E19. Questioning Diet Culture and Tradition in Pediatrics with Dr. Noha Polack

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Join me today as I speak with pediatrician Dr. Noha Polack, who's on a mission to shift her practice away from weight-centered healthcare and help her patients build a healthier relationship with food.

In this conversation, we tackle the discussion of weight within healthcare, the impact of social media on body image, particularly among Gen Z, and discuss the importance of body acceptance and prioritizing health over aesthetics.

Learn about resources and initiatives that are making a difference, as well as the role of patient empowerment in healthcare and how to stand up to bullying from providers.

As we wrap up, Dr. Polack and I reveal the challenges faced in breaking free from diet culture, both personally and within the medical community. I ask her thoughts on the new guidelines surrounding weight from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and I appreciated that she was able to share her conflicted feelings with me.

We end with her goals for the future including the importance of focusing on nutrition and movement instead of weight and her hope that other practitioners will join her in that shift.

Bio:

Dr. Noha Polack is a board-certified pediatrician, operating a private practice in Union City and Bayonne, New Jersey, since 1996. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from Rutgers University. She later obtained her medical degree from Rutgers University in Newark, NJ., formerly known as UMDNJ, and completed her training in pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. In 1999, she launched her private practice, Progressive Pediatrics, where she and her team care for children and their families.

Dr. Polack specializes in helping teens and pre-teens with body image and weight issues. She believes that treating diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease is both a physical and mental challenge. Helping her patients work on their mindset and habits is her way of making a difference in the world. Her passion is advocating for and empowering teens and pre-teens to help them love their bodies and take control of their health journey. Additionally, Dr. Polack teaches professionals and parents who encounter children in this age group to use the right words to communicate positive messages about health instead of focusing on weight.

Dr. Polack lives to inspire young people around her. After becoming the first doctor in her family, five of her cousins followed in her footsteps and became medical professionals. She has two children who attended public school in New Jersey and are now adults working on their undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively. She is also an avid speaker on adolescent wellness, health, and empowerment and can be gagements.

Reach out to Dr. Polack:

Emails: [e-mail]

Website: https://progressivepediatrics.com/

Resources:

• Dr. Polack’s Recommended Follows:
  • Obesity Matters: https://www.linkedin.com/company/obesity-matters/
  • @thebodypositive on Instagram
  • @theantidietplan on Instagram
• Heather’s Recommended Instagram Follows:
  • @katiesturino
  • @rileylaster_rd
  • @dietitiananna
  • @thebirdspapaya
  • @theantidietplan
  • @nicolecruzrd
  • @menopause.nutritionist
  • @your.latina.nutritionist
  • @linda.steinhardt_rd
  • @ragenchastain
  • @find.food.freedom
  • @tiffanyima
  • @yrfatfriend
  • @thenutritiontea
  • @tallyrye
• Ragen Chastain’s- Appointment Action Plan

Chapters

1. Revamping Pediatric Practice Away From Diet (00:00:00)

2. Digital Body Image Navigation (00:12:57)

3. Empowering Patients in Healthcare (00:20:07)

4. Challenging Diet Culture in Pediatric Practice (00:30:46)

5. Navigating the Future of Diet Culture (00:35:56)

6. Parenting and Personal Struggles (00:41:15)