Show Notes

Episode 42. Your Body is a Gift: Body Image & Eating Disorders

Episode 42. Your Body is a Gift: Body Image & Eating Disorders

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
~ 1 Corinthians 6:19

"Why isn't my body different?"
"Why did God give me this particular body?"
"What if I feel frustrated by, or even hate, my own body?"

All of us have feelings & questions about the bodies that God has given us, and sometimes those feelings can become deep experiences of sadness, disgust, or shame; especially in a culture that idolizes only some appearances & body types. In this episode of This Whole Life, Kenna invites Megan Lawrence, LAMFT in that tender and crucial conversation to help shed light on the dark places of struggles with body image. Drawing on Megan's personal and clinical experience with eating disorders, they reflect on the meaning and purpose of the human body as God's gift for the good of his children. And informed by St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, they propose a stance of non-judgment as a path toward acceptance of your body as the beautiful and definitive gift that it is.

Show Notes

  • Your body is a gift, given to you by God for your benefit and for his glory

  • Symptoms that may indicate an eating disorder include:

    • Bingeing (consuming food without a sense of control)

    • Purging (eliminating food & nutrition from the body)

    • Restrictive eating (limiting nutrition that is taken into the body)

    • Excessive or compulsive exercise or activity

  • Are you able to begin the process of body acceptance by adopting a stance of neutrality and non-judgment toward your body?

“It [another’s body] is to remain ever an object of your respect.”

~ A Meditation on Givenness, St. John Paul II

“The intimacy that exists between soul and body is a marvel of creation and a mystery of human existence. Yet we do wrong to think, because the soul will be judged after death while the body crumbles in the grave, that this mortal handful of dust is any less a gift of God, any less noble or beautiful than the immortal soul. It is in the body that we exist and work out our salvation. It is in the body that we see and take delight in the beauties of God’s created universe, and in the body that we ourselves bear the marks of Christ’s passion.”

~ He Leadeth Me, Walter Ciszek, S.J.

Episodes of the Interior Integration for Catholics podcast with
Dr. Peter Malinoski recommended by Megan Lawrence

The image of Mary & the Child Jesus created by Megan Lawrence

Challenge By Choice

Practice a non-judgmental stance with one part of your body?

If acceptance of your body is a challenge for you,
you’re encouraged to begin with a part of your body that is less distressing to you.

  • Begin by acknowledging what is reality. (ex. “These are my hands.”)

  • Consider the ways that this part of your body serves you. (ex. “These hands allow me to hold my child, to care for my friend, to write, to cook, to pray, etc.”)

  • Bring this conversation to the Lord and have a conversation with him about the value and worth of your body.

Reflection Questions

For personal reflection or group discussion

  1. What is one thing that is sticking with you from this episode?

  2. What feelings do you have about discussing body image & your own body?

  3. When have you had a difficult time seeing your body as a good & valuable gift from God? What experiences led to those difficulties?

  4. Do you see the value of your body in its appearance (the way it looks), in its function (in what it can do), or as a gift (the simple fact that God gave it to you)?

  5. How does God see & value your body? What do you imagine God wants you to know about your body?