#540: How Can We Improve Body Image and Self-Esteem Without Physique Change? – Gabrielle Fundaro, PhD & Eric Trexler, PhD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Danny Lennon

Sigma, Dietetics, Evidencebased, Nutrition, Training, Health & Fitness, Science, Diet, Fitness, Evidence, Bodybuilding, Health

4.8 • 626 Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2024

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Body image and self-worth are deeply intertwined concepts that influence how we see ourselves and interact with the world. Many people believe that changing their physique is the key to improving their body image, but is it really that simple? This connection between appearance and self-esteem raises important questions about how we define confidence and whether our sense of worth should be tied to how we look.

Our relationship with food plays a crucial role in how we view ourselves. While some see food as fuel, others attach much more significance to their eating habits, often linking dietary choices to discipline, success, or failure. But what happens when these beliefs become too rigid? Understanding how our perceptions of food and body image are shaped is essential for navigating the balance between health, happiness, and personal fulfillment.

Physique change, often seen as a positive goal, can bring about unexpected psychological impacts. Pursuing a leaner or more muscular body might boost temporary feelings of confidence, but could it also reinforce negative patterns of thought?

In an episode co-hosted with Dr. Eric Trexler, Danny talks with Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro in order to tackle some of these concepts and questions.

Timestamps:

[04:54] Start of conversation
[06:40] Defining body image and self esteem
[12:26] Relationship with food and weight controllability beliefs
[20:38] Impact of body composition on body image
[27:40] Challenges in changing body image perceptions
[34:43] Influence of coaches on client body image
[41:57] Screening for disordered eating
[51:50] Ethical responsibilities of fitness professionals
[54:53] Improving body image without physique change
[61:02] Key ideas segment (premium-only)

Links:

Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
Get more of Dr. Trexler’s research analysis with the MASS Research Review
Related previous episodes: See episodes 484 and 367

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Sigma Nutrition Radio. This is episode 540 of the podcast. My name is Danny Lennon, and you are very welcome to the show.
0:26.2	Today is going to be a collaborative episode in which I will be co-hosting this episode alongside
0:32.5	one of the co-hosts of the Iron Culture podcast, Dr. Eric Trexler, who many of you regular listeners
0:40.1	may remember as being a guest on Sigma Nutrition Radio three times, I believe, in the past.
0:45.7	Most recently in episode 484 of the podcast, in which we tackle the question of, is metabolic adaptation
0:53.0	an illusion? I would highly recommend
0:55.3	you checking out that conversation that Alan and I had with Dr. Trexler, which covers a number of
1:01.4	aspects rather to metabolic adaptation, physical activity, and so on, which does relate to some
1:06.4	of the work that he is now currently undertaking as a postdoctoral research associate at Duke University,
1:13.2	where that group is headed up by Professor Herman Ponser, who many of you will remember
1:18.0	from previous episodes of the podcast as well, who does pretty groundbreaking work based in
1:23.6	the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology there, but relates into some of these areas around metabolism, physical activity, and so on.
1:30.9	And so I'd recommend checking out certainly that previous episode in which Dr. Trexor was on.
1:36.4	There's also two earlier episodes of the podcast in which we talk about things like antioxidants, oxidative stress,
1:42.5	exercise adaptations, citraline supplementation, and so on.
1:46.6	I will link to those in the description box. They're also available on the podcast feed you're
1:50.6	listening right now. So if you want to scroll back and make a note for later of those episodes,
1:55.5	it's 484-176 and 330. And you can hear more if you do enjoy the input of Dr. Trexer today.
2:05.7	But we are going to be co-hosting a conversation with Dr. Gabriel Fondaro, who you may also remember from a couple of previous episodes, at least of this podcast, back in episode 291 and then in episode
2:20.9	367.
2:23.1	And both Dr. Fondaro and Dr. Trexler are members of the advisory board for the Sports Nutrition
2:30.1	Association, of which I am a board member.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Danny Lennon, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Danny Lennon and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.