Emma Lyddon
Feb 24, 20223 min
I had the absolute pleasure of informally interviewing (via email) the social media icon and influencer that is Jaimie Weisberg. If you are not familiar with her work than please read this interview with an open mind, ready to be educated, and discover the important impact she is making in this world.
1. Introduce yourself and your online community.
Hey my name is Jaimie I’m a body positive and disorder advocate thank you so much for this opportunity.
2. What is your experience of eating disorders?
.Unfortunately I have had the experience of knowing eating disorders all to well I am recovering from bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder and I am about to hit year.
3. What is your experience of fat shaming?
My experience with fat shaming that’s a tough one because we were taught to put value based in someone’s body size and in body shaming there’s a bigger picture we’re looking at systemic oppression in the way society was taught to view and demonize fat bodies it’s everyone go to insult it’s everyone self esteem issue even if they identify as being fat or not it’s the way we were taught to uphold privilege in the world and moral value.
4. How has fat shaming impacted your mental health?
For so many years fat shaming has provided me with this core belief I wasn’t good enough or I Didn't deserve to have my needs met and I deserved it so it took everything out of me know it’s just I view it as the persons doing it problem because their uncomfortable about their body and yes I still get hurt but not at the cost of myself anymore. I deserve basic human respect and decency and if You can’t give that to me I won’t waste my time.
5. How is recovery going?
This has been the hardest most challenging year of my life I’ve never been tested so much in recovery and to be in recovery in spite of what society says is an act of courage. I know have what I’ve always wanted a better relationship with my body and food regardless of how other people may see it I’m not recovering for myself I’m recovering for me and I saved my own life know one can ever take that power away.
6. What do you do to stay well mentally?
I think I’m not a medical professional so can’t really give medical advice but I will say this you already know what your eating disorder you’ve lived it and I’m sure it’s hell you can always go back what you don’t know what recovery is like or how it feels you might as well try I’m promise you if you put your whole effort and give up everything you’ve know it’s so worth it.
7. Any advice on how to recover from an ED.
Well having a support system is vital to my recovery my therapist I see a dietitian I have group therapy dbt dialectal behaviour having good friends and family but knowing that when I’m not doing well it won’t last forever and I know having access to all of this is a privilege and treatment needs to be more accessible which I do hope to provide one day in the future.
8. Any advice for people experiencing fat shaming or shaming others.
My 2 pieces of advice is it’s ok to cry it’s ok to be sad it’s ok to be hurt by someone else trying to hurt you. Validate your own feelings and try to give your self compassion but at the end of the day it has nothing to do with you it has to do with them and how there trying to make you feel bad cause they do and want to dull your sparkle what people think of me is none of my business and to not let their business interfere or waste any more of my precious time.
Follow Jaimie here: https://www.instagram.com/jaimie.weisberg/