Creating Environmental Change in your Workplace

If we understand that eating issues arise in cultural contexts in which there are restrictive ideals and moral values ascribed to body size and shape, then as health professionals the challenge is to create body safe environments. Our schools, gyms and other workplaces often inadvertently reproduce toxic messages about bodies. EDEN understands body safe environments to be places that promote body trust and satisfaction, size acceptance and diversity.

 

Some things to consider are:

The physical environment

  • Is the seating appropriate for all body sizes?
  • Does waiting room reading material contain stereotypical images and dieting advice?
  • Are there posters on the walls with images of idealised bodies?
  • Does resource material contain weight loss advice?
  • Is there sufficient time and flexibility around meal and activity breaks?

Policy & Procedures

  • Are there clear referral pathways when an eating issue is identified?
  • Does the harassment policy include harassment on the basis of weight and size?
  • Do your recruitment practices contain any overt or covert weight discrimination?
  • Do you have a commitment (or where appropriate, policy) in your work to promote health at every size rather than weight loss at any cost?
  • Is this commitment reflected consistently in for example, marketing messages, names of classes, choices of products on display, health advice, and interactions with clients/patients?
  • Do you have policy for instances where there is suspicion that a customer might be requesting/purchasing products (e.g. laxatives, diuretics, herbal weight loss pills, etc) for inappropriate use?

Comments & Conversations

  • Do you participate in dieting and body evaluating conversations or link weight with unrelated health issues  (e.g., “you’re so slim you could be a model”, “wow, she’s put on weight!”, “I’ve lost 5 kilos on that diet”, “I’ll have to go for a run after this piece of cake”, “you can have a naughty treat if you are good for the whole day”, “if you resolve your emotional issues, the weight will drop off”, “you will live longer if you lose weight”)
  • If your work necessitates taking weight measurements, do you do this in a sensitive manner e.g. refrain from commenting (either positively or negatively), check out if the client/patient wishes to know their weight, ensure patient confidentiality.

Education & Prevention

  • Are there opportunities for training in your work place on, the nature and incidence of eating issues, the referral and support of people with eating issues, addressing personal values and attitudes around weight and size?
  • Does your eating issues education/intervention focus on ‘signs & symptoms’ or is it integrated into a contextual approach? The latter ensures that any individual change is supported holistically and environmentally.
  • Do prevention efforts include the entire continuum of weight issues e.g. drawing links between fat phobia and eating issues.
  • Do you use sensationalist material in your educational resources (e.g., images of skeletal women, extreme examples of fatness)?
  • Does your approach focus on and work towards enhancing wellbeing and developing body trust rather than narrowly focusing on weight as the sole determinant of health?

If you or your workplace would like to explore the implementation of policies, practices and values that promote body satisfaction then please contact EDEN to discuss your needs.