Amplified: Fat Voices, Bold Stories

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson speaks with Evangeline Gardiner, a researcher and advocate for weight-inclusive public health. Evie shares her personal journey navigating the health system as a fat person and how her experiences with weight stigma, disordered eating, and body image have shaped her approach to public health. They also discuss her PhD research on weight-inclusive public health policy, her work with the NEDC, and the pivotal moments that solidified her commitment to advocating for systemic change. Connect with Us:🔹 Evangeline Gardiner - @healthliberated🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen speaks with fellow Exercise Physiologist Daniel Arbilla about the complex reality of pain and why it’s never as simple as “too much weight.” Together, they unpack the myth of “wear and tear,” exploring how pain is shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors rather than body size alone. Daniel and Ellen discuss how the belief that larger bodies cause pain fuels fear and avoidance of movement, and why representation of strong, fat bodies matters. They also share practical, weight-inclusive strategies for managing pain through movement, pacing, and self-compassion.Connect with Us:🔹 Daniel Arbilla - @arbillaexercisephysiology🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthauCheck out these cool fat folk doing cool things:🔹@kersten_veronesi🔹@fatbodypilates🔹@sizeinclusiveyoga🔹@rozthediva🔹@meg.boggs (crossfit)🔹@thepowerliftingsocialworker (powerlifter)🔹talkhadzelasha_offical (strongest male olympic weightlifter in the world) 🔹@marythesenlappen (female olympic weightligter) 🔹@journey2antoinette (yoga)🔹@the_fat_athlete (running)🔹@plus.size.sk8er (ice skater)💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at https://www.sizeinclusivehealth.org.au/🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, Ellen speaks with Hilary Smith, Health Promotion Lead at the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC). With over two decades in health and human services, Hilary brings deep insight into how systems can better prevent eating disorders through equitable, weight-inclusive approaches. They discuss Hilary’s lived experience as a neurodivergent person in a larger body, the development of the Eating Disorder Safe Principles, and how weight stigma continues to shape prevention, diagnosis, and recovery.Connect with Us:🔹 Hilary Smith - The National Eating Disorder Collaboration @nedc_australia 🔹 Link to NEDC ED safe principles - Click Here🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at https://www.sizeinclusivehealth.org.au/🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, Ellen chats with Sally McWilliams a body positive personal trainer and studio owner in Meanjin/Brisbane. With nearly two decades in the fitness industry, Sally shares how she broke away from weight-centric fitness in 2017 to embrace a HAES-aligned, size-inclusive approach. Ellen and Sally discuss the realities of weight stigma in fitness spaces and their experiences of unlearning diet culture, including the guilt of past harm and the transformative power of listening to lived experience. Together, they explore what it means to create truly inclusive fitness spaces, offering practical recommendations that move beyond weight and towards joy, compassion and self-acceptance.Connect with Us:🔹 Sally McWillams - https://fitwithsally.com/about/ - @fitwithsally🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at https://www.sizeinclusivehealth.org.au/ 🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

What drives someone to become a fierce advocate for size inclusivity in health? In this episode of Amplified, Ellen sits down with Bridgette Williams, past president Size Inclusive Health Australia (SIHA), to hear how a university assignment in 2013 ignited a decade-long journey to radical fat acceptance and advocacy. Bridgette shares personal experiences navigating a medical system riddled with fat bias, including misdiagnosis, shame and anxiety-provoking treatment, and how those moments became fuel for change. Bridgette and Ellen discuss the who, what and why of SIHA: why it exists and how it’s working to reshape health systems to be inclusive of all bodies and is powered entirely by volunteers. Whether you're curious about getting involved with SIHA or simply want to feel less alone, this conversation is a powerful reminder that change is possible. And it starts with us. Connect with Us:🔹 Bridgette Williams - https://www.heldcounselling.com.au/ - @heldcounselling🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at https://www.sizeinclusivehealth.org.au/🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, Ellen sits down with Cassie, a social worker and disability advocate, to explore their evolving relationship with movement and healthcare. Cassie shares their personal journey of navigating movement and health in a larger body— unpacking the impact of rigid fitness culture and how traditional health and fitness models have often overlooked their Intersecting identities. Together, they reflect on the importance of flexibility, self-compassion, and redefining what movement and health looks like— and explore how medical and fitness models can better embody these principles by centring lived experience and making decisions with individuals, not for them.Connect with Us: 🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, Ellen is joined by clinical psychologist and weight-inclusive health advocate Louise Adams for our first Bold Story. Together, Louise unpacks the controversial Lancet article “Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical o*esity, exploring who commissioned it, how it was constructed, and the scientific and clinical flaws it contains.They also highlight what’s missing: the voices of those with lived experience and insights from size-inclusive organisations.A gentle heads-up: this episode contains frequent use of o-word rhetoric due to the nature of the content. If that feels like too much right now, we fully support you skipping it. That said, Louise and Ellen aim to offer an empowering perspective—reminding listeners that just because something is published doesn’t make it accurate. We hope this episode leaves you feeling informed and validated.Interested in attending the Weight Stigma Conference?Find out more:🔹 weightstigmaconference.com🔹 Instagram: @weightstigmaconferenceConnect with Us: 🔹 Louise Adams - @untrapped_au🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this special cross-promotional episode of Amplified, Ellen speaks with Lily O’Hara—public health academic, body liberation advocate, and chair of the 2025 International Weight Stigma Conference. Lily shares her personal journey into weight-inclusive public health and how her lived experience has shaped her approach to ethical, liberation-focused health promotion. Together, they discuss how weight stigma continues to show up in public health messaging, what true inclusivity looks like, and the critical need for change. Lily also gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming conference, what makes it unique, and how people from all backgrounds—researchers, practitioners, activists, and those with lived experience—can benefit from taking part in the conference. Interested in attending the Weight Stigma Conference?Find out more:🔹 weightstigmaconference.com🔹 Instagram: @weightstigmaconferenceConnect with Us: 🔹 Lily O'Hara - @lily_ohara_🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

 In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson sits down with Ari to explore the complexities of living at the intersection of fatness and a non-binary identity. Ari shares their experiences navigating body image, societal expectations, and the gaps in healthcare and social support for people in larger bodies who don’t conform to the gender binary. They discuss moments of joy and affirmation, the power of community, and what true gender-affirming and fat-affirming care should look like. Together, they reflect on identity, growth, and how we can create a more inclusive fat liberation movement.Connect with Us:🔹 Ari Spanos - @arispanosdietitian🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson sits down with Claire Gasper to discuss her lived experience as a small-fat person, the body image work she does with clients, and the challenges of navigating the weight-loss grey zone within healthcare. Together, they explore the complexities of body image and the role of harm reduction in the dietetic space. Claire and Ellen unpack why it's crucial to support people in living fully in the present—without waiting for their bodies to change before pursuing the lives they want.Connect with Us:🔹 Claire Jasper – @dietfreeme🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected] you in the next episode! 🎧✨

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson speaks with Samantha Jurkovic, who shares her deeply personal experiences with weight stigma in healthcare. Together, they explore how weight-centric care has impacted her emotional well-being, her relationship with her body, and her willingness to seek medical help.The conversation highlights the harm caused when healthcare professionals make assumptions based on weight and dismiss patients’ concerns. But it also offers hope, showcasing how size-inclusive care fosters dignity, respect, and better health outcomes for patients in larger bodies.If you’ve ever felt unseen or dismissed in a medical setting, this conversation is a powerful reminder that your experience matters — and that healthcare can, and must, do better.Connect with Us:🔹 Samantha Jurkovic - @bodies_of_art_🔹 Ellen Masson – @ellen.masson_ep🔹 Size Inclusive Health Australia – @sizeinclusivehealthau💌 Stay Connected: Subscribe to our newsletter or explore membership at Size Inclusive Health Australia.🤝 Get Involved: Want to help grow our community? Reach out to us at [email protected] you in the next episode! 🎧✨