Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison · Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS

#330: Fashion for Every Body, Functional-Medicine Failings, and Finding Your True Style with Dacy Gillespie

·39 min·3 clips

A functional medicine doctor used a mysterious device to diagnose Daisy's liver issues based on electrical signals from her skin.

This episode of Food Psych features host Christy Harrison, a registered dietitian and anti-diet author, in conversation with Daisy Gillespie, an anti-diet personal stylist. Gillespie shares her personal history with diet culture and a detailed account of a negative experience with a functional medicine practitioner. The discussion explores the intersection of chronic health issues, wellness culture, and the journey toward finding personal style outside of diet culture's ideals. Gillespie describes growing up with thin privilege and parents who did not comment on bodies, though she participated in diet culture casually with friends. She sought help from a functional medicine doctor after experiencing severe, unresolved fatigue for about a decade. The practitioner, who held an MD, conducted a two-hour appointment that began with a thorough and empathetic history-taking. In the second hour, the practitioner used a hand-cradle device connected to software, which she claimed could diagnose issues by reading electrical signals from Gillespie's skin. The software allegedly indicated liver dysfunction and later suggested specific affirmations for Gillespie to use. Following this scan, the practitioner immediately recommended and sold Gillespie approximately $350 worth of supplements, prior to any blood work. Gillespie later researched the device and found FDA warnings stating its advertised benefits were unproven. She observed another family in the office spending hundreds of dollars on supplements for their child, which deepened her concern about the financial and ethical implications. Gillespie's current approach to managing fatigue involves basics like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, gentle movement, and consulting a menopause specialist, as she is in perimenopause. A key insight is Gillespie's analysis of how diet culture teaches that bodies should not change, which directly impacts clothing choices by encouraging people to hold onto ill-fitting clothes. She critiques the common use of the word "flattering," arguing it typically prioritizes making a body look smaller over comfort or authentic self-expression. Gillespie acknowledges that safety and access concerns, particularly for marginalized people, can limit sartorial freedom, but she encourages those with privilege to challenge fashion norms. Her styling philosophy parallels intuitive eating, focusing on internal desires rather than external expectations. The conversation also touches on the difficulty of navigating wellness culture while holding an anti-diet worldview, as Gillespie felt susceptible to red flags despite her critical perspective. The tone is conversational, educational, and empathetic, blending personal narrative with broader cultural critique. Listeners interested in critiques of functional medicine, the intersection of chronic illness and wellness culture, or developing a body-neutral approach to personal style would appreciate this episode. Those seeking strictly evidence-based medical advice or uninterested in fashion-related discussions might find less relevance.

As heard by us

A grounded look at body change, style, and the cost of false certainty.

Christy Harrison and Daisy Gillespie move the episode from diet and wellness culture into the awkward reality of body changes and clothes that no longer do the job.

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Why you'd press play

When body change meets wellness promises.

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