Fat Studies and Health at Every Size: Bigness Beyond Obesity

Lead Research Organisation: Durham University
Department Name: Geography

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description The seminar series' main scientific impacts have been:

1. The development of a richer, deeper network of fat studies and HAES researchers within the UK and showcasing this to international audiences (through the involvement of international speakers and through the website). This has ensured that UK based researchers are part of international academic networks and editorial teams.
2. Helped inform the development of a special edition of Critical Public Health to showcase interdisciplinary debates on fat studies and HAES to a broader academic audience.
3. Increased the degree of collaborative and interdisciplinary research amongst those involved - there have been jointly authored publications (several in the planned special edition) and one (unfortunately unsuccessful) joint grant application.
4. Enabled conversation between Fat Studies and HAES scholars which has helped identify key points of collaboration and contention. In particular, key debates emerged around the authority of those who speak for/about fat bodies and HAES; and the need to pay attention to the multiplicity of experiences of fatness and fat politics.
5. Helped identify key areas for future research in the fields of Fat Studies and HAES (in particular, intersections with queer and disability theory).
6. Helped develop methodological tools for researching and communicating fat studies and HAES research (this was the explicit focus of the final seminar).
7. Generated a new resource (the website) useful as a teaching resource.
8. Enhanced the personal research agendas of early career researchers through increasing the range of personal research contacts and raising individual's research profiles.
Exploitation Route A core aim of the seminar series was to bring together academics, activists and practitioners. There is significant overlap between these communities and many of the impacts and outputs listed above are also relevant for impacts in practitioner and activist communities. Specific impacts are as follows:

• The series has put the UK on the map in terms of fat activism and HAES - two fields dominated by the USA.
• The series has broadened practitioner awareness of HAES.
• The series has facilitated increased collaboration between activists, academics and practitioners ensuring that these fields are not developing separately.
• The seminar series has broadened public awareness of fat studies and HAES. The seminar received interest from online media, particularly bloggers (these are outlined in the academic outputs section) and the website continues to open up the seminars to a much larger audience. In addition, all of the seminars had some participants who were not activists, practitioners or academics, but were interested individuals keen to find out more about fat studies and HAES. Subsequent art collaborations have also involved school children.
• The series has also broadened public engagement of fat studies and HAES scholars through collaboration with artists (this was a particular focus of the final seminar and has led to several further collaborations detailed in the next section).
Sectors Healthcare,Other
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/research/researchprojects/fat_studies_and_health_at_every_size/
 
Description The main routes to impact were the seminars themselves, the website and blog coverage. All of the seminars were attended by activists, practitioners, interested members of the public as well as academics and there was a clear focus on engagement between these different groups with presentations from all three. The international speakers helped raise the profile of UK based research/activism/practice. The following elements of the seminar were key to ensuring engagement between these groups: Creating a positive and accessible space: key to engaging audiences from diverse backgrounds was the creation of a safe, positive and accessible space, accessible to those with mobility impairments and with seating comfortable for bigger bodies. Bursaries ensured that the seminars were financially accessible. At the beginning of each seminar, the ethos of the series was clearly outlined - emphasising the focus on size-positive, non-judgemental and supportive discussion. Important here was the decision not to invite mainstream media coverage, but rather to seek coverage through alternative media. This decision was taken to avoid any potential misrepresentation of the content and to ensure that the seminars were non-judgemental spaces. Encouraging engagement: each event had time for unstructured community discussion and combined academic presentations with presentations from activists, practitioners, and individuals talking about their own embodied experiences. In addition, most of the seminars had some 'alternative' activities: the second seminar involved a discussion with members of the 'Well Now' patient group based in Coventry; the third seminar included a poster display (of Unskinny Bop artwork), a mini-Big Bum Jumble, a Fat Studies book stall, a discussion of a fat/queer/trans timeline, and a film screening; and the final seminar had several artist performances and displays of artwork.
First Year Of Impact 2010
Sector Other
Impact Types Cultural,Societal
 
Description NICE adult weight guidelines - Lucy Aphramor member of the professional development group
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph53
 
Description Knowledge Exchange and Impact Voucher
Amount £8,856 (GBP)
Organisation University of Liverpool 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2015 
End 07/2016
 
Description 'She was so viscerally happy in that moment' : fat activism for well being 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Paper presented at Gender and Mental Well Being: Inter-disciplinary Perspectives Seminar, King's College London
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Disability and Fat Activism Talk at DaDaFest 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A public conversation on the relationship between Disability activism and fat activism held as part of the 2016 Disability and Deaf Arts Festival held in Liverpool. Featuring Liz Carr, Charlotte Cooper, Stacy Bias, Bethan Evans and Ruth Gould.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.dadafest.co.uk/the-festival/event/fat-activism-a-public-conversation/
 
Description Ethnographic study of an obesity clinic and the hidden moral element to every aspect of the procedure 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview on episode of Thinking Allowed titled 'Obesity - cruel optimism'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
 
Description Making peace with your body 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation at the Coventry Peace Festival
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Queer fat feminist activism in a handful of amazing episodes 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Paper presented at Corpi eccentrici: bellezza, normatività e rappresentazione (Eccentric bodies: beauty, normativity and representation). Soggettiva, Santa Cristina, Bologna
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Questioning Obesity School Talk - Merchant Taylors 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Talk to 6th form students at Merchant Taylor's school for girls
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016