Body Liberation expert Patrilie Hernandez, MS, joins the podcast today. Dr. MC and Patrilie discuss important topics, such as the difference between body liberation and body positivity, advocating for your health and needs, and more. Patrilie emphasizes that “you are the expert of your own body.” This conversation is not to be missed.
Patrilie Hernandez is a fat, multiracial, neuroatypical, queer femme of the Puerto Rican
diaspora. They have worked in the health and nutrition sector as an educator, advocate, and policy analyst for 15 years, shaping their understanding of how the pursuit of “health” seamlessly intersects with the built environment, equity, and social justice. It wasn’t until they were diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2017 that they realized how much of their own disordered behaviors and thoughts around food, health, and bodies infiltrated all aspects of their personal life and career. Since then, Patrilie has focused on recovering and healing from her eating disorder, negative body image, and internalized oppression. Patrilie uses their own lived experiences and body liberation journey to disrupt the status quo of current health and wellness spaces, including advocating for a paradigm shift largely informed by social determinants of health. Combining their academic background in culinary arts, anthropology, nonprofit management, public health, and nutrition, Patrilie currently works as a consultant, partnering with medical, healthcare, and education providers in integrating weight-inclusive, interdisciplinary, and multi-dimensional strategies that aim to improve the health of historically marginalized populations.
Dr. MC and Patrilie first crossed paths while working on a project for Weight Inclusive Nutrition and Dietetics (WIND), which you can learn more about below.
Resources
Patrilie website
Land Whale by Jes Baker
Info re: the WIND project with Patrilie as the lead and Dr. MC worked on
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