Dr. Bailey Rose (Ngāti Maniapoto), Clinical Psychologist at Ora Toa Mauriora, New Zealand, joins us for a conversation on eating disorders, culture, identity, and mental health care.

We explore how eating disorders are often misunderstood through a narrow Western lens, and why that can leave Māori and other underserved communities unseen, misdiagnosed, or excluded from support systems. Bailey shares insights from both her clinical work and research, discussing the cultural meaning of food, barriers to care, stigma, social media pressures, and the limitations of relying too heavily on measures like BMI.

The episode also dives into:

•  Māori perspectives on food, care, and wellbeing 
•  How culture shapes experiences of eating disorders 
•  Emotional regulation, shame, and relationships with food 
•  Misconceptions around who “gets” eating disorders 
•  The impact of beauty standards and social media 
•  Ozempic and the growing conversation around weight-loss medications 
•  Why culturally responsive mental health care matters 

Support the show

Support us and reach out!
https://smoothbrainsociety.com
https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety

Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety
Twitter/X:  @SmoothBrainSoc
Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety
Merch and all other links: Linktree
email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com