Mimi Nichter: podcast appearances and interviews

Mimi Nichter is an American cultural and medical anthropologist and a professor emerita at the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1995. Nichter is known for her book Fat Talk: What Girls and Their Parents Say About Dieting, which explores the connections between culture, body image, and dieting. Her work emphasizes the social functions of behaviors such as 'fat talk,' a routine in which girls share their bodily concerns. She describes this practice not as a sign of low self-esteem or pathology but as a complex resource for expressing solidarity and engaging in adolescent interaction. Nichter’s research also includes studies on women’s use of tobacco. She was awarded the Margaret Mead Award in 2001, recognizing her contributions to anthropology.