Reading a room you've been locked into: Eating (disorders), bodies, and society

Unravelling

In this episode of Unravelling, Mary Wilson interviews Emmeline Clein, author of Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm and a featured guest at the 2024 Brattleboro Literary Festival. Emmeline critiques the systemic failures in diagnosing and treating eating disorders, highlighting the emotional invalidation many patients face—particularly the harm of being told they don’t "qualify" for certain diagnoses. She explores how treatment centers often reinforce disordered behaviors instead of addressing them holistically and reflects on the lifelong process of managing disordered eating in a culture obsessed with thinness. Emmeline shares how education about the history of beauty standards and diagnostic systems can reduce shame and foster empowerment. Advocating for open dialogue and community in treatment settings, she offers a vision for creating more effective and compassionate support systems.

Links:

Emmeline Clein's website: https://emmelineclein.net/Homepage

Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Weight-Essays-Hunger-Harm/dp/0593536908

Brattleboro Literary Festival: https://brattleborolitfest.org/

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