Feeling Stuck with an Eating Disorder with Director Jo Money & Dr. Christie Bennett

Understanding Body Matters Podcast

On this week’s episode I am super excited to be introducing you to two lovely practitioners from ‘Eat Love Live’ in Melbourne, Director Josephine Money and Dr. Christie Bennett. Eat Love Live is a clinic that offers Dietetics and nutrition, physiotherapy, movement classes, music therapy, dance therapy and education from a range of different health professionals. Jo and Christie are both the co- Founders for Eat Love Live Education and have both really valued the role of lived experience in eating disorder treatment. Where ‘Eat Love Live’ has now developed a Framework called The Radical Centred Framework which utlises lived experience as a tool to understand the development, maintenance, and recovery of an eating disorder. Eat, Love, Love’ also has an amazing blog, and many other programs to support people with a variety of backgrounds. A little bit about our two lovely guests...

Jo is the Founder and Director of ‘Eat Love Live’ an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Nutritionist, a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, and a co-Founder of Eat Love Live Education. Jo has been working within the eating disorder field for over 20 years working across a range of settings including at the Eating Disorders Foundation Victoria where is now a board member, at Royal Melbourne Hospital in the Eating Disorder Unit, at the Melbourne clinic in their Eating Disorder Program, at the Royal Women’s hospital and at The Body Image and Eating Disorder Recovery a joint initiative from St Vincent’s and Austin hospital. In her work, Jo appreciates the courage of people who have shared with her their stories and is passionate about promoting weight inclusion, social justice, and trauma informed care. Jo also provides clinical internal supervision and case conferencing for clinicians where she works to strengthen the link between mental health and dietetic support.

Dr. Christie Bennett is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Lecturer, Co- founder of ‘Eat Love Live’ education and an Academic Researcher. Christie holds a PhD and a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics with Honours from Monash University. Christie’s expertise is in eating disorders, disordered eating and its intersection with women’s health including in fertility, pregnancy and PCOS. Her PhD investigated the factors that influence glucose tolerance during pregnancy with a particular focus on sleep. She currently works at Monash University as a Lecturer and Research Fellow at Monash University. Where her current research investigates how to best support people experiencing eating disorders and women’s health conditions such as PCOS. Christie is passionate about feminism, social oppression theories, trauma informed care, size inclusive (HAES) and working with lived experience within her clinical practice and research.

On this week’s episode we will be speaking about the topic as to why people may be feeling stuck and unable to recover from an eating disorder. Discussing the idea that every person experiencing disordered eating, or an eating disorder will have a different reason as to why they are feeling stuck. However, Both Jo and Christie draw our attention to the systemic oppressions, the media and trauma as some of the contributing factors to this feeling of stuckness. So please welcome our next special guests, Jo and Christie!

Podcast Summary:

1. Not recognising if you are experiencing disordered eating

2. The endless pursuit of weight loss

3. The belief that weightless will fix all your problems in life

4. The impact of oppressions and trauma on disordered eating

5. The high expectations people place on food, body, and recovery

6. New innovative frameworks to empower clients

Links to both Jo and Christie:

‘Eat, Love, Live’ Website: eatlovelive.com.au

Eat Love Live Education Page: https://elleducation.teachable.com/ Instagram: @eatlovelive

Facebook: Eat Love Live | Melbourne VIC

Links from the episode and to BodyMatters:

BodyMatters Australasia Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bodymatters.com.au/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BodyMatters Instagram: @bodymattersau

Butterfly Foundation Helpline: Call their National Helpline on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1800 33 4673⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠chat online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email