11th Annual International Weight Stigma Conference

The Weight Stigma Conference is an inter-disciplinary event that brings together scholars and practitioners from a range of backgrounds (e.g., public health, government and public policy, psychology, medicine, sociology, anthropology, allied health professions, education, sports and exercise science, social sciences, media studies, business, law, activism, and the lay public) to consider research, policy, rhetoric, and practice around the issue of weight stigma. For more information, visit: weightstigmaconference.com

We are honoured to present our keynote speakers for this year's Weight Stigma Conference:

• Angela Meadows (she/her) is a social psychologist whose research focuses on all aspects of weight-related stigma, including self-stigma, stigma resistance, and social change; weight stigma and physical activity; weight stigma in healthcare and medical education; and policy and legislative aspects of weight discrimination. Angela has published over 40 articles and book chapters, is frequently interviewed on television, radio, and press, and has presented expert testimony to UK and international governmental bodies on the relationship between weight and health, and the individual and structural impacts of weight stigma. In a previous existence, she was a biomedical scientist but had to give that up due to her propensity to blow things up. However, bringing this expertise together, Angela is an educator in critical weight science, helping researchers, health professionals, and policy makers identify the flaws in the literature that equates weight with health and challenge mainstream policies and practices that drive the oppressive treatment of higher-weight populations. In 2013, she accidentally founded the Annual International Weight Stigma Conference and still hasn’t quite recovered. Angela is based at the University of Essex, UK and lives with her long-suffering husband and two slightly dim but extremely adorable pets. You can follow Angela on X at @drameadows. Websites: https://angelameadows.info/

• Fiona Willer (she/her) is Australia’s first dual-qualified dietitian and bioethicist, an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, and the current President of Dietitians Australia. Known nationally for her leadership in advocating weight-inclusive healthcare and fostering entrepreneurship, Fiona is a long-standing lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She also holds a senior research role at the University of Queensland’s School of Business, focusing on optimising digital primary care services and exploring the role of AI and other emerging technologies to enhance human-centered healthcare. Fiona’s career spans higher education, non-profit, and private sectors. Her research expertise includes weight stigma, health consciousness, body appreciation, and the application of inclusive, weight-neutral approaches—such as Health at Every Size®—in healthcare practice, health promotion and policy. Fiona is also the founder of Health, Not Diets, a consultancy dedicated to inclusive, weight-neutral healthcare, which celebrated 10 years of advocacy in 2023. She produces the Unpacking Weight Science podcast, a unique professional development resource for healthcare providers. An experienced board director, Fiona has served on the board of Dietitians Australia since 2019 and held previous board roles with Size Inclusive Health Australia (formerly HAES Australia) and the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). You can follow Fiona on X at @FionaWiller. Website: https://www.fionawiller.com/

• George Parker (they/them) is a registered kahu pōkai | midwife and Senior Lecturer in Health Service Delivery in the School of Health at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington in Aotearoa New Zealand. George is a social researcher of inclusive and equitable healthcare for under-served communities with a particular focus on reproductive and perinatal healthcare access for communities on the margins. George’s work centres reproductive justice, intersectionality, and cultural humility approaches to build health system capability for inclusion particularly at the intersections of weight and size inclusion, gender and sexuality diversity, and decolonisation and Indigenous justice. George is a Pākehā/White European New Zealander, a queer and non-binary person, and a parent to two children, Bell (11 years old) and Mae (7 years old) and lives on the beautiful Kāpiti Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand with their extended queer family. They are passionate about the places of family building and growing, including healthcare access, being safe and inclusive so that families can flourish. Website: https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/george.parker

• Louise Adams (she/her) is a clinical psychologist in private practice and an advocate for weight inclusive health. A founding member and past President of Size Inclusive Health Australia (SIHA), Louise is an activist, educator, author, blogger, speaker, and host of the All Fired Up podcast. She founded Flourish Kirribilli, a multidisciplinary clinic in Sydney offering weight inclusive health care. Through multiple channels, including her newsletter, blog, podcast, academic publications, public speaking, and media, Louise challenges weight-centric frameworks that perpetuate harmful research, weight stigma and damage psychological and physical well-being. Her advocacy work included a high-profile campaign against the Fast Track Trial—a semi-starvation study on Australian teenagers—which galvanized public support and led to changes in the trial protocol. Louise has authored two books. The Non-Diet Approach Guidebook for Psychologists and Counsellors (2014), co-written with Dr Fiona Willer, AAPD, offers a framework for applying non-diet principles in therapeutic settings. Her second book, Mindful Moments (2016), provides practical guidance on self-compassion and mindfulness for everyday life. Currently, Louise’s advocacy work is focused on countering the growing influence of pharmaceutical companies in "ob*sity" research, policy and practices, which has reached epidemic levels since the introduction of Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drugs.

Ticket Types

• Online
  • Standard registration: Early bird rate (until 6th May, 2025) is AU$289. From 7th May, standard rate will be AU$389.
  • Student/low income: Early bird rate (until 6th May, 2025) is AU$189. From 7th May, student/low income rate will be AU$289.
• In-person
  • Standard registration: Early bird rate (until 6th May, 2025) is AU$489. From 7th May, standard rate will be AU$589.
  • Student/low income: Early bird rate (until 6th May, 2025) is AU$389. From 7th May, student/low income rate will be AU$489.

As a reminder, and across all rates, further reductions or hardship requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please use the Bursary Application form on our website and/or email us at stigmaconf@gmail.com. Standard bursary applications will be accepted until the date of the conference, with awards depending on availability of funding. A single Dr Cat Pausé Travel Bursary will be awarded. The deadline for applications is 6th May, 2025. Application is via the same form.

NOTE: You do NOT have to bring a print-out of your ticket to the event.

Bursary Fund – Supporting Accessibility

The Weight Stigma Conference is a not-for-profit event. Although we try and keep prices down, we realise that the conference will nevertheless be beyond some people's means. Rather than raising the cost of tickets, we will make every effort to raise additional funding through donations and sponsorship to allow us to give bursaries to individuals who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend. A Donation option is available for both delegates and non-attendees who are in a position to contribute a little extra to help us provide financial assistance where needed. Donations can also be made through our Go Fund Me page - please share this page with your networks. To date, the WSC Bursary Fund has allowed us to provide 81 bursaries and 6 travel awards. Thank you so much for your generosity. If you are interested in formal sponsorship of the event, please email us: stigmaconf@gmail.com.

Accessibility Accommodations

The chairs used in the conference venue have no arms and a weight capacity of up to 135 kg (298 pounds). We will be sourcing some higher-capacity chairs. Online, we will provide automatic closed captioning via Teams. For other accessibility requirements, please indicate on your registration questionnaire. If we are not able to accommodate your needs, we will reach out to discuss options with you. Note, we cannot guarantee requests made less than 14 days prior to the conference.

Terms and Conditions

Recorded Event

This event will be recorded (both audio and visual). By registering for this event, you consent to this recording. Recordings will be available to delegates for viewing after the live event has ended. Content will remain available until the 2026 WSC. While we will make every effort to ensure recording availability, we cannot guarantee that all sessions will be available. We take no responsibility for technical failures beyond our control.

Cancellations and refunds

Cancellations before 20th June will be refunded in full. After that date, only partial refunds will be available. Please contact us at stigmaconf@gmail.com if you need to cancel your registration. If the event is cancelled by the organisers, a full refund will be given. No responsibility will be taken for technical failures beyond our control that prevent posting of recorded content after the event; refunds will not be given for this reason.