We're celebrating a successful funding application which will enable our experts to establish a new training tool to help tackle weight discrimination in healthcare.
Dr Kimberly Jamie from our Department of Sociology will lead a one-year project to establish and trial an online training platform for healthcare professionals.
The project is being funded by the UK Research and Innovation 'Proof of Concept' programme.
Endemic weight discrimination
Weight discrimination is when a person is treated differently based on their weight and body size.
It particularly affects those classed as 'overweight' or 'obese'.
Up to 88% of 'overweight' and 'obese' adults in the UK report having experienced discriminatory healthcare. This can include shorter appointments, delayed referrals, and inadequate equipment.
This discrimination can lead to delayed treatment, misdiagnosis, healthcare avoidance and poor treatment adherence.
Alongside these significant negative mental and physical health impacts for patients, it can also result in substantial costs for healthcare organisations.
Weight-inclusivity training
Recognising these challenges, Dr Jamie, together with Dr Rachel Colls from our Department of Geography, will use the UKRI funding to accelerate the development of 'Eqweighty' – a training organisation focused on weight discrimination.
They will design training specifically for healthcare providers, to help improve understanding, foster better patient engagement, and deliver time and cost savings.
They also hope their training will help facilitate more inclusive working environments in healthcare, supporting staff wellbeing and retention.
Accessible training
Kimberly and Rachel both have extensive experience in the field of weight discrimination and health inequalities.
They are already delivering synchronous training to a range of audiences but recognised the need for something more widely accessible. Together they have previously secured funding to look at the market needs and potential around weight inclusivity training.
Now, with the latest UKRI funding, they will develop three e-learning modules and test these with partner organisations including NHS staff, the British Obesity Society, and with input from people of higher weight.
They will also be working with commercialisation and business specialists to develop a business model to grow Eqweighty as a spinout of their research.
Eqweighty is one of 48 projects funded through this round of the UKRI's Proof on Concept programme.
UKRI's new proof of concept programme is all about helping researchers take that critical next step toward commercialisation, ensuring that bold ideas are not just published but put into practice where they can deliver tangible impact. I'm excited to see how these diverse and dynamic projects progress
