Hello lovelies, today’s conversation is so timely, as “menopause is having a moment.” I hope that moment leads to research dollars because…
“Research related to women’s health is critically underfunded. In 2020, only 5% of global research and development (R&D) funding was allocated to women’s health research. This was split into 4% for women’s cancers and 1% for all other women-specific health conditions, with 25% of that further limited to fertility research.” (Nature)
Unbelievable. And yet, not.
Charlotte Laws (she/her), a psychotherapist, is here to share her experiences and wisdom on how hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can affect mental health, eating disorders, and body image. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the systemic issues within healthcare, the necessity of self-advocacy, and the value of community support. The conversation also touches on the intersection of neurodiversity and women's health, highlighting the need for a nuanced understanding of individual experiences.
A few juicy quotes for you:
"There's not a lot of research around women's health; this is starting to change very slightly, but it just feels like no one understands our bodies and the complexity that exists for people who have uteruses, and the mind-body connection."
"When we think about healthy, everyone's saying do this to be healthy. Well, if you develop an eating disorder or disordered eating because you're trying to do these things, that's going to be moving you further away from health than actually toward health."
"As we hit perimenopause, our BMI typically goes up, which I hate the BMI, but when you look at people who have been dieting their whole lives, they hit perimenopause, and they don’t understand why they are actually higher weight than they used to be, and now all the techniques they used to do aren’t working anymore for them."
One of my fave ways to reflect on the past year and dream into the coming year is this free, downloadable workbook, YearCompass.
I highly recommend getting together with a dear friend to explore it together. I’ll be spending the day with my bestie as we create magic with delicious snacks, chill vibes playlists, tarot cards, and comfy blankets.
However you move through this holiday season and into the new year, I’m sending you wishes for abundant moments of joy, ease, and rest.
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