Why Diets Don’t Work—and What to Do Instead with Judith Matz (277)

Aug 26, 2025

Judith Matz, a therapist and expert in diet culture, challenges conventional dieting beliefs alongside Dr. Ann Kelley. They discuss how diet culture fuels emotional eating and binge eating, emphasizing that mental health matters more than scale numbers. The conversation shines a light on weight stigma in healthcare and critiques the rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Matz advocates for a compassionate, weight-inclusive approach to healing our relationship with food, encouraging self-awareness and mindful eating as pathways to a healthier mindset.

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INSIGHT

Why Diets Fail Long-Term

Most diets work short-term but fail long-term because physiological and psychological defenses push weight back up.
Repeated dieting raises baseline weight by slowing metabolism and increasing fat storage.

INSIGHT

Body Protects Against 'Famine'

The body treats dieting like famine by slowing metabolism and conserving energy.
Losing muscle during dieting reduces metabolic rate and makes weight regain more likely.

ADVICE

Respond To True Hunger

Reconnect with internal hunger cues and eat before you become ravenous to avoid overeating.
Practice noticing gnawing or emptiness and respond before hunger becomes desperate.

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What if the problem isn’t your body—but the diet culture you’ve been sold?

Dr. Ann Kelley and expert Judith Matz unpack the complex relationship between dieting, emotional eating, body image, and weight stigma. Together they challenge conventional views on weight and health, emphasizing that fitness matters more than the number on the scale, and explores why most diets fail both psychologically and physiologically. They also cover the historical roots of fatphobia, the dangers of weight bias in healthcare, and the rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Judith highlights the importance of attuned eating, informed consent, and compassionate care, offering a weight-inclusive approach to healing our relationship with food and body.

“On an individual level, I’d like to see people become free from the diet/binge trap and instead find peace in their relationship with food and their body. On a cultural level, I’d like to see all of us stop putting out messages that blame and shame people about eating and body size.” – Judith Matz, LCSW, ACSW

About our Guest – Judith Matz, LCSW, ACSW

Judith Matz, LCSW, ACSW, is a therapist, nationally recognized speaker, and consultant on the topics of diet culture, binge eating, emotional eating, body image, and weight stigma. She is co-author of the new Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating and Body Image Workbook, as well as The Diet Survivor’s
Handbook, Beyond a Shadow of a Diet, The Making Peace with Food Card Deck, and The Body Positivity Card Deck. Judith offers continuing education and training for professionals through PESI as well as customized presentations for a variety companies and organizations. Judith’s work has been featured in the media including NPR, The New York Times, Good Housekeeping and Psychotherapy Networker. She has a private practice via telehealth in Illinois where she meets with clients seeking to heal their relationship with food and their bodies. Find her at www.judithmatz.com and on Instagram @judmatz

Resources for Why Diets Don’t Work—and What to Do Instead with Judith Matz (277)

Judith Matz – Website, information and resources

Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Bingeing and Body Image: What Every Clinician Needs to Know – Judith Matz’s full day PESI training

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia – Book by Sabrina Strings recommend by Judith Matz

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat – Book by Aubrey Gordon recommended by Judith Matz

Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating – Book by Christy Harrison recommended by Judith Matz

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