The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

The Politics of Appetite: GLP-1s, "Food Noise," and the Longterm Impact of Hunger Suppression with Christyna Johnson, MS RD

Jan 19, 2026

Christyna Johnson, a registered dietitian blending nourishment and social justice, joins to unpack hunger as a tool of control. She discusses how appetite suppression is framed as health, the rise of GLP-1s and consent concerns, diet culture’s cult-like tactics, intergenerational effects of famine and dieting, and why reclaiming pleasure and community offers real hope.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Hunger Is A Political Tool

Hunger and food access are politically weaponized, illustrated by debates over SNAP and historical exclusions.
Christyna links manufactured poverty and policy choices to who gets to eat freely and who is blamed for scarcity.

INSIGHT

Famine And Dieting Can Alter Generations

Severe famine and starvation produce epigenetic changes that can make descendants more prone to storing fat.
Christyna connects historical famines to the 'thrifty gene' idea and parallels with dieting's physiological consequences.

INSIGHT

Diet Culture Mirrors Cult Control

Diet culture functions like a cult by controlling food, timing, variety, and using rewards or punishments.
Christyna notes cult tactics (obedience, in-group/out-group, food as reward/punishment) mirror dieting rules and social policing.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Abbie is joined by Christyna Johnson, a registered dietitian whose work sits at the intersection of nourishment and social justice (a perfect fit for Full Plate, as you all know).

They unpack the way systems have weaponized hunger. And why that matters so much at a time where extreme thinness is being celebrated, hunger suppression is being normalized, and health is feeling more like a performance than ever.

Tune in for more on:

* Hunger as a tool of control—historically, politically, and culturally* Growing up with limited food variety, dieting, and respectability politics* Diet culture as a cult (yes, it’s fascinating)* Why appetite suppression is being framed as “health”* GLP-1 medications, food noise, and informed consent* Epigenetics, famine, dieting, and intergenerational impact* The difference between the performance of health and actual well-being* Pleasure, nourishment, and why enjoying food matters* Why younger generations give us real reasons to hope

This episode is honest, funny, gentle, and deeply unsettling in the best way. It invites us to ask bigger questions:

Who benefits when we’re disconnected from our bodies? And what becomes possible when nourishment takes up less brain space—so we can look up and care for one another?

Make sure you’re following Christyna on Instagram. And check out her book, 100 Food Affirmations, right here.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe