🌾The Ultra Processed Panic: Re-Domesticating Women, Pressure to Cook ‘From Scratch,’ & The Rise of Tradwifedom with Laura Thomas, PhD

Is the backlash against ultra-processed foods really about health… or is it about control? In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah and Laura Thomas, PhD, explore the growing moral panic around ultra-processed foods — and what’s really driving the conversation.Laura explains why much of the research linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to poor health outcomes is observational, and how these headlines often oversimplify complex public health data. The conversation goes beyond nutrition science to examine how food narratives are shaped by gender roles, class privilege, and today’s political climate.Together, Leah and Laura explore the connection between trad wife culture, GLP-1 use, beauty standards, and what Laura calls “body fascism” — unpacking the bigger cultural forces driving today’s conversations about food and bodies.You’ll hear about:What ultra-processed foods (UPFs) actually are — and why the definition is murkySocial determinants of health and the invisible labor of “food work”How the push to “cook from scratch” can reinforce gender roles and class privilegeTrad wife culture, the rise of GLP-1s, and the body politics of it allWhy this cultural moment is bigger than diet cultureMentioned in this episode:Lessons from the Fatosphere by Kate Harding & Marianne KirbyFearing the Black Body by Sabrina StringsMore From Laura Thomas:Newsletter: https://canihaveanothersnack.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurathomasphdLaura Thomas’ books: Just Eat ItHow to Just Eat ItMore From Leah:📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter PackApply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching programJoin my self-paced course, The ReturnSubscribe to Leah's Youtube ChannelSubscribe to my personal SubstackFollow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rdVisit my website to learn more about my coaching offeringsSubscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.Send me a voice message on Speakpipe