Weight Inclusive Health Programs
Uncover the effects of weight stigma on health and wellness and learn how to support individuals of all sizes in an Undergraduate Minor or Certificate program.
Weight stigma can be a major obstacle to seeking and receiving medical care for individuals of diverse body sizes. Our Undergraduate Minor and Certificate programs offer training in spotting explicit and implicit weight bias and in weight-inclusive care principles and practices for those who want careers in healthcare and other "helping professions."
Enrolling now! The Weight Inclusive Health programs provides an overview of the frameworks available to provide weight inclusive care to individuals across the lifespan. We offer both an Undergraduate Minor for degree-seeking students at the University of Arizona and an Undergraduate Certificate designed to accommodate working professionals who want to continue their education without pursuing a degree.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Put simply, weight stigma is the social rejection of those in higher-weight bodies, ie. not fitting social norms for weight and size. Stigma is a fundamental cause of population health inequalities and is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality (Hatzenbuehler et al., 2013). Weight stigma in the US has increased 66% over the past 10 years, (Puhl et al., 2016) and unfortunately, our medical system and healthcare providers are contributing to that stigma through both explicit and implicit bias. Providers spend 28% less time with patients that are "obese" because many providers believe that it is a "waste of time." Additionally, weight stigma alone can increase an individual's likelihood of developing or maintaining "obesity" by two or three times, regardless of their baseline Body Mass Index (BMI) (Tomiyama et al., 2018). The stress of weight stigma from within the healthcare system is associated with a host of negative health consequences - even those not directly correlated to an individual's weight.
Weight-inclusive care focuses on non–weight-based markers of health and wellness and doesn’t use body weight as the focal point of treatment for intervention. Courses introduce and delve into weight stigma, health at every size (HAES®), non-diet approaches, and counseling techniques needed to ethically work with individuals in the healthcare settings. These topics improve the students' awareness of challenges faced in the healthcare field and will provide additional techniques that are useful for pursuing employment opportunities that focus on wellness and the prevention of maladaptive eating patterns, and other stress impacting chronic conditions. Knowledge of these topics addressing diversity within the wellness industry will set future health practitioners apart.
The Undergraduate Minor is designed for current University of Arizona undergraduate students, regardless of major. The minor requires 18 units (9 units of core courses + 9 units of elective courses).
The Undergraduate Certificate is open to both current University of Arizona undergraduate students and non-degree-seeking students. The certificate requires 12 units (9 units of core courses + 3 units of elective courses).
The Undergraduate Minor requires completion of 18 units (9 units of core courses + 9 units of electives).
CORE COURSES:
- NSC 212 (3 units): Intuitive Eating Approach to Health and Wellbeing
- NSC 312 (3 units): Weight Stigma, Nutrition, and Health
- NSC 412/512 (3 units): Body Positive Concepts and You
ELECTIVES:
- NSC 422/522 (3 units): Weight Inclusive Approach to Counseling
- NSC 432/532 (3 units): Exploring Eating Disorders and Body Image
- NSC 442/542 (3 units): Health Communication from a Weight Inclusive Lens
- CHS 309 (3 units): Ethical Issues in the Helping Professions
- CHS 401 (3 units): Health Disparities and Society
The Undergraduate Certificate requires completion of 12 units of coursework (9 units of core courses + 3 units of electives).
CORE COURSES:
- NSC 212 (3 units): Intuitive Eating Approach to Health and Wellbeing
- NSC 312 (3 units): Weight Stigma, Nutrition, and Health
- NSC 412 (3 units): Body Positive Concepts and You
ELECTIVES:
- NSC 422/522 (3 units): Weight Inclusive Approach to Counseling
- NSC 432/532 (3 units): Exploring Eating Disorders and Body Image
- NSC 442/542 (3 units): Health Communication from a Weight Inclusive Lens
- CHS 309 (3 units): Ethical Issues in the Helping Professions
- CHS 401 (3 units): Health Disparities and Society