In today’s episode, Matt Van Der Laar joins us for a deep conversation on the topics of obesity, processed foods, and the shame-driven messaging often found on social media. We explore how fear-mongering and oversimplified comparisons—like equating processed foods to smoking cigarettes—overlook deeper issues such as emotional regulation, mental health, and societal factors that contribute to obesity.

We share our frustration with harmful narratives that ignore the true root causes of obesity, and we highlight the roles of empathy, proper education, support systems, and even GLP-1s in making lasting, meaningful changes. We also discuss how parenting plays a pivotal role in building healthy relationships with food and movement, emphasizing that the obesity conversation must move beyond shaming and judgment to focus on support, mental health, and practical solutions for both children and adults.

“It's almost never the food. It's the way we're using food to cope with everything that we have going on in our lives.”

- Matt Van Der Laar

“If you’re only taking these drugs, but you’re not addressing the mental and emotional side of things, then it’s just another fad diet for you.”

- Matt Van Der Laar

This week on Here’s the Deal:

• The harmful comparison of processed foods to smoking and how it perpetuates fear and shame
• How obesity and being overweight is more about emotional regulation, coping mechanisms, and access and affordability than just food and “laziness”
• The role of GLP-1 medications for those who need them, and the stigmatization that surrounds their use
• Why movement, not just diet, is crucial for combating obesity in adults and children
• The importance of empathy and understanding people’s unique struggles with food and health
• The significance of community involvement, such as community gardens, in helping children and families access healthier foods
• How parents can help their children develop a healthy relationship with all foods, including highly processed ones
• How parents can help their kids develop a healthy love of movement

Connect with Matt Van Der Laar:

• Matt on Mindful Eating (podcast episode with Brooke)
• Matt Van Der Laar on Instagram
• Matt Van Der Laar on Facebook
• Fit Fat Training
• Cut the Crap with Beth and Matt Podcast

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

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