Dr. Goode is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) and a licensed clinical social worker. She received her PhD, MPH, and MSW from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests include developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to address racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in obesity and eating disorders.

In her research, Dr. Rachel Goode discovered that there are a lot of people who don't get treatment for eating disorders because they do not fit stereotypes about who has an eating disorder or what it looks like to have an eating disorder. Racial, ethnic and socio-economic disparities are not taken into consideration in order to treat eating disorders effectively. Individual choices are only a small piece affecting people's ability to make the health changes they are seeking. 

Today’s episode includes a discussion of the following topics:

• Rachel’s background, research interests and how she developed a passion in this area.

• The most memorable class she took in school.

• Supporting people on a journey that they may or may not be wanting to take.

• What it looks like to have an eating disorder that limits us.

• The ways eating disorders and obesity connect

• Explanation of Appetite Awareness Training.

• The results of some of her studies.

• Why there’s a disparity in the medical community when it comes to recognizing eating disorders in black women.

• Our primary care visits are our first line of defense against eating disorders, but they’re also ineffective.

• Interventions Dr. Rachel has seen making a difference.

Episode Resources:

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The Living F.R.E.E. Lab is a research group focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions for those who live at the intersection of having disordered eating and obesity: https://livingfreelab.org/