[SydPhil] Reminder: WiP and Ethics & Agency Research Centre Seminar on Friday 23 June – Associate Professor Angela Ballantyne (University of Otago)

[FoA Philosophy Seminars]

Dear all,

We would like to invite you to a seminar with guest speaker Associate Professor Angela Ballantyne (University of Otago) on Friday 23 June 2023 from 1:00 to 2:30pm.

Attend in person: 25C Wally’s Walk, Room C120/C121.
Attend via Zoom: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/c2oWCP7LAXf0QBj86hztTcM?domain=macquarie.zoom.us  Password: seminar

Title
“Fat bias in medicine: Is it ever OK to encourage a patient to lose weight?”

Abstract
In this paper I will argue that promoting diets for the purpose of weight loss is ineffective, stigmatising, and harmful. Diets are ineffective in achieving sustained weight loss and often result in long term weight gain. Why does medicine continue to promote an intervention that is ineffective in 80-95% of patients, and has the opposite of the desired effect in 1/3 of patients? Testimony from fat people suggests there is no way to engage in medical screening of weight in a manner that is non-stigmatizing. This is in part due to the pervasive cultural bias against fatness and the repeated trauma and stress fat people experience due to stigma and discrimination. Medicine’s commitment to dieting is influenced by social ideals about temperance and self-control; and efforts to counsel dietary weight loss aim to reform fat peoples’ perceived character flaws – laziness, dishonesty, lack of discipline. Promoting dietary-induced weight loss thus breaches non-maleficence, damages the therapeutic relationship, and creates a barrier for fat people to access medical care. Health-providers should instead support patients to improve diet quality and physical activity (where appropriate), as these changes will likely offer health and quality of life benefits, even in the absence of weight loss.

We would be delighted if you were able to join us for a catered afternoon tea afterwards. If you wish to attend the seminar in person, please RSVP for catering purposes at ethics.agency at mq.edu.au<mailto:ethics.agency at mq.edu.au>.

This seminar is jointly hosted by the Macquarie University Ethics and Agency Research Centre and the Work in Progress Seminar in the Department of Philosophy.

Kind regards,
Regina


Dr Regina Fabry (she/her)
ARC Discovery Early Career Research Awardee
Editor-in-Chief of Philosophy and the Mind Sciences<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/dAukCQnMBZfX7n2MRcPNWsI?domain=philosophymindscience.org> (Diamond Open Access)
Department of Philosophy
Level 7, 25B Wally’s Walk
Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
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