Oral Presentations
Challenging the Let’s Move Initiative: Advocating for a Weight-Neutral Approach to Public Health Programming
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Mykala Ward
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Anthropology
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The Let’s Move initiative was established in 2010 under the Obama Administration to “solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.” However well-intended the national initiative was to improve children's health in the U.S., the weight-stigmatizing language used in framing and the outcome measure of focusing on BMI measurements have had some unintended and harmful health outcomes for people with larger bodies.
Through reviewing literature surrounding anti-fat bias in public health and healthcare and exploring fat studies literature, I hope to learn more myself and challenge parts of the Let’s Move! initiative and similar public health programming to evaluate to what extent weight stigma permeates program framing and advocate for a move towards a weight-neutral approach. Furthermore, through a content analysis of public resources and activities, as well as discussions with the program director, I explore 5-2-1-0 Missoula, Missoula’s extension of the Let’s Move initiative as it relates to weight stigma. Lastly, I hope to investigate potential evaluation techniques and outcomes for Let’s Move programs that go beyond BMI and advocate for challenging weight stigma in public health interventions.
Category
Health and Medical Science (do not choose)
Challenging the Let’s Move Initiative: Advocating for a Weight-Neutral Approach to Public Health Programming
UC 331
The Let’s Move initiative was established in 2010 under the Obama Administration to “solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.” However well-intended the national initiative was to improve children's health in the U.S., the weight-stigmatizing language used in framing and the outcome measure of focusing on BMI measurements have had some unintended and harmful health outcomes for people with larger bodies.
Through reviewing literature surrounding anti-fat bias in public health and healthcare and exploring fat studies literature, I hope to learn more myself and challenge parts of the Let’s Move! initiative and similar public health programming to evaluate to what extent weight stigma permeates program framing and advocate for a move towards a weight-neutral approach. Furthermore, through a content analysis of public resources and activities, as well as discussions with the program director, I explore 5-2-1-0 Missoula, Missoula’s extension of the Let’s Move initiative as it relates to weight stigma. Lastly, I hope to investigate potential evaluation techniques and outcomes for Let’s Move programs that go beyond BMI and advocate for challenging weight stigma in public health interventions.