I am Amanda in the early stages of my advocacy journey in the fight against weight stigma, I strive for decision influencers and makers to redesign healthcare policies that can provide weight management solutions that is equitable for all.

I am passionate about what we say and do matters.  Trailblazing to dismantle harmful stereotypes that individuals living with obesity often face, aligning a focus on public health together with research and  development enabling to make informed choices of  what the solutions could be to combat this debilitating disease.  

I strive for those who are suffering and compromised daily by this complex and often misunderstood condition to come forward.  We all have unique story to be told and heard.  Let us all be the voice, a collaboration of  our lived experiences could be instrumental in shaping weight management care that we all deserve.

Read the full blog here.

Johanne Bird, Principal Dietitian Long Term Conditions, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Johanne qualified as a dietitian in 1996 and joined the Bradford Nutrition and Dietetic department in 1997 where she worked as a basic grade dietitian for a number of years before deciding to specialise as a senior dietitian in diabetes. She now leads the diabetes and weight management team who deliver a wide range of services across primary, secondary and intermediary care. The team deliver both one to one consultations and a wide range of group education sessions across the city designed to help people confidently self-manage their long term conditions.    In 2015 she completed her MA in Health Care Studies with her research subject being the unique role of a dietitian working in primary care. More recently she has been involved in the development and delivery of children’s’ weight management services in Bradford and is now working alongside MDT colleagues to design a pathway for the implementation of an injectable therapies service across the district.

Read the full blog here.

Gemma Levi, Gemma is a Senior Manager with Public Health and Communities Directorate, Suffolk County Council & Dr Stuart W. Flint is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, President of Scaled Insights, and Honorary Academic for the Department of Health and Social Care.

Gemma is a Senior Manager with Public Health and Communities Directorate, Suffolk County Council. Gemma’s career has focused on addressing inequalities. Key programmes of work have included, tackling poverty, lifestyle services, long term conditions and topic areas compounded by multiple inequalities.  Gemma has been responsible for commissioning multiple different Public Health contracts which have included lifestyles services, library services, Healthwatch, NHS Health Checks, and specific programmes to address Poverty. Sound commissioning, a focus on inequalities, clear evaluation and a drive for innovation remain fundamental to Gemma’s work. Improving access to services through collaboration and partnership working, system thinking and service user experience remain fundamental to driving change.

Dr Stuart W. Flint is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, President of Scaled Insights, and Honorary Academic for the Department of Health and Social Care. Dr Flint has a specific interest and expertise in stigma and discrimination, leading work internationally and nationally to highlight the pervasiveness and impact of stigma and discrimination on obesity. He has developed interventions to reduce stigmatising attitudes and discriminatory behaviours working national and local governments, health systems, education, media, charities and the general population. Dr Flint has published widely in high impact journals including the Lancet, Nature Medicine and the British Medical Journal, and is regularly interviewed by media outlets (e.g. BBC, Sky News, and The Times).

Read their joint full blog here.