As we work toward making our public health pedagogy and classrooms more inclusive and trauma-informed, it is imperative that we are intentional about how we represent and talk about bodies, weight and health, and how welcome people feel in our programs. 

Here are some things to consider about weight-loss drugs from a body liberation + public health perspective. In any case, our work toward an equitable world for people in larger bodies continues.

By Erin Bransford - Weight stigma and diet culture are deeply entrenched in the fitness and recreation industries. What can a fitness and recreation professional do to push back against this harmful narrative and create a facility, programs, and services that are welcoming to all bodies?

Here is an example of advocacy on behalf of weight-inclusive policy, including students speaking up, faculty and staff supporting them, and administrators listening. Learn about a Fat Justice Journal Club and its advocacy project.

What do we mean by "feeling comfortable in our body," and where do these “feelings” come from? An examination of what underlies these feelings is critical to uprooting our own implicit anti-fat bias and working toward body liberation for all.

By Katie Borofka - What if public health focused on compassion, pleasure, and a radical divestment from shame? Surely, there is space alongside disease prevention for feeling good in our bodies.

One of the most fundamental ways that we can enshrine our values is to create policy that manifests those values. Weight-inclusive policy aligns with principles of inclusion (anti-discrimination), access (universal design), and human rights.

We all have bodies, and our bodies intersect in so many ways with our other identities. In every case, our bodies are impacted by our various identities and how they are either celebrated, welcomed, marginalized or oppressed by society.

We Value Representation: In public health, we work to ensure representation of a variety of lived experiences and perspectives, especially when our work is focusing on a particular community. This must include people in larger bodies.