Many Americans, particularly women, struggle with bodily dissatisfaction, and we often assume this is the result of secular phenomena, such as the diet and weight loss industry or pervasive beauty marketing. In reality, our body image woes are due to both secular and religious influences. Winding through centuries of Christian history, this talk explores how ancient philosophy and monastic eating practices inform the way we talk and think about food both in real life and in digital spaces, from ascetic nuns of the Middle Ages all the way to “girl dinner.” This talk posits that these traditions are not obsolete, but have rather evolved and are echoed in our modern-day eating practices. By acknowledging this religious history and by incorporating a design mindset, we can begin to move forward and genuinely heal our relationship with our bodies.Sophia (Phi to her friends) Day is an artist from the Chicagoland area. She graduated with her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts in 2023 and is currently serving as the Post-Graduate Exhibitions Fellow there. In addition, she also works and teaches at various local arts organizations. Her art practice combines making, curation, and research to amplify under-discussed narratives and to form connections across disciplines and histories. Raised Catholic, she has produced several bodies of artistic and academic work about the intersections of feminism and Catholicism and she brings this background, along with her experience in food systems, to her Tedx Tufts talk. When not juggling multiple jobs and art projects, she likes to host friends for dinner with her dog, Tommy.This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx