Diet Culture in the Church: Featuring Leslie Schilling
Leslie Schilling returns for part two of an insightful and thought-provoking conversation. In this episode, Leslie and host Heather Creekmore discuss the challenging promises of diet culture and the importance of accepting and respecting diverse body types. They delve into the factors that influence weight, including medications, illnesses, and surgeries, and debunk the myth that body weight can be changed through willpower alone.
The conversation takes a deep dive into the spread of diets like OPTAVIA and Gwen Shamblin’s Weigh Down Workshop in churches, and the concerning trend of pastors and community members leading others towards these restrictive eating plans.
Leslie reflects on her own journey from placing hope in diets to realizing that Jesus is the only rescue needed. The episode also explores the intersection of faith, health, and accessibility to nutritious food. Leslie highlights the privilege of easy access to grocery stores and acknowledges that not everyone has the same advantages. She challenges the notion that nutrition should be the sole focus of our relationship with God, reminding listeners that social determinants of health, trauma, and medications greatly impact one’s well-being.
Throughout the conversation, Leslie and Heather touch on various topics including shame, the objectification of women within Christian communities, the impact of purity culture, and the intergenerational transmission of body image issues and eating disorders. They also express excitement about Leslie’s upcoming book, which tackles these issues in an unprecedented way and delves into the infiltration of diet culture in safe spaces like schools.
Listeners are encouraged to question external controls and seek inner wisdom, as well as to challenge the messages of diet culture that pervade churches and places of worship. need for safe spaces that promote body acceptance and eliminate harmful messaging tied to worthiness. Ultimately, this conversation serves as a call to remove the lens of diet culture from our interpretation of biblical teachings and to prioritize loving well above arbitrary standards of appearance and perfection.
Check out Leslie’s brand new book: Feed Yourself here. (Amazon affiliate link – a tiny portion of your purchase goes to support this ministry.
Learn more about Leslie Schilling here: www.leslieschilling.com
Learn more or connect with Compared to Who? and start your journey to body image freedom here: www.improvebodyimage.com
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