As we wrap up this season of The Culture Of It All, we’re rewinding to an episode that holds a very special place in my heart — Fat Positive Fall. In this cozy, reflective replay, I share how autumn feels like coming home to myself and how this season has often marked a time of clarity, creativity, and joy in my fat body. I talk about what it means to pursue joy, how I’m learning to shift away from the constant “fight,” and why rest, rage, and radical softness all belong in our fat liberation...
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As we wrap up this season of The Culture Of It All, we’re rewinding to an episode that holds a very special place in my heart — Fat Positive Fall. In this cozy, reflective replay, I share how autumn feels like coming home to myself and how this season has often marked a time of clarity, creativity, and joy in my fat body. I talk about what it means to pursue joy, how I’m learning to shift away from the constant “fight,” and why rest, rage, and radical softness all belong in our fat liberation...
As we wrap up this season of The Culture Of It All, we’re rewinding to an episode that holds a very special place in my heart — Fat Positive Fall. In this cozy, reflective replay, I share how autumn feels like coming home to myself and how this season has often marked a time of clarity, creativity, and joy in my fat body. I talk about what it means to pursue joy, how I’m learning to shift away from the constant “fight,” and why rest, rage, and radical softness all belong in our fat liberation...
In this episode, I’m reflecting on an old podcast episode I recorded back in 2020, before I had the language or tools to really understand diet culture and fat liberation. I’m sharing clips from that original episode and responding to what I got right, what I hadn’t yet learned, and how my relationship with body image and fat acceptance has evolved since then. This work isn’t linear, but growth is powerful—and this episode is full of it. Come say 'hello' on social media! You'll find episo...
Self-care isn’t just for thin, white, able-bodied people—but it’s often marketed that way. In this episode, I’m exploring what weight-neutral self-care really looks like for those of us in larger bodies. I talk about how self-care spaces exclude fat folks, how wellness culture co-opts our care, and why self-care doesn’t need to be aesthetic to be valid. I also share my personal self-care menu—and invite you to reflect on what you need today, without guilt or performance. 🎧 Listen to th...
In episode 33 of The Culture Of It All, we're digging into the diet industry's favorite disguise: health. But when "health" is actually code for thinness, who really benefits? And who gets left behind? I’m asking honest questions about trust, marketing, and the hidden shame of being sold weight loss in the name of self-care. If you've ever wondered whether that wellness product is helpful or harmful, then this episode is for you. I’m also sharing my personal journey in online business, the ne...
This summer has been exceptionally warm and this time of year always reminds me of the unexpected lessons I’ve learned since ditching diets and divesting from diet culture. The lessons that had nothing to do with food or movement, and everything to do with my body image and the unrealistic beauty standards laid out by the patriarchy. You’ll hear 3 of these lessons today, and I’ll also be touching on the ways in which diets can be socially isolating and how this affects our lives. Chapters: ...
As I write this, it’s currently a gloomy summer day. The damp tension is in the air, a promise of thunderstorms and cooler temperatures just outside my office window. And whilst I impatiently wait for the real thing, I have a ‘Summer Storm’ soundscape playing on Insight Timer. Gloomy weather is my vibe. My soul craves cosiness, even in the warmer months and over the past few years I’ve discovered ways that I can embrace my love of all things Autumn, and it helps me survive the summer....
Over the next couple weeks I’m taking some time to focus on a few creative projects, and will be replaying some of my most popular episodes, which also happen to be from last year's summer series ☀️ This week I’m resharing episode 05, From Pursuing Thinness to Prioritising Body Peace. I listened back through this episode, and it’s a great introduction to the summer months. We’ll explore the barriers for fat bodies in summer, the way body positivity can bypass our lived experiences, and take ...
NOTE: I am not a medical professional or therapist, this episode is not to be used as medical advice it is based on my experiences, thoughts and opinions. Welcome to episode 31 of The Culture Of It All! this week we’re exploring the term ‘food noise’. Since 2022, as weight loss jabs have become a casual part of conversation, so has the term ‘food noise’, but what does it mean? What is food noise, and why do some people not experience it? In this episode I’ll be sharing my thoughts about the t...
In this minisode, we’re sitting down for a ‘fat chat’ and exploring WHY people still believe that being fat is simply a choice. We’ll discuss the reasons why I continue to see comments repeating the same set of fatphobic beliefs, and challenge the pervasive myth that fatness is a choice, emphasizing the impact of diet culture and the societal pressures that lead folks to pursue weight loss. My hope is that this current “thin is in” era will eventually come to an end, and we will see a shift t...
In this episode, we’re delving into the complexities of diet culture, discussing the 3 red flags associated with every single diet, and the manipulative tactics of the diet industry. We’ll address the importance of understanding personal preferences in eating and the subjective nature of what constitutes “healthy eating”. I encourage you to practice discernment with your food choices and to recognise the pervasive influence of diet culture within our society. Takeaways Diet culture is perv...
In this episode, Melanie shares her personal journey towards body neutrality and fat acceptance, exploring the negative impact which dieting had on her physical, emotional and mental health from a young age. She reflects on her childhood, and the struggles of being a teen and trying to fit in and conform to certain stereotypes. She discusses the challenges she experienced when starting a business, making weight loss her career because it was the only constant in her life, and how her life of ...
Unlearning my internalised fatphobia, ditching diets, and healing my body image is one of the best things I did for myself AND my kid. I don’t claim to be an expert, I’m doing my best and figuring it out as I go, but as I share in this episode a number of friends have asked me how I’m building this body positive relationship with my kid and it’s been a topic of conversation on my socials too. So I thought we should take a deep dive and talk about ways we can encourage body respect in young p...
In last week's episode, I shared that fatphobia has always stemmed from the belief that weight is mostly controlled by diet and exercise. It’s why we’ve been subjected to decades of diet programs, products and books focused on calories in and calories out. It has also perpetuated the narrative that if you “try hard enough” you can also be thin, or manage your weight. With the rise in use of GLP-1s for weight loss, and the ease at which people can access them privately with very little scree...
Fatphobia is on the rise, so today, we’re going to talk about it. Fatphobia, or anti-fatness, is the often socially acceptable form of discrimination and negative attitudes towards folks in fat bodies. This includes stereotypes and misconceptions that fat folks are less disciplined or lack self-control compared to their smaller bodied peers. Fatphobia is not just name calling or bullying someone for their size, it’s rooted in racism, and the transatlantic slave trade. In this episode we wil...
We talk a lot about diet culture and the diet industry on the show, and I thought now would be a great time to revisit both of them and take a mini deep dive in this episode. My very first episode took a look at diet culture, but to be honest, my experience of diet culture, the diet industry, and understanding of the two has evolved in the last year. I have learned a lot more. I've experienced a lot more. I feel a lot more confident in the way in which we can talk about it with you today. I...
Welcome to season 4 of The Culture Of It All! We’re starting off the new season with a catch up, because whilst I took a break from recording I’ve been busy finding a wonderful fat community on TikTok. It all started with my fashion videos, sharing my experiences as a fat person trying to find their ‘casual style’ and it’s kinda snowballed from there. And then in early March I made a little video, like 15 seconds and it went sort of, kinda, maybe viral? At least viral for me. I’ve been...
This is a very special bonus episode for you to enjoy in between seasons. Season 4 will be arriving around April 8th. Below is a snippet of the written versions of today's episode, to get the full blog join us over on Substack. These are not confessions of a former fat girl, or a fat girl who lost 100lbs and wants to preach about how nothing tastes as good as thin. I’m not a fat girl with a somewhat acceptable larger body, curves in all the “right places”. I don’t fit into society's be...
Content warning: this episode will contain conversations around my binge eating disorder, body image, anti-fat stereotypes, socioeconomics, and how these impact folks in larger bodies, specifically within the clothing industry. I’m finishing up this season of the show with a conversation that started in the comments of some of my TikTok videos. In one video I said: I’m sure we can all agree that the solution to a lack of sizing is not weight loss. Well, someone didn’t agree, which is a-okay, ...
In this episode, I’m exploring the multifaceted nature of spirituality, sharing my personal journey and how it intersects with fat liberation. I’ll be discussing the evolution of my spiritual practices, particularly during the pandemic, and the challenges of reconciling these practices within spiritual spaces often permeated by diet culture. I’d like to note that these practices are often individual and interpersonal, and I recognise that we need community and structural changes to fight bac...
In this episode, we’re exploring slow living and its significance in today's fast-paced world. I’ll be sharing my personal journey towards embracing a slower lifestyle, the challenges I’ve faced, and the intersection of slow living with diet culture. We’ll be discussing the importance of self-care, and how rest is an act of rebellion against societal expectations that dictate our worth based on productivity and appearance. Through personal reflections, I’m encouraging you to find comfor...
As we wrap up this season of The Culture Of It All, we’re rewinding to an episode that holds a very special place in my heart — Fat Positive Fall. In this cozy, reflective replay, I share how autumn feels like coming home to myself and how this season has often marked a time of clarity, creativity, and joy in my fat body. I talk about what it means to pursue joy, how I’m learning to shift away from the constant “fight,” and why rest, rage, and radical softness all belong in our fat liberation...
