55: Orthorexia and Branding Your Body with Kaila Tova

If you've been listening to AnthroDish for a while, you know I get really critical when it comes to the idea of what we define "health" as or how we define and understand "diets" – and this week's guest, Kaila Tova, explores the depths of how healthism and fitness can blend into harmful disordered eating behaviours, like orthorexia. After recovering from orthorexia, anorexia, and an exercise addiction, Kaila began a career in marketing while moonlighting as a body image coach for women recovering from eating disorders and disordered eating. She is also the creator and host of the brilliant podcast, Your Body, Your Brand. The 15-episode podcast documentary focuses on marketing literacy, neoliberal feminism, and identity economics in the context health and fitness entrepreneurship. This fall, she also joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Communication Arts Department to pursue a PhD in Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture. Orthorexia is a complicated term, as Kaila explains, because it's not an officially recognized eating disorder, but it's impacting a lot of folks who are engaging in fitness and nutrition communities. And how do these deep connections we make with our need to control our food and exercise impact our identities? What about our brands? We explore all these questions and more in our chat, which I think we both agreed could have lasted for HOURS.  Connect with Kaila!  Instagram: @bodybrandpod or @performingwoman Twitter: @bodybrandpod Website: kailatovaprins.com or https://www.bodybrandpod.com/ Podcast: Your Body, Your Brand