PLENARY SESSION

Socio-ecological Approaches to Reducing Obesity Stigma, Weight Bias and Discrimination

Ximena Ramos Salas, PhD
Director, Research and Policy
Obesity Canada
Edmonton, AB

Ximena Ramos Salas has a PhD in Public Health with a specialization in Health Promotion & Socio-Behavioural Sciences from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. She currently works as Director of Research & Policy at Obesity Canada and as a research consultant with the European Association for the Study of Obesity and the World Health Organization – Regional Office for Europe. 

Ximena coordinated the development of the Canadian clinical practice guidelines for the management of obesity in adults and is co-author of the reducing weight bias and obesity stigma chapter. Ximena also represented Obesity Canada in the joint international consensus statement on ending stigma of obesity and developed the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe weight bias and obesity stigma report.  She is currently a member of The Obesity Society (US) Policy & Advocacy Committee and chair for the World Obesity Federation Working Group on Weight Bias and Stigma. 

Presentation Overview:

People living with obesity experience systemic weight bias, stigma and discrimination. Weight-based discrimination has increased by 66% over the past decade, and is comparable to rates of racial discrimination, especially among women.  Evidence suggests that the stigma of childhood obesity has also increased over time. Obesity stigma, weight bias, and weight-based discrimination can impact health and social outcomes such as housing, employment, income, social relationships, psycho-social or behavioural responses, health care access as well as overall morbidity and mortality. This presentation will utilize the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) to outline advocacy strategies aimed at reducing obesity stigma, weight bias, and discrimination across five key levels of impact - individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy.