Your phone can be a tool, a comfort, a classroom, and a trigger all at once and your body often pays the price before you even realize it. We sit down with registered dietitian Kelsey McNulty, founder of True North Nutrition, to unpack how social media, screen time, and algorithm-driven content can shape eating behaviors, body image, and mental health, especially for people navigating disordered eating, chronic conditions, and recovery. We get specific about what makes the scroll so sticky: dopamine, attention, and the “slot machine” effect of endless short-form videos. We also talk about why it’s not only the hours on your phone that matter, but the content you’re being fed, including appearance-based posts, “what I eat in a day” videos, and anxiety-fueling health or parenting takes. Along the way, we name the shame spiral for what it is and share practical ways to audit your apps, notice your emotional response, and curate your feed with more intention. Then we bring it to real life: eating with your phone. We explore how screens can pull you away from hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues, while also acknowledging times when distraction can genuinely help, including meal anxiety, loneliness, and neurodivergent needs. Kelsey also introduces the “analog bag,” a simple, screen-free way to reconnect with yourself without turning it into another perfection project or overconsumption trend. If you’re ready to feel more grounded with food and more protected online, listen now, then share this with a friend and leave a review. What part of your feed affects you most right now? Show notes: Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised. Resource links: Alliance for Eating Disorders: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/ ANAD: https://anad.org/ NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ NAMI: https://nami.org/home Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/ NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ How to find a provider: https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7) Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET) If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Support the show
