Beyond the Scales: Obesity Ethics and Weight Stigma

Send us Fan MailChris and Jane kick off 2025 discussing their recent publication in the British Medical Bulletin titled "Obesity: Ethical Issues" and exploring how conversations about weight stigma have evolved in recent years.• Jane shares her experience appearing on ABC Radio National's "God Forbid" program where the topic shifted from "thinness and morality" to focusing entirely on obesity• Even as medical institutions acknowledge weight stigma is harmful, they continue to pathologize bodies outside narrow parameters• Public health messaging has evolved from fear-based "toxic fat" campaigns to more positive approaches focused on movement and wellbeing• Wonder drug narratives around Ozempic and other weight loss medications often ignore long-term risks including cardiac, gastrointestinal, and psychiatric impacts• Challenging the pathologization of diverse body types remains more difficult than addressing overt stigma• Chris teases an upcoming bioethics book project that will include interesting research tidbitsLet us know if you want us to discuss any particular topics - email us at [email protected] or find us on Bluesky @undisciplinary.bsky.socialUndisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected]