Diet culture is a liar. It tells us that if we just try harder, use more willpower, or find the "perfect" macro split, we’ll finally be happy. But for anyone who has actually struggled with a disordered relationship with food, you know that’s total nonsense. It’s not about the food. It’s never really just about the food. That is exactly where Opal Food and Body Wisdom enters the chat, and honestly, they’re doing things a bit differently than your standard clinical clinic.
Located in Seattle, Opal isn't some faceless corporate health chain. It was founded by three women—Julie Church, Kara Bazzi, and Lexi Giblin—who saw a massive, gaping hole in how eating disorders were being treated. They realized that you can't just fix a "behavior" without looking at the soul, the biology, and the cultural madness we all live in.
The Problem With Traditional Treatment
Most rehab centers feel like hospitals. White walls. Fluorescent lights. A lot of talk about "compliance."
Opal is different because it’s built on the Health at Every Size (HAES) framework. This isn't just a trendy buzzword they slapped on a brochure. It is the literal foundation of their philosophy. Most medical spaces are incredibly weight-biased, even the ones meant to help people with eating disorders. If you’re in a larger body, doctors often tell you to lose weight, even if that weight loss behavior is exactly what's killing you. Opal rejects that. They argue that your body has an internal wisdom that you’ve probably been taught to ignore since you were five years old.
They use something called the Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT). While standard DBT is great for people who struggle with impulsivity, RO-DBT is specifically designed for people who are "over-controlled." Think perfectionists. The high achievers. The people who are really, really good at following rules until those rules become a prison.
Why "Wisdom" Isn't Just Hippie Talk
When you hear the phrase Opal Food and Body Wisdom, the "wisdom" part might sound a little woo-woo. It isn't. It refers to the physiological reality that your brain and gut are constantly communicating.
We have been conditioned to use external cues to eat. "It's 12:00 PM, so I must eat lunch." Or, "I have 200 calories left in my app, so I can have this apple."
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That’s not wisdom. That’s math. And the human body is terrible at being a calculator.
Opal focuses heavily on the Ellyn Satter Trust Model. Satter is a legend in the nutrition world, and her work centers on the idea that children are born knowing how to eat. They eat when they’re hungry; they stop when they’re full. Somewhere along the way, through "clean your plate" clubs or "good food/bad food" labels, we lose that. We stop trusting the machine. Rebuilding that trust is grueling work. It takes months, sometimes years, of unlearning the "shoulds" that have been shouted at us by social media influencers and well-meaning but misinformed doctors.
The Sport and Exercise Paradox
This is where Opal gets really interesting. Most eating disorder programs just ban exercise. They see it as a "compensatory behavior"—basically, a way to purge calories. While that can be true, Opal’s founders (specifically Kara Bazzi, who has a background in athletics) realized that for many people, movement is a huge part of their identity.
If you tell a lifelong runner they can never run again, you aren't just taking away a calorie-burning tool. You're taking away their community, their stress relief, and their sense of self.
Instead of a blanket ban, they developed the "Exercise + Sport" track. It’s about Vitamin Move. It’s about figuring out if you’re running because you love the wind on your face or because you’re terrified of the bagel you ate for breakfast. It’s nuanced. It’s messy. It’s way harder than just saying "don't go to the gym."
Breaking Down the RO-DBT Approach
Let’s get nerdy for a second. RO-DBT, which Opal uses extensively, focuses on "social signaling."
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The theory is that many people with restrictive eating disorders are actually too good at self-control. They can mask their pain with a smile. They can follow a rigid meal plan perfectly. But they are lonely. They are disconnected from others because they are so busy maintaining a facade of being "okay."
The goal here isn't just to get someone to eat a sandwich. The goal is to get them to a place where they can be vulnerable, show their "true self" to a friend, and stop needing the eating disorder as a protective shield. It's about "radical openness" to new experiences and feedback. It's about learning that it’s actually okay to be messy.
Honestly, we could all probably use a bit of that, even without a clinical diagnosis.
Fatphobia in the Medical Field
You can't talk about body wisdom without talking about the elephant in the room: weight stigma.
Most people don't realize that you can have a restrictive, life-threatening eating disorder while being in a large body. This is often called "Atypical Anorexia," which is a terrible name because there’s nothing "atypical" about the suffering involved. Because of the way our society views weight, these individuals are often praised for their disordered behaviors. They’re told "you look great" while they are literally starving.
Opal is one of the few places that actively fights this. They recognize that "body wisdom" applies to every single body, regardless of its size, shape, or ability. They don't use weight as the primary metric of health. Instead, they look at metabolic markers, psychological flexibility, and the ability to engage in a life that feels meaningful.
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What Does "Recovery" Actually Look Like?
It’s not a straight line. It’s more like a jagged mountain range.
There will be days where you feel like a pro, listening to your hunger cues and feeling at peace in your skin. Then, a stressful work week hits or a family member makes a comment about your plate, and you’re right back in the trenches.
The Opal Food and Body Wisdom approach emphasizes that "recovery" isn't a final destination where you never think about your body again. It’s about building the resilience to handle those thoughts when they show up. It’s about having a toolkit—whether that’s RO-DBT skills, a solid support system, or the ability to call out your own internal critic.
Actionable Steps Toward Body Wisdom
You don't have to be in a residential program in Seattle to start applying some of these principles. Here is how you can start shifting your perspective today:
- Audit your feed. If you follow "fitspo" accounts that make you feel like garbage about your body, hit unfollow. Your brain is a sponge. Stop soaking it in toxic water.
- Practice "Neutrality." You don't have to love your body today. That's a big jump. Try just accepting it as a vessel that gets you from point A to point B. It’s a tool, not an ornament.
- Listen to the "Gurgle." Start trying to identify what hunger actually feels like for you. Is it a headache? Irritability? A literal growl? Don't judge it; just notice it.
- Challenge the "Good/Bad" Labels. An Oreo is not "sinful." Broccoli is not "virtuous." They are both just food with different nutritional profiles. When you strip away the moral weight, the food loses its power over you.
- Seek Specialized Help. If you’re struggling, find a provider who specifically mentions HAES or Intuitive Eating. If they start by suggesting a weight-loss diet, they aren't the right fit for eating disorder recovery.
True wisdom is realizing that your body has been on your side this whole time. It’s been trying to survive despite everything you’ve put it through. Maybe it’s time to start listening to what it has to say.
Resources for Further Exploration
- The Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Podcast: A great way to hear the founders' voices and dive deeper into RO-DBT and HAES.
- Health At Every Size (HAES) Community: For research and data on why weight-neutral care is medically sound.
- The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH): An excellent resource for finding weight-inclusive providers.
Practical Next Steps:
If you are currently struggling with your relationship with food, your first step is to acknowledge that this is a physiological and psychological battle, not a lack of willpower. Consider reaching out to a therapist trained specifically in Eating Disorders and RO-DBT. You can also begin by reading Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, which aligns closely with the wisdom-based approach. Remember, the goal is not to control your body, but to collaborate with it.