The Obesity Canada EveryBODY Matters Collaborative represents a strong multi-disciplinary partnership of weight bias and obesity stigma researchers from across disciplines and research areas. Our goal is to go beyond simply raising awareness of the existence of weight bias and stigma in Canada, towards promoting behaviour, practice, and policy change among key stakeholders.
Membership in this collaborative is open to any Obesity Canada member with an interest or expertise in weight bias and obesity stigma. If you are interested in joining this collaboration, please contact Dr. Ximena Ramos Salas via email at ramos-salas@obesitynetwork.ca. Please include a summary of your experience and expertise, along with brief details of any resources and/or publications relevant to weight bias and obesity stigma.
The EveryBODY Matters Collaborative works reduce weight bias and obesity stigma
Building on Canadian initiatives, including the 1st Canadian Weight Bias Summit (January 2011) and the 2nd Weight Bias Summit (March 2015), the EveryBODY Matters collaborative works to reduce weight bias and obesity stigma in health, education and public policy sectors. In 2016, the EveryBODY Matters collaborative hosted the 3rd Weight Bias Summit to review research evidence and share best practices on how to reduce weight bias and obesity stigma.
Members of the EveryBODY Matters collaborative have also completed a systematic review of weight bias reduction interventions among health professionals (Alberga, Russell-Mayhew et al.) that provides evidence-informed direction for the implementation of innovative solutions in weight bias reduction in the healthcare sector.
We has also engaged educational theory related to anti-discrimination work and health-related stigmas more broadly to help inform our educational intervention focused on weight bias reduction.
Finally, we have developed and implemented weight bias reduction interventions in Canada including but not limited to:
- An arts-based, interprofessional workshop entitled “Behind the Scenes: Interprofessional Insight on Patients’ and Practitioners’ Interactions and Experiences with Obesity Management“, co-led by Dr. Sheri Price and Dr. Sara Kirk, Dalhousie University Faculty of Health Professions and funded by CIHR. This workshop was held across Atlantic Canada in 2013-2014.
- An online Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “Behind the Scenes: Addressing Weight Bias and Stigma in Obesity” and led by Dr. Sara Kirk, Canada Research Chair and a Professor of health promotion with Dalhousie University’s School of Health and Human Performance. Research publication can be found here.
- An in-person education experience utilizing the only bariatric care suite in Canada entitled “Obesity Management Certificate Program for Interdisciplinary Health Professionals” and led by Dr. Mary Forhan and Dr. Arya M. Sharma and hosted in collaboration with Obesity Canada and the University of Alberta’s Health Sciences and Research Commons (HSERC).
- A Weight Bias Analysis Tool designed to support policy makers in critically assessing policies, strategies and programs and correcting for weight bias and stigma.
- Assessing the impact of organizational policies to reduce weight bias and stigma: Mapping changes in the obesity stigma discourse through Obesity Canada: a content analysis