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The fastest way to turn dinner into a battlefield is to treat food like a test of willpower. Dr. Wendy Shofer joins us to explain why the familiar “eat less, move more” playbook can raise stress, fuel shame, and even plant the seeds of disordered eating, especially for kids and families already carrying a heavy load.

Wendy is a pediatrician, a Navy veteran, and the founder of Family in Focus. We talk about what she kept hearing from parents in the exam room: “I’m failing my child.” From there, we unpack a different model of family nutrition and health, one that’s trauma-informed and relationship-centered. We dig into the emotions that sit underneath eating patterns like boredom, loneliness, disconnection, celebration, and exhaustion, plus why food can become the easiest thing to control when life feels out of control.

We also zoom out to the bigger system: why 15-minute appointments can’t hold these conversations, why insurance often demands a diagnosis instead of supporting prevention, and how social determinants of health shape what’s realistically possible at home. You’ll leave with practical, pressure-free ideas, including Wendy’s focus on tiny “experiments” that help parents regulate themselves and change the entire tone at the table.

Learn more about Dr. Shofer at: https://www.wendyschofermd.com/

If this helped you rethink food rules, share it with a parent who needs less shame and more support, then subscribe and leave a review so more families can find the conversation.

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