy relationship with food and eating! Get tips based on the results. (Free.) https://www.eatingwisdom.com/how-healthy-is-your-relationship-with-food-quiz

Healthy Eating? Or Disordered Eating? A healthy relationship means minimal stress, worry and guilt, which makes it easier for you to eat healthy! Take this quiz to find out if your relationship with food is healthy. And, if not, what is going on? Get specific tips based on your results.

05/04/2021

Do you keep trying to lose weight, only to have to keep trying? If so, understanding The Diet Cycle can help. https://www.eatingwisdom.com/blog/weight-loss-vs-regain-phase

Most people blame themselves when lost weight is regained, a practice weight loss programs encourage. When you realize it is not your fault, you may be better able to move on to more successful ways of managing food and weight.

21/03/2021

When looking at research that does NOT conclude that fatness equals poor heath, researchers use the term “the obesity paradox,” because it’s so startling to see fat people not dying of heart disease like we’re always told they will. This article takes a closer look.

Contrary to what you’ve undoubtedly been told, you can be fat and fit at the same time

07/02/2021

06/02/2021

Men are increasingly being shamed for not measuring up to unrealistic standards, and complaining about how painful it is to meet them.

Just as women have had unrealistic body standards for years, men are now being pushed into that club. This article unpacks how even a hero like Aquaman can be body shamed and how male actors now have to shape their bodies to become Hollywood superheroes.

15/12/2020

At my private practice, we have been gratified, and more than a bit surprised, at how well our clients are doing via telehealth -- they are truly thriving. So don't hesitate to get support if you need it!

Beyond the broad mental health impacts of the pandemic, covid-related restrictions created specific factors that could put people with eating disorders at increased risk, experts say.

21/08/2020

Try on some Wabi-Sabi -- a Japanese philosophy that encourages us to focus on the blessings hiding in our daily lives, and celebrating the way things are rather than how they should be. I couldn't help but think about body image when I read this.

Wabi-sabi represents a precious cache of wisdom that values tranquillity, harmony, beauty and imperfection.

09/08/2020

Increasingly we live in a world that views health as a moral obligation, something by which we judge ourselves and others (often not even realizing it). It appears as genuine concern, but underneath this message, "...there’s a clear implicit judgment. You’re doing it wrong. You have failed. I have been monitoring your health. I know your body better than you."

Enthusiasm for wellness can curdle into healthism and concern trolling.

31/07/2020

We swim in diet culture, this article shows how it impacts us and give some ideas of how to get out of it.

Diet culture is the pervasive attitudes about food that create a moral issue out of healthy eating. Therapist Judith Matz explains how we can cultivate more-positive conversations around food at home and with ourselves.

01/07/2020

A must read if a doctor has ever told you to lose weight, or threatened that you need to lose weight or you'll get diabetes. Not true. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-if-doctors-stopped-prescribing-weight-loss/

Focusing on body size isn’t making people healthier. Some clinicians are trying a different approach

24/06/2020

Why would people do something that they found dreadful and that they knew would not contribute to long-term weight loss?

A. Janet Tomiyama, Ph.D. , is an associate professor at UCLA. She studies health psychology and social psychology. ​Tovar: How did you end up researching weight discrimination? Tomiyama: I...