The Knowledge Exchange Series (KES): Crossing the Hallway: Weight Bias and Expanding Health Education Towards Equitable Futures was presented on Monday, April 15, 2024, through a partnership of the UW Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (UW CIPE), the UW Master of Public Health (MPH Program), and the UW Gender and Women’s Studies Department. The Session attendees included a diverse group of about 70 faculty/ staff, healthcare providers, and students. The KES: Crossing the Hallway: Weight Bias and Expanding Health Education Towards Equitable Futures took place from 4:30- 7:30 pm in the Signe Skott Cooper Hall Auditorium (School of Nursing).
During this event, Kate Phelps, PhD (she/they) Teaching Faculty in the UW Gender and Women’s Studies department, and scholar and professor of this topic led and engaged a panel of guest speakers who are working, advocating, and researching within this space.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe fat studies as a framework.
- Explain macro and social science approaches to fatness.
- Explore size-inclusive practice across clinical settings, including family medicine, psychiatry, psychology, and reproductive care.
- Share lived experiences of embodiment into the dialogue.
- Describe Health at Every Size principles and harm reduction practices.
- Connect individuals to systems in this space.
Panel members of Crossing the Hallway: Weight Bias and Expanding Health Education Towards Equitable Futures left to right:
- J. Dale Gardner (they/them)- Full spectrum doula, childbirth educator, health equity advocate, and midwife in training
- Ying Dai (they/she)- Master’s student in Gender and Women’s Studies, fat studies scholar, performance studies scholar, & fat activist
- Shannon Patterson, M.Ed., PhD (she/her)- Counseling Psychologist, ED specialist, size inclusive & weight neutral care
- Kate Phelps, PhD (she/they)-Teaching Faculty in the UW Gender and Women’s Studies Department
- Katherine Schaumberg, PhD (she/her)- Clinical Psychologist, Director of the Embark Lab, & ED specialist
- Aimée Wattiaux, MD, MPH (she/her)- Family Medicine 2nd year resident physician who practices weight neutral and size inclusive care
- Not pictured: Autumn Miller (she/her)- PhD student in Gender and Women’s Studies, fat studies scholar, fat activist
Learn more about the panelists at: https://bit.ly/KESWEIGHTBIASPANELBIO
Through an evaluation at the end of this event, the KES was well received with an average rating of 4.3/5.0 for the question asking if the session provided attendees with the tools and resources to take action steps within their communities.
Comments from attendees regarding what they took away from this KES session about which topics or aspects they found most interesting and/ or useful:
- Examples of lived experience were helpful in framing the problem, I loved the variety of disciplinary thought. The examples of incorporating weight-neutrality into practice will be helpful in my career. (Medicine Student)
- Dr. Phelps’ knowledge and perspective on fat studies and the complexities in society (Faculty and Health Care Provider)
An immense thank you to the UW Master of Public Health and the UW Gender and Women’s Studies Department for their partnership in planning for and presenting this KES and to our Panel Members who participated in this event.