Re-focusing weight-related public health initiatives to promote mental and physical health

Public health initiatives designed to promote the physical health of the general population rarely consider their impact on a person’s mental health. “Obesity prevention” initiatives provide one such example. “Obesity” has become the target of public health campaigns as it a risk factor associated with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Currently, discourses about the relationships between body weight and health are framed in a way that shame people for their weight, size or shape, or their lifestyles, contributing to weight stigma. Research indicates that weight stigma has negative consequences, especially for women, and is associated with anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction, which is an established risk factor for eating disorders. Such evidence emphasises the need for public health initiatives that promote both physical and mental health. In May 2018, Swinburne University of Technology and Women’s Health Victoria co-hosted a symposium with 38 key stakeholders and professionals from across public health, community, and government sectors to critique and challenge current discourses around women, food, and their bodies. The symposium showcased evidence from policy, research, and practice and identified innovative new directions for public health initiatives that are both holistic and empowering. This paper will highlight the findings from the symposium, which has been a catalyst for action, including a submission to the Senate Select Committee into the Obesity Epidemic in Australia. This submission was one of few that considered the impact of obesity policy on people’s mental health, and resulted in two recommendations to address weight stigma in public health and clinical practice. Mental health advocates are well positioned to address the health inequalities faced by people living with mental illness by challenging weight stigma and helping shift the focus of public health discourse and clinical practice from weight to wellbeing.