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We need to have energy so you can be part of that.
Image courtesy of St. Martin’s Press
And if youre dieting, youre going to be preoccupied.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
SELF: Why did you want to publish a new edition now?
Tribole:There are many reasons.
But fast-forward to today, and we have more than125 studieson our work really showing an impact.
Also, a lot has changed.
We wanted to really address diet culture.
Its so shape-shifting and so pervasivewe were seeing clients who dont really identify with the termdieting.
Theyll say, Oh, I dont diet, I do theketolifestyle.
We were like, Ooh, we need to address that.
We need to addressHealth at Every Size.
And we actually made significant changes to the principles of intuitive eating.
The core is still the same, but we changed the [principle] on coping with your emotions.
And during this time of COVID, weve really just seen more how important that is.
And then we also changed the termexercisetomovement,again because its been so militarized and pathologized in our culture.
Our third edition came out in 2012, and we thought we had been dealing with that.
And yet we were stunned at some of the language we had used.
How did that get through?
I think ultimately, with where were at in todays world, we need to have more humility.
We need cultural humility, we need intellectual humility, we need lived experience humility.
And now looking at the intersection of racism and diet culture, thats really profound.
We touched on it, but we didnt really unpack it in this edition.
So I still see a fifth one coming out!
[Both laugh]
Resch:Oh, Evelyn!
Tribole:Well, Im just saying!
Really doing a deep dive, and then looking at our own internalized racism.
So we have a lot of work to do.
Resch: We promote so much self-compassion throughout the book and with everyone we talk to.
And self-compassion includes having this humility and not being angry at ourselves.
As I said before, we can only know what we know when we know it.
Which is really, really frustrating.
It increases the risk of eating disorders andweight stigma.
When you look at the fact that eating disorders rates havedoubled, its really a travesty.
I think it is in part because diet culture has become so normalized.
You know, people didnt used to go bragging about keto or the latest fast they were on.
And its like, Wow, we have a lot of work to do, Elyse!
Why do you think intuitive eating has really caught fire recently?
Resch:So, Im a feminist from the second wave of feminism, back in the 70s.
And you’ve got the option to take your power back.
The idea is to reclaim the pleasure of eating.
Eating is supposed to be enjoyable!
And when you get that back, its incredible.
Youre more alive, youre more present in your relationships without being preoccupied.
Resch:Its liberating.
Because diet culture offers certainty at a time of uncertainty.
But the problem is, its short-lived.
Resch: I think youre right, Evelyn.
Its just this false sense of control in a world where there is no control.
Tribole:Im also thinking about the obsession with toilet paper.
And thats what its like with dieting.
