Shoulders Down

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Ragen Chastain, speaker, researcher, board-certified patient advocate, and leading voice in the fields of weight science, weight stigma, and healthcare. Ragen shares her personal journey from years of chronic dieting and an eating disorder to becoming a weight-inclusive health advocate. She explains what happened when she conducted an extensive review of the weight loss literature and discovered that the evidence did not support many of t...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast, Leah talks with Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, about why dieting and weight-focused care can be especially harmful for children and teens — and what she’s seeing on the front lines of adolescent eating disorder treatment. Drawing from nearly 20 years of experience across hospital systems, outpatient care, and national leadership roles, Dr. Hartman explains why weight loss is rarely sustai...

In this episode, Leah's reflection on 6 wellness trends that shaped 2025. She covers: The proteinification of everything & whether or not its worth the hypeGLP-1s and the normalization of thinness at all costsIncreased body monitoring— Oura Rings, Glucose Monitors, & Apple Watches— & how this might impact intuitive eating Pilates culture: the matching sets, the "toned but not too muscular" promise, & the elitist, weight stigmatizing undertonesThe pros & th...

In this episode, Leah is joined by licensed therapist and body image expert, Bri Campos, to talk about picture grief. Learn more from Bri on her website. More from Leah: Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Kit Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program Join my self-paced course, The Return Subscribe to my personal Substack Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered&...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Alexis Conason, Licensed Therapist and Certified Eating Disorder Consultant. We discuss: How Alexis went from studying Obesity Medicine to weight inclusive medicineWhat the Obesity Medicine research actually points toHow to navigate the tension between validating desire for weight change while also wanting food freedomWhat might really be underneath statements like, “I just felt better when I was X pounds lighter.”How working alongside her husban...

In this episode, Leah shares how diet culture sneaks into the wedding industry—from “bridal bootcamps” to being asked about “weight goals” at dress fittings—and how these pressures can rob us of joy on one of life’s most meaningful days. Through her own wedding dress shopping story and reflections from clients, Leah explores what it actually looks like to reject body shame, hold space for body grief, and choose presence over perfection. More From Leah: 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Sta...

This episode will walk you through five powerful studies that challenge diet culture and reshape the way we think about food. These studies highlight how health is influenced by connection, compassion, satisfaction, and beliefs — not just calories or nutrients. I cover: The Rabbit Study and how kindness can influence health outcomesThe Roseto Effect and the role of community in protecting heart healthResearch on Thai vs. Swedish women showing that satisfaction impacts nutrient absorptionThe S...

What happens when your anti-diet values collide with the realities of a weight-obsessed medical system? In today’s solo episode, I respond to a deeply vulnerable listener story about being required to undergo weight monitoring during pregnancy as a gestational surrogate—after more than a decade of avoiding the scale as part of her healing from disordered eating. I unpack the emotional toll of being reduced to a number, the grief of not having full autonomy in medical spaces, and how weight st...