SMP are joining with the University of Queensland to host a special seminar as part of UQ’s Political and Environmental Psychology and Social Sciences Seminar Series. The topic for this seminar will be an interdisciplinary panel discussion on “Weight Stigma in Health Policy and Practice”, featuring:

• Dr Briony Hill, ARC DECRA Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, Health and Social Care Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
• Professor John Dixon, MBBS, PhD, FRACGP, FRCP Edin, Adjunct Professor, Iverson Health Innovations Institute, Swinburne University

There is an increasing awareness and acknowledgement of the harms of weight stigma among the general public, policy makers, and health practitioners. Yet, weight stigma remains one of the most legitimised stigmas in society and is often embedded in and perpetuated by health policy and practice. This presents a serious barrier to health and access to equitable care. Dr Briony Hill and Prof John Dixon will discuss the current research and provide their perspectives on addressing weight stigma in health policy and practice, after which there will follow a brief panel discussion and audience Q&A.

For those joining on campus and planning to attend the social catch up at Badger & Co from 5:00pm please REGISTER so we can cater for appetizers (provided) after the seminar. Drinks are BYO.

About the speakers:

• Dr Briony Hill is pursuing research to understand how we can eradicate weight stigma to reduce the burden and blame on women across the reproductive life phase. She applies an ecological Systems Theory lens to her research to recognise the broader influences on weight stigma that extend through the community, society and government. She is an advocate for co-design methods in her research to ensure relevant stakeholders have their say in the development and implementation of interventions and policy change.
• Professor John Dixon is an experienced clinician, known globally for his breadth of clinical research into obesity and its risks and complications, as well as weight loss treatments and their effects on health. He has over 300 original research and review publications in the area and is experienced with all currently available effective weight management therapies. He is focused on seeing findings translated into clinical practice and on patient advocacy for people with obesity.