5 Questions with Jessica Jones, RD, CDE

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Today we have the newest installment in my 5 Questions With… series where we meet experts in weight-neutral health and healthcare! Previous interviewees include Dr. Lesley Williams, Mikey Mercedes, Aaron Flores, Dr. Gregory Dodell, Lisa Du Breuil, Dr. Asher Larmie, and members of Medical Students for Size Inclusivity and Chrissy King. Next month I’m excited to share an interview with Leslie Jordan Garcia!

Today, we get to learn a bit about Jessica Jones!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your work

My name is Jessica Jones, but my friends call me Jess. Personally, I'm a Black, well-traveled, creative, suburban soccer mom with no kids. I've lived in San Francisco, New York, Oakland, and LA & now I'm back in my home city of Sacramento. I love sending voice notes, and I'm that annoying pet mom who thinks my dog is my kid. 

Professionally, I am a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, author, and speaker. I have written for Buzzfeed, SELF, The Oakland Tribune, The Huffington Post, The Village Voice, and Today's Dietitian & have co-authored two books and one textbook chapter. My claim to niche internet fame (using fame loosely here) is being the co-founder of Food Heaven, a multimedia wellness platform and podcast with over 5 million downloads. 

Most recently, I co-founded Diabetes Digital, a weight-inclusive nutrition counseling platform for people with diabetes. We offer nutrition telehealth services delivered by dietitians, ensuring diabetes care is not only convenient and accessible but also engaging. With people of color being disproportionately impacted by diabetes, cultural competency is a cornerstone of our vision, and our dietitians are committed to addressing these disproportionate rates through culturally humble and personalized nutrition telehealth services that are covered by health insurance in 23+ states.

2. How did learn about the concept of weight-neutral, body affirming care?

I first learned about weight-inclusive care via Evelyn Tribole's work. I took her intuitive eating course for healthcare professionals in 2017 and it completely changed my outlook on my approach to weight and health. Then I continued to explore it on my podcast, starting with an interview with Rebecca Scritchfield here. As dietitians, we were trained on a normative approach to weight management –at least, this was the case when I went to grad school in 2009. It took a lot of unlearning to embrace the weight-inclusive paradigm fully, but I am so glad for the work of those who came before me and paved the way for weight-inclusive care. 

3. How have you/do you apply those concepts to your work?

First, I have a column for SELF magazine and have tried to spread the word through many articles about HAES, intuitive eating, food access, and social justice. Additionally, these principles are central topics on my podcast, where we've engaged in extensive discussions to educate and spread awareness.

One of the key motivations behind founding Diabetes Digital was the noticeable gap in diabetes care that aligns with weight-inclusive principles. Much of the existing support for diabetes is entrenched in weight normative approaches. Recognizing this, we wanted to create a platform that not only supports individuals with diabetes or prediabetes but does so in a way that aligns with our weight-inclusive values.

In practice, our approach at Diabetes Digital is not focused on weight as a primary outcome but instead on blood glucose levels, health behaviors, mental well-being, and improving one's relationship with food and body. Our programs and counseling are designed to empower clients, helping them to navigate their health without the added pressure of conforming to a certain weight standard. We believe in supporting our clients holistically, acknowledging the complex interplay between physical health, mental health, and social factors, and steering clear of the stigmatization that often accompanies conventional weight-centric approaches.

4. What's one thing that you wish people who are still working from a weight-focused paradigm could learn/know?

One crucial aspect I wish people operating within a weight-focused paradigm could understand is the significance of separating health from weight. The toxic belief that weight directly correlates with health not only oversimplifies the complex nature of health but also perpetuates stigma, discrimination, and inequity in healthcare. Evidence suggests that it's possible to improve health outcomes through behavior changes unrelated to weight loss, such as increased physical activity, nutrition, and stress management, regardless of whether weight changes.

As a dietitian, I have seen firsthand how focusing on weight can often lead to harmful behaviors, disordered eating, and mental health struggles. It ignores the broader spectrum of factors contributing to health, including genetics, social determinants of health, and access to resources. A shift towards a more holistic, patient-centered approach that emphasizes well-being over weight, inclusivity, and compassion can significantly improve the quality of care and the health outcomes for individuals, regardless of their size.

5. How and where do we find you and your work?

You can find Diabetes Digital and our work primarily through our website, diabetesdigital.co, which is the hub for all our services and resources. If you want 1:1 virtual nutrition counseling for diabetes and prediabetes, fill out our 30-second get started form. We'll gather details such as your location, insurance information, and the specific condition you're looking to address. Plus, we'll provide a complimentary insurance check to see if you're in our network. Our dietitians are from diverse cultural backgrounds, and we offer counseling in both English and Spanish! Most of our clients have unlimited visits with no copays, making this service a no-brainer.

For updates, tips, and engaging content, follow us on Instagram @diabetesdigitalco. 

We also just launched the Diabetes Digital podcast; check her out here.

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More research and resources:
https://haeshealthsheets.com/resources/

*Note on language: I use “fat” as a neutral descriptor as used by the fat activist community, I use “ob*se” and “overw*ight” to acknowledge that these are terms that were created to medicalize and pathologize fat bodies, with roots in racism and specifically anti-Blackness. Please read Sabrina Strings’ Fearing the Black Body – the Racial Origins of Fat Phobia and Da’Shaun Harrison’s Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness for more on this.