Is the War on Obesity making us sick? An alternative perspective on fat and health

When: Tuesday, 4th December, 2-3.30pm (refreshments from 1.30)
Where: Washington Singer Building, Rm 219, University of Exeter
Cost: Free, but please register via link below.

Could it be that everything we think we know about fat and health is wrong? Where did these ideas come from? And what does this mean for individuals, for healthcare professionals, and for policy makers? In this seminar, we will look at the evidence-base for the weight-health relationship and consider whether current weight-focussed public health policy may be doing more harm than good. Is feeling bad about our bodies worse for us than actually being fat? Are we helping anybody by demonising fat? And what should we be doing instead? We’ll consider alternative explanations for what we think we know, and look at what that might mean going forward. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and for everyone to bring their own lived experiences, whether as a patient, a health professional, or both. We hope to inspire you to reconsider your own notions of health, wellbeing, and human dignity. And who knows, maybe start a revolution.
 

Who is this seminar for?
People with a body (any size or shape); people who know people with a body (any size or shape); members of the public; health practitioners, therapists, body workers, fitness professionals; policy makers; educators; students; parents, non-parents; anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!
 

Speakers:
Lucy Aphramor has worked as an NHS community dietitian, a specialist cardiac dietitian, run a social enterprise, and a freelance trainer and performance artist, among other things. She has been involved in creating national and international guidelines and best practice, is a respected scholar on critical dietetics and issues of ethics in public health, and an avid social justice advocate. Her journey has taken her from the establishment and into the community, and she is passionate about engagement and co-creation of knowledge.
Angela Meadows is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychology at the University of Exeter. Her main focus is on how societal weight stigma influences higher-weight individuals; who, why, and when people turn these negative attitudes on themselves, and how this affects their health and wellbeing. And what happens when we resist being devalued by society. She is also a blogger and a fat acceptance activist and is often invited to speak in the media on the subject of weight, health, and stigma.

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wcceh-seminar-weight-stigma-is-the-war-on-obesity-making-us-sick-tickets-50682249974
This event is part of the seminar series run by the University of Exeter Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health