Contents
Stigmatisation of people with high weight is common and widespread in Denmark as well as in most of the world. As the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing, so is the problem of weight stigmatisation. People with high weight do not only suffer from increased risks of diseases because of their weight, but also from the consequences of stigmatisation: shaming and discrimination. Indeed, stigma is independently known to affect health, for example in terms of stress, depression, eating disorders, high blood pressure and delayed diagnoses.
Many PhD students do research into problems related to overweight and obesity and this course aims to target them. Stigma affects the quality of communication between health professionals and patients/citizens with high weight. How should we communicate with and about people with high weight?
The course addresses the following questions in small lectures, discussions, and exercises:
- Are we biased? Test and discussion.
- Why do some people get high weight? And why do they not lose it again?
- What is weight stigma? Why do we stigmatise? Why is stigma a problem of health? Does stigma have potential to prevent or reduce high weight?
- Why language matters
- Is weight-neutrality an attractive alternative to attempts to lose weight?
- How should we communicate with and about people with high weight?
Aim
After the course the student will know about what weight stigma is, why it is a health problem, how it affects the communication between health professionals and patients/citizens with high weight, and what can be done to minimize this effect in such communication
Teaching arrangement
Lecture, discussion, exercises, and assignment
Course fee
The course is free of charge for PhD students enrolled in Universities that have joined the "Open market agreement" or NorDoc.
For other participants there is a course fee of:
DKK 1200
EUR 160