Beliefs about weight in the medical field and the barriers to approaching health in a weight-neutral way.
It’s the first episode of Beyond Weight - a NEW series that asks the question “how can we manage health concerns without focusing on weight loss, food restriction, and body shame?” - and in it Jill is speaking with Dr. Lesley Williams-Blackwell, a board certified family doctor and certified eating disorder specialist. She’s an advocate for diversity and inclusivity in healthcare and today she’s talking about Health at Every Size in the medical field - the archaic beliefs and the barriers to doing things differently. Lesley also has some fantastic ideas on how to shift a medical practice to be more weight neutral and the way forward for the profession, in general. She's also the author of the lovely children's book - Free to Be Me: Self Love for All Sizes!
In this episode, we discuss:

Health at Every Size (HAES)

What is Health Equity? What are the challenges to Health Equity?

Opposition to HAES in the medical community

Working with fatphobic practitioners while gently helping them to see a new way

How the word “obesity” is misused

The historical framework of the BMI (body mass index) and why medical professionals stay married to this archaic tool

Why weight stigma leads to medical care avoidance

Time as a major factor in changing the approach to health and weight

The feeling in the medical field that it’s irresponsible to NOT focus on weight and why that belief is the by-product of internalized fatphobia

What does it look like to practice in a weight-independent way, as an MD?

The way forward for the healing professions…

Why some individuals may find it challenging to opt-out of diet culture - even when they’re ready to accept their bodies… and how we can meet these individuals where they’re at.


Links:
https://lesleywilliamsmd.com/