About three months after her endo excision surgery, Kate noticed something unexpected lurking underneath all her ideas about her health: a subconscious belief that once her period pain was fixed, she would automatically be thinner. Where did that thought come from? How did it get so deep in her head without her even knowing it was there? Kate brings on two experts to help untangle it: medical anthropologist and UC Santa Cruz professor Nancy N. Chen, who traces how cultural ideas about health and bodies have shifted across centuries and medical systems, and body image coach Sarah Simpson (@sarahinyellow), who breaks down how capitalism and diet culture specifically exploit the desire to be fixed. Together they make a surprisingly convincing case that the antidote to all of it is community.

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CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.

BEDUCATED QUIZ LINK: https://beduc.at/pd2623-cramped

Nancy Chen's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_n_chen_the_inaccurate_link_between_body_ideals_and_health

Sarah Simpson - @sarahinyellow on Instagram

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