Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

The prevalence of obesity in Canada has increased over the last 25 years. Nearly one quarter of Canadians (24.1%) are obese. As obesity is associated with health conditions including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and certain cancers, it has negative effects on individuals' health and health care costs. However, less discussed than the negative effects on health and resulting burden on the health care system, is the widespread discrimination faced by obese people in their relationships, workplaces, and the healthcare system. The majority of public health messaging encourages weight loss and focuses on the negative effects of excess weight. Unfortunately, weight loss can be difficult to achieve and maintain, due to environmental, social, biological, and genetic factors. However, there is evidence that improvements in health outcomes are possible with increased physical activity and healthier eating habits, without accompanying weight loss. Some studies have even shown that being slightly overweight may be beneficial in reducing risk of mortality. Despite this research, public health messaging continues to focus on excess weight as being necessarily unhealthy. While obesity is a serious health concern, messages that focus exclusively on obesity as problematic may contribute to weight discrimination and be disempowering to obese individuals, rather than motivational. For my study, I will investigate how people who identify as overweight, obese, or as eating disorder sufferers describe their health, what they prioritize in regard to their health and wellbeing, and how this affects and is affected by their experiences, particularly in regard to their interactions with medical professionals and in encountering messaging from public health and mass media. This research has the potential to develop public health messaging that will incorporate what Canadians view as essential to their health and well-being and inspire pro-active and empowering health behaviours.