Shoulders Down

🩺 A Pediatrician’s Perspective on GLP-1s, Diet Culture, & Adolescent Health — with Dr. Lauren Hartman

• Leah Kern

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast, Leah talks with Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, about why dieting and weight-focused care can be especially harmful for children and teens — and what she’s seeing on the front lines of adolescent eating disorder treatment.

Drawing from nearly 20 years of experience across hospital systems, outpatient care, and national leadership roles, Dr. Hartman explains why weight loss is rarely sustainable, how dieting increases eating disorder risk, and why a medicalized focus on weight often misses what young people actually need to thrive.

Leah and Dr. Hartman also discuss the rise in eating disorders among adolescents, the role of social media and diet culture, and growing concerns around GLP-1 medications.

You’ll hear about:

  • A doctor’s perspective on why dieting and weight loss often backfire
  • Whether eating disorders are on the rise among adolescents — and what’s driving the increase
  • How social media and diet culture impact teens’ relationships with food and body
  • GLP-1 medications and the risks of prescribing them to young people
  • What informed consent should include when it comes to weight-loss interventions
  • How parents can help protect children from diet culture and weight stigma

More From Dr. Lauren Hartman: https://www.aspengroveayam.com/

More From Leah: