Fatphobia and body dysmorphia are serious mental health disorders that can prevent people from living the life they want to live. Body Acceptance Coach, Kelsie Jepsen, is here with Deena discussing how these conversations should be normalized. They both shared personal experiences on when they suffered from body dysmorphia and how it affected their day-to-day life.
Jepsen said she struggled with this condition from when she was 10 years old which resulted in her becoming obsessed with her stomach since she felt it was never flat enough. That lead to an eating disorder and years of feeling not worthy enough to show up and participate in the things she wanted to do. Deena also opened up about having similar feelings from when she was pregnant. She said she wasn’t able to see herself clearly and found it hard to just show up for work.
Jepsen reminded us that body dysmorphia is a disorder all genders can experience. She described it as an obsession with a perceived flaw that people fixate on changing. It’s common to spend countless hours trying to fix it and make it go away but she said it will never improve if left untreated. It’s important to normalize talking about it, ask for help, or speak with a therapist. Jepsen said that until this fatphobia stigma is dismantled and every body type is acceptable, we’ll never feel okay with showing up in the world.
For more information and advice from Jepsen, be sure to watch the video above, and check out her website, Instagram, & Facebook. Also, visit EmBODY Love Workshop to book a free discovery session on Zoom!