Back in January, Pennsylvania Governor-elect Tom Wol tapped Dr. Rachel Levine for state physician general. Dr. Levine is a recognized expert in eating disorders with nearly 30 years of medical practice in pediatric psychology and behavioral health.
The governor stated that Dr. Levine’s knowledge and expertise is important for placing “equal emphasis on behavioral and physical health issues.” As for Levine, she says she wants to help “individuals with their myriad, complex, medical, and psychological problems.”
But there’s a glaring paradox about Levine’s selection.
You see, “Rachel” was born Richard, a male who has been transitioning to female over the last decade—or, as “she” would put it, a woman trapped in a man’s body who is becoming who she truly is.
Were it not for the fact that Dr. Levine will be setting health policy for the state, this would be little cause for concern. But Levine is a physician with a disorder caused by feelings about himself that are at odds with his body. And, whereas, he treats his anorexic patients by encouraging them to accept their bodies and change their feelings, he treats his own disorder by accepting his feelings and changing his body—a treatment fully sanctioned by the psychiatric establishment (one that no doubt contributed to his divorce in 2013 from his wife of 30 years).
While the incongruity has been lost on the therapist class, the governor, and Levine, it hasn’t on at least one of the Levine’s former patients: “Dr. Levine is sending the wrong message. . . . Since I am a diagnosed anorexic but still feel I am fat does this allow for me to continue to lose even more weight or . . . to seek out surgery to change the way I see myself?” Continue reading here.
