#84: What does body positive-adolescent healthcare look like?

with Shelley Aggarwal, MD

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In this episode we discuss…

  • What is adolescent medicine and why do we need it?

  • What  “normal development” is

  • Developmental age vs Chronological age

  • Why it’s important not to compare with other adolescents.

  • Why a weight-neutral approach to health is so important 

  • How to talk about health without focusing on weight 

  • How growth charts can be helpful 

  • Why behavioral patterns of health are better indicators than weight 

  • How should we look at weight changes in adolescence 

  • How the medical field positively reinforces weight loss 

  • How is this changing



Body-positive adolescent medicine physician, Shelly Aggarwal, joins for a conversation about the nuances of weight-inclusive healthcare during the tween and teen years.  

Shelley Aggarwal MD, is a board-certified Pediatrician and Adolescent Medicine Sub-Specialist. She treats medically complex teens and young adults, and consults on a variety of youth-specific health issues including adolescent development.

Dr. Aggarwal was born to Indian parents who moved to the United States when she was young. Her parents remained committed to their East Indian culture which inspired rich and complicated experiences of food and body, particularly as they relate to standards of what is “normal” and “acceptable.” These experiences and years of medical training have led to broadening the conversation about what it means to be “healthy,” deprogramming messages around “good” and “bad” food, and normalizing approaches towards wellbeing that are aligned with one’s needs.

Dr. Aggarwal has worked with premier academic institutions and continues to be teaching faculty with Stanford Children's Health and UCSF-Fresno. Currently, she is the Medical Director of clinics serving justice involved youth. She is a co-author of No Weigh! A Teen’s Guide to Positive Body Image, Food, and Emotional Wisdom and the upcoming book Raising Body PositiveTeens A Parent’s Guide to Diet-Free Living, Exercise, and Body Image with Jessica Kingsley Publishers in London.

Resources mentioned or recommended:

Jordan Best