Meet Bethany Wheeler: Registered and Licensed Dietitian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethany Wheeler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
My industry, the health/nutrition/wellness industry, trains dietitians to be someone who tells people what to eat, helps people lose weight or “manage” their weight, always eats “healthy” and is expected to live in a thin and “fit” body with minimal health issues. We are trained to perpetuate diet culture, a system of beliefs that endorses the idea that health is indicated by body size (thin or “fit” = healthy) and that being in good health is a moral imperative. This system also believes that everyone has the same access to food and healthcare, and thus, there are “no excuses” for not being healthy. Unfortunately, I have seen individual’s health worsen as a result of our industry. A profession that claims to improve the health and well-being of humans actually diminishes it, and it contributes to individuals developing disordered eating patterns and eating disorders. We are trained to teach people to have a disordered relationship with food and their body all in the name of health and wellness. Unlike what we hear and are taught, there is another way of promoting health and talking about eating that is backed by scientific research. Nutrition is not just about getting nutrients into the body. Yes, nutrients are very important but nutrition also includes pleasure, it involves culture and it’s a part of how we socialize and connect with others. Likewise, health is not just about our physical body. When we think and talk about health we have to take into account mental and emotional health, social health, financial health, intellectual health and environmental health. We also have to consider the fact that we don’t have complete control over our health, though that is often the expectation. Genetics play a strong role as well as social determinants of health, which are factors shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources in society, and include trauma/abuse history, socioeconomic status, social connection, access to healthcare, stigma and discrimination. These all play a larger role in one’s health status than the health behaviors we can engage in. Our industry also lacks diversity and inclusion. We are made up of mostly white cis-gender, neurotypical, able-bodied individuals with financial and educational privileges, Our profession is not representative of the human population. And because of this, the education and training of dietitians as well as the care and support provided cannot meet the needs of all of the people we may work with.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own a private practice called B. Wheeler Nutrition where I provide nutrition counseling and recovery coaching. I work with individuals who have a damaged relationship with food and their body. This damaged relationship usually involves a history of dieting (aka restricting and depriving oneself of food/calories), which I help individuals move beyond. Instead of dieting, I help folks find another way to approach health. This approach is one that encompasses all dimensions of health (not just the physical), encourages compassion towards oneself, seeks to add to a person’s life (rather than take away from it) and takes into consideration the systemic factors that can impact health (such as discrimination, poverty and food insecurity). I am not the stereotypical dietitian. I don’t tell people how or what to eat, I don’t help people lose weight, and I don’t use an individual’s body size, body composition or BMI (body mass index) to determine their health status. Promoting weight loss includes the endorsement of caloric restriction, and if this was what I did then I would be contributing to the very problem that I am trying to help folks heal from. I would also be encouraging folks to work against their body when I’m much more interested in helping folks learn how to work with and listen to their body. Ever since I decided I wanted to be a registered dietitian I knew that one day I wanted to eventually have a private practice, but I wanted to wait until I had more experience and knew exactly what I wanted my private practice to be like. I am grateful that I had many opportunities at my former full-time job that provided me with developing many skills I would need to start my own business as well as expanding my skills as a practitioner. However, while I was at this job, I was at a point in my life where I still had a very difficult time setting boundaries, which led me to be overworked and bullied. I got to a point where I was exhausted and my body was starting to shut down. I also wanted to be able to practice the way I believed was helpful and ethical without pushback, and of course, wanted to be fully in charge of my schedule. It finally felt like the right time, and I quite literally sat on my couch one night with my husband and created my business. That was early 2018 and I’m happy to say my practice is continuing to thrive to this day. I think it’s imperative that I acknowledge that I had access to the resources to first, even become a dietitian, and second, to be able to leave a full-time job and start my own business rather than trying to build my practice while also continuing to work. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many folks as we live in a world with many systemic oppressors, and this can make creating a business extremely challenging and often impacts the ability for that business to survive. It’s not just hard work that creates success; the privileges one is born with play a significant role, too. And we need to make access to resources more equitable so that anyone who wants to be self-employed can be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I really have to sit and think about this one. Not because there aren’t great places to visit around our city, but because I haven’t been able to do many fun outings in the last year due to Covid-19. If I did have a friend visiting, however, and Covid was behind us, these are some things I would highly recommend that we do while their in town: Go to a Braves game and enjoy The Battery See a show at the Fox Theatre Eat at Mary Mac’s Tea Room, Slutty Vegan, South City Kitchen, R. Thomas, Mezza Luna and Crispina Ristorante & Pizzeria Have milkshakes at FLIP Burger Boutique. Insomnia Cookies are also a MUST! Have a picnic at Piedmont Park Visit The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Enjoy a morning walk on one of the Chattahoochee River trails

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shout-out to my husband who has provided support and encouragement since day one of my business.

Website: www.bwheelernutrition.org

Instagram: @bethanydietitian

Facebook: B. Wheeler Nutrition

Image Credits
Morgan Corbett Photography