Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Marie Long.
Hi Anna Marie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my private practice in 2022 after working at a group practice for about 3.5 years. I am an eating disorder specialist dietitian and I have a passion for helping people improve their relationships with food and their bodies. I take a unique approach in that I am a Christian and am open to integrating principles of Biblical counseling in my work with clients, upon request. I utilize a weight-inclusive framework and help my clients to see their bodies as good, while re-learning to eat in a way that feels good. I started my practice because I don’t know if any other dietitians in the area who take a weight-inclusive approach and also incorporate Christian faith openly. I believe that this integration is so important, so I co-wrote a book about it called Nourished by Faith: Biblical Perspective on Food, Eating Disorders, and Body Image. I love doing this work, and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacle has been people in the eating disorder community not understanding how faith plays a role in recovery. I have received some un-kind emails and messages about this. I always like to relate back to values. If someone’s Christian faith is their most important value, of course it relates to recovery!
I have also had obstacles in the Christian community. Often, people do not understand a weight-inclusive framework and believe that the desire for weight loss is good and is “stewarding your body well”. I have several chapters on this in my book and enjoy discussing why it is important to improve body image, instead of striving continually for body change.
Bridging the gap of weight-inclusive eating disorder care and Christian faith-based care has been challenging, but I believe it is so important!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Anna Marie Long Nutrition is a private practice of dietitians who practice nutritional counseling in the treatment and prevention of eating disorders. We are different from other practices in that we integrate Christian faith and principles of Biblical counseling upon request. We also take some commercial insurance plans (please inquire to learn more).
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was taking cheer and dance lessons as a kid. I believe this sparked my initial interest in nutrition and learning about how to fuel my body well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://annamarierd.com
- Instagram: @annamarie.rd
Image Credits
All images are from Charity Wottrich.
