Don’t forget that the submission deadline for oral presentations and conference sessions (e.g., seminars, workshops, roundtables, etc.) is today. Poster submissions will remain open until June. Submit your abstract at https://weightstigmaconference.com/abstract-submission/ #WSC2023 #WSC9

The abstract submission deadline for oral presentations and conferences sessions will be extended to Friday 24th March. Poster submissions remain open through till June. To submit an abstract, please visit https://weightstigmaconference.com/abstract-submission/

Note, if you submitted an abstract prior to the original deadline, we will be reviewing those in the next week and you will hear back ASAP.

FYI.

Note, recruitment opened in February, but this position is still open.

Seeking Independent Contractor for Body Justice Fellowship

Background:

All people deserve the freedom to thrive, yet very few laws exist that specifically outlaw discrimination based on body size. This is true even though body size discrimination affected 34 million people in 2019 and disproportionately impacts people based on race and other protected characteristics. We see this when a woman gets passed over for a promotion at work because she gained weight; a patient is denied adequate health care because they don’t fit into the MRI machine, or a teenager can’t find an outfit for prom because clothing stores won’t carry their size. This discrimination can lead to loss of wages, depression, anxiety and difficulty getting necessary, life-saving medical care.

Without including body size, weight and height, our current civil rights laws are incomplete. Corporations, legislators and advocates everywhere have the power to minimize the harmful impacts of body size discrimination and help folks of every size succeed in all areas of their lives.

Overview:

Fat Legal Advocacy, Rights, and Education (FLARE) is a project of the Law Office of Brandie Solovay. FLARE, the only US-based legal project focused on fat liberation issues, is recruiting a body justice fellow to support work to end body size discrimination. The fellow will communicate directly with attorney Brandie Solovay.

Scope of Work:

• Conduct legal research and writing on the issue of body size, weight and height discrimination.
• Support access, advocacy, and legal research projects.
• Draft a comprehensive white paper about the status of legal rights for higher-weight people and the push for making body size discrimination illegal in states and municipalities across the country. The white paper will include real-life stories of people who have experienced discrimination and recommendations for policies that states and cities should pass to protect fat people from discrimination at home, work, school, and in medical care settings.
• Attend civil rights/legal conferences and events as needed to create  connections that could support the ongoing work.
• Attend meetings to share ongoing research and insights with partners to support efforts to pass anti-body size discrimination laws in MA, VT, NY, NYC and NJ.
• Participate in media interviews and other campaign activities to help educate target audiences about this issue through an intersectional lens, as well as provide select social media services.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Proven ability to self-manage as an independent contractor.
• Strong background in size/weight advocacy and civil rights law related to body size or weight discrimination, policy and legislative advocacy, accessibility, and/or equivalent.
• Knowledge of weight-neutral health approaches, weight-related studies, and the medical science relating to body size.
• Impeccable, efficient writing and research skills.
• Publication credits and proven track record of successful independent writing projects.
• Deep understanding of intersectionality and its application to body size discrimination.
• Press, public speaking, social media, and communication prowess.
• Ability to identify industry decision-makers, initiate contact, establish connections, be persuasive, and develop ongoing relationships.
• Passion for ending body size discrimination and for improving equity and justice for higher weight people.

Compensation and Details:

This 12-month paid fellowship is a fully remote independent contractor position. The compensation is $42,000 to $50,000 depending on projects completed.  Projects and scope will be agreed upon once the candidate is selected.

How to apply:

Interested applicants should fill out this Google Form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting in February 2023.

The Law Office of Brandie Solovay is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits unlawful discrimination against any employee, independent contractor, or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a specific disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or any other basis prohibited under law.

FYI.

NAAFA, FLARE Project and Dove Launch First of Its Kind Campaign to End Body Size Discrimination

Though people of larger size are the majority in America, very few laws protect them against discrimination. Legislators and advocates say it’s time for change. February 21, 2023

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) and Fat Legal Advocacy, Rights, and Education Project (FLARE, a project of the Law Office of Brandie Solovay), supported by Dove, are proud to launch the Campaign for Size Freedom to end body size discrimination. The campaign seeks to strengthen legal protections and shift cultural narratives about body size through education, advocacy, and corporate social responsibility. The campaign comes as four states (New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Vermont) and New York City are considering legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on height and weight. If these bills are successful, these states will join Michigan and Washington in being the only states in the country with explicit protections against body size discrimination.

Though people of larger size are the majority in America, very few laws specifically outlaw discrimination based on body size. Research conducted by Dove showed that nearly 90% of women—and 84% of all adults—living in larger bodies have been shamed because of their body size at least once. Many have also been discriminated against because of their body size, with 78% of women and 65% of all adults living in larger bodies experiencing discrimination at least once. Race also plays a key role, with women of color living in larger bodies more at risk of discrimination than white women. Body size discrimination denies people necessary—even life-saving—medical treatment, contributes to financial inequality, and creates serious mental health challenges.In both pop culture and news stories, fat people continue to be stigmatized and shamed because of their body size. New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that healthcare providers refer children to “intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment” programs, as early as the age of two. An actor was nominated for an Oscar for their portrayal of a 600 pound man, which critics call a “cruel spectacle.” All of this is adding to an already-hostile cultural environment that is having a devastating effect on higher weight people’s mental health and their ability to find and hold jobs and get necessary medical care.

“Americans know that fat people get made fun of and pressured to change our bodies, but often people don’t fully understand the many ways weight bias limits our lives. It doesn’t just break our hearts. It also drains our bank accounts and keeps us from participating in our communities. It isn’t just personal. It’s discriminatory. My body size shouldn’t determine whether or not people pay or treat me fairly–no one’s should. And 80% of Americans agree! It’s time for our laws and policies to catch up to our values,” said Tigress Osborn, Board Chair at NAAFA.

True equality means everyone at every size has the same freedom to thrive. It’s that simple. The Campaign for Size Freedom seeks to make the promise of equality a reality for people of all sizes and from all backgrounds. “We should not need laws to guarantee fair treatment based on body size, but obviously we do. These laws are critical; they make it clear that discrimination and hostility must stop, and that it’s possible to push back if it happens to you,” saidBrandie Solovay, Director of her law office’s FLARE Project.

“Dove has been leading conversations around inclusive beauty and representation for nearly two decades, and we believe all body sizes deserve care, love and respect. Dove is proud to support the advocacy efforts of NAAFA and FLARE Project to strengthen legislation that protects against body size discrimination,” said Dana Paolucci, Head of PR & Influence for Dove North America. “For years, activists have fought to legally protect individuals living in larger bodies from discrimination, but have been met with rejection in 48 states. This needs to change. Dove will use its platforms to raise awareness of the injustice of body size discrimination while advancing necessary dialogue around beauty and larger bodies. We hope that through the Campaign for Size Freedom, we will be able to create a world where all bodies are treated fairly under the law.”

This year, the Campaign for Size Freedom is urging legislators to pass bills prohibiting discrimination based on body size in the following states and cities:

• Massachusetts: Bill HD.626/SD.392, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of height and weight.
• New Jersey: Bill 2741, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of height or weight under New Jersey’s “Law Against Discrimination.”
• New York City: Bill INT 0209, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of height or weight in opportunities of employment, housing, and access to public accommodations.
• New York: BillA801, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of weight.
• Vermont:Bill S.23, prohibiting certain forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on weight and race-related hair styles and textures.

“In New York City, we pride ourselves on our diversity, we don’t shame people for it. With the passage of our bill, New Yorkers facing height and weight discrimination will finally be safeguarded by the law. Our bill protects workers, tenants, and all New Yorkers who face discrimination in employment, housing, and access to public accommodations. We’re grateful to the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance for their over 50 years of hard work to oppose discrimination and invest in the intersectional fat community. Together, we’ll build an inclusive world that celebrates our diversity,” said New York City Council Member Shaun Abreu.

“Body size discrimination is a widespread and serious issue in our society that disproportionately impacts women and people of color. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to it,” said Massachusetts State Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham) “I proudly refiled legislation alongside Representative Tram Nguyen to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on height and weight, because our body sizes should not be determinants of our merit, worth, or humanity.”

Massachusetts State Representative Tram Nguyen (D-Andover) said, “I am proud to sponsor legislation that would protect people in the workplace and places of public accommodation from body size discrimination. This has a disproportionate impact on women in the workplace, gives rise to bullying in schools, and often leads to eating disorders. I look forward to continuing our important work with help from the Campaign for Size Freedom, whose members have already been advocating for our bill.”

To learn more about the Campaign for Size Freedom, visit naafa.org/sizefreedom.

Don’t forget to submit your abstracts for oral presentations and conference sessions (symopsia, roundtables, workshops, seminars, etc.) by this Friday. Go to our abstract submission form.

But don’t worry, submissions for posters will continue on a rolling basis until June!

FYI.

Dr Paul Ernsberger Research Scholarship Application Information

The mission of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is tochange perceptions of fat and end size discrimination through advocacy, education,and support.The goal of the scholarship is to provide financial support to graduate studentscurrently enrolled in a grad program with an accredited U.S. college or university.Dr. Ernsberger’s decades of research on metabolic syndrome, diabetes, weightcycling, and the medical harm caused by diet obsession and weight bias has had animmeasurable impact on debunking myths and misunderstandings about fat andhealth. It is an honor for NAAFA to support graduate students who hope to carryon and advance Dr. Ernsberger’s legacy.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2023/24 academic year. Filing deadline is 6/1/23. Up to 3 scholarships in the
amount of $2,500 will be awarded.

Areas of concentration in scientific laboratory research:

• Nutrition and higher weight people
• Metabolic syndrome
  • Insulin resistance/diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Hyperlipidemia
• Weight cycling
• Medical harm from being obsessed with weight loss
• Medical harm from the bias of physicians

Priority will be given to applicants of marginalized identity (POC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, fat/superfat).
For info and to find the application link, go to naafa.org/scholarship2023

We are now accepting abstracts for oral presentations and posters, as well as session proposals including brief symposia, round tables, debates, and workshops. We are also interested in non-traditional submissions (e.g., media, performance, art).The two-day interdisciplinary programme will cover the entire weight stigma research spectrum – from basic, to applied, to clinical, to policy – and feature an outstanding roster of international speakers and local experts.

This year’s theme is Unintended Harms, Insidious Impact: The Need for Multi-Level Change. We encourage submissions on this theme that offer novel and fresh insights and/or address existing gaps and open questions, in the widest sense. Contributions outside of the theme are also welcome.

We invite contributions across a wide range of disciplines and methodological and theoretical approaches. International voices discussing the situation in countries other than the US are particularly welcome. Equally so are intersectional approaches and perspectives from other marginalized groups. Students are especially encouraged to submit proposals.

For more information about the conference and to submit an abstract, please visit: http://weightstigmaconference.com/.

Submission deadlines: Session proposals and oral presentations 10^th March, 2023.

Posters will be reviewed on a rolling basis with no submission deadline.

FYI.

Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) announces round 7 of it’s ECR Fellowship.

Deadline: 5pm, GMT, 17th March 2023

More information: https://www.isrf.org/funding-opportunities/grant-competitions/ecf7/

The Independent Social Research Foundation wishes to support independent-minded researchers to explore and present original research ideas which take new approaches, and suggest new solutions, to real world social problems.

Proposed research should break with existing explanatory frameworks so as to address afresh empirical problems with no currently adequate theory or investigative methodology. Innovation may also come from controversial theoretical approaches motivated by critical challenge of incumbent theories.

Interdisciplinarity in the generation of new investigative initiatives may be achieved by combining, cross-fertilising, and so transforming empirical methods and theoretical insights from the social sciences. Projects ranging across the breadth of the social scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary research fields are welcome, and relevant applications from scholars working within the humanities are also encouraged.

Eligible applicants

Scholars from within Europe† are eligible to apply. Applicants will normally hold a salaried position at an Institution of Higher Education and Research. Candidates should be within 10 years of PhD award at the time of application. Career breaks may be taken into account. The awards are intended as providing full relief from all teaching duties and all associated academic administration for a period of (up to) one year; applications may be made by those whose sole or principal post is a part-time equivalent.

† There is no limitation on nationality – however, we are unable to consider applications from those whose home institution is not within Europe.

Duration & Timing

The awards are intended as providing full relief from all teaching duties and all associated academic administration for a period of up to one year, and must commence no later than end of December 2024.

Value

The amount of an award depends on the nature of the work proposed and individual circumstances – the ISRF expects applications for grants up to a maximum of €67,500† to buy-out the cost of all teaching and associated administration in the applicant’s home institution for up to 12 months. Within that sum, reasonable support for research expenses may be considered on a matched-funding basis with the host Institution.

† PLEASE NOTE: Applicants based in the UK must apply in GBP (£), up to the limit of £60,000. All other applicants must apply in EUR (€), up to the limit of €67,500 (this will not be adjusted in the event of GBP/EUR currency fluctuations).

We are excited to announce that the 2023 Weight Stigma Conference will be held in Denver, Colorado on the 28th and 29th June. We have chosen this venue and date for a number of reasons, but one is that we will be following on from the annual conference of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), running from 25th to 27th June. For the first time, we will have some virtual as well as in-person options.

SPSSI is an amazing organisation with a strong focus on social justice and creating change. If you’re not familiar with SPSSI, do check out their website. If you are planning on attending the WSC and would consider submitting an abstract for SPSSI also, submission ends this Monday (6th Feb). Registration for SPSSI has not yet opened. For more information: SPSSI conference webpage

Further details about this year’s WSC, including abstract submission and registration, will be released shortly. If you haven’t already signed up for email notifications, please do so using the box in the top right of the home page.

We look forward to seeing you in Denver.

FYI.

Calling all licensed physical therapists in Canada, USA, Australia, and NZ

You are invited to write two brief fictional stories for the Storying Physiotherapy study, led by Patty Thille, PT, PhD at the University of Manitoba. Starting with fictional prompt, you will write two stories about physiotherapy practice. You can pull on your prior experience, your imagination, and more to do so. This will take 30-40 minutes. The stories created will become a collection. We will share some of the collection in interviews with some participants, and later via a digital platform to foster conversation about best practices in physiotherapy. To learn more, and complete the study if you are interested, please visit: Storying Physiotherapy