Why I don't say 'Beat the Bloat'
By Nadia Maxwell, Accredited Practising Dietitian
“31 foods to beat the bloat!”
“Beat the endo belly today!”
You’ve all heard it. It’s everywhere in endometriosis spaces (and online spaces in general).
I get why people say “beat the bloat” – it’s catchy and there’s a market for it. You’re absolutely justified in wanting relief from the uncomfortable (and often painful) distension that comes with endo belly. I agree with the overall sentiment. The more helpful strategies to alleviate discomfort the better.
It’s not the sentiment I’m mindful of. It’s the word “beat”.
I believe that language matters. Not only how we speak to others, but also how we speak to ourselves and our body.
Historically the language used in the healthcare of uterus-havers has been laden with judgement. Take the word hysteria for example. Hysteria comes from the Greek word hystera, which means “uterus”. It was once believed that hysteria was caused by a defect in the uterus and therefore only applicable to uterus-havers. Today, we still call the removal of the uterus an hysterectomy.
Or how about the way we talk about “bouncing back” after the birth of a baby. As if our body should be made of rubber that can “bounce back” as easy as a rebounding basketball.
The above language makes women feel that they’re not good enough, that their bodies are wrong or have betrayed them when they don’t meet societal standards.
So how does “beat the bloat” come into it? Why is it that I’m cautious about using it even when I support clients to ease their distension?
Beat means to defeat. It insinuates power over or superior to your body. When I talk about soothing your bloating, I want to insinuate working with and caring for your body.
As uncomfortable as your distension is and as valid as you are in wanting relief, I want to acknowledge that your body is doing its very best to support you to heal.
That you’re good enough and your body is not wrong, regardless of whether it meets societal standards of health and beauty or not.
So what can we say instead? Try replace “beat” with any of the following: soothe, calm, alleviate, settle, soften, ease.
My favourite is soothe your endo belly. Do you notice a different energy compared to “beat the bloat”?
I’d love to hear what you think. Get in touch via email wellness@qendo.org.au
Nadia xx
P.S. Outside of endometriosis spaces, I have seen some pretty horrible anti-fat bias when people promote “beat the bloat” strategies (Pinterest I’m looking at you). Seeing this content for the harm it can cause is an important skill in building media literacy. Media literacy can help build body image resilience and make the world a safer place for every body.
Nadia is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor and Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician. She supports people to improve their wellbeing and manage symptoms without damaging their relationship with their food and body in the process. She practices through a Health at Every Size® lens and is an advocate for inclusive and equal healthcare for people of all shapes and sizes.
Nadia provides evidence-based nutrition therapy on an array of topics, including:
Endometriosis
Disordered eating and eating disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Bladder pain syndrome
Missing periods
Fertility and pregnancy
Perimenopause
For more information or to get in contact with Nadia, visit www.nadiamaxwell.com, email her directly at hello@nadiamaxwell.com, phone 0474 301 058 or check out her Instagram @nadiamaxwellnutrition.
