A pledge to end the social stigma of obesity

A hybrid workshop covering obesity stigma will be held for health professionals this week.

The free event has been organised by King’s College London and will feature an expert panel of academics, medics and activists.

On the organisation’s website, a spokesperson said: “Obesity affects millions of people worldwide. These individuals are not only at risk of serious medical complications, they also face a pervasive form of social stigma and discrimination.

“Our expert panel of academics, medics and activists raise awareness of the prevalence and health impacts of weight-based stigma in healthcare and beyond.

“We will also challenge the misconceptions around body weight regulation and learn why obesity cannot be solved only by eating less and exercising more.”

The workshop follows an international consensus conference and paper in Nature Medicine 'the Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity'

King’s College London is inviting healthcare professionals to join it and over 100 scientific organisations and sign the pledge to help eradicate weight-based stigma and discrimination and pledge to treat individuals with overweight and obesity with dignity and respect.

The event will take place from 11am to 3pm on Friday, February 9, at King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS or online. For further information and to register for the event, click here

Anyone with access requirements or special dietary needs (beyond vegetarian/vegan) should email stephanie.ray@kcl.ac.uk

A recording of the workshop will be available online after the event on the main project page