"My eating disorder was a way to cope with my emotions": Mallary
October 12, 2025
In this episode, my guest Mallary talks about her moving story of living with an eating disorder that began after losing her mother at the age of 12.
Mallory opens up about how grief, perfectionism, and the need to “stay small” shaped her relationship with food—and how recovery became less about perfection and more about self-compassion.
This conversation with Mallary explores:
- the difference between eating disorders, disordered eating, emotional eating, and "normal" eating;
- how diet culture, judgment, and misinformation blur the lines between healthy habits and obsession;
- why emotional eating isn’t always “bad”—and when it can become a warning sign;
- how grief, trauma, and food are often intertwined; and
- the importance of open-mindedness and kindness in rebuilding a healthy relationship with food.
Mallary also shares insights from her book Slip, based on her own story and interviews with hundreds of others, to remind us that healing isn’t about control — it’s about connection, awareness, and compassion.
