For nearly two decades, our careers have been dedicated to promoting physical and mental health in clinical and community settings. Much of this work was focused on weight loss and maintenance. Over time, we became aware of the significant shortcomings of traditional weight-centric interventions, many of which lead to unhealthy obsessions with food and exercise, inevitable weight regain, and continued frustrations.
Through this work, we also witnessed firsthand the damaging effects of weight bias and discrimination, and how deeply they undermine health, irrespective of weight. At the same time, there is clear research supporting the superiority of social support and health behaviors compared to weight as predictors of health. For all these reasons, we decided to change our approach.
We now strive to foster inclusive, stigma-free health promotion, drawing on data-driven indicators to guide our practices.
Through our consultancy, ReDefine Health Promotion, LLC, we empower organizations and individuals to adopt more effective, compassionate health strategies. Our commitment to evidence-based, non-stigmatizing initiatives is at the core of our services and we hope to create more opportunities for everyone to thrive in health, without the constraints of weight-based metrics.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
about Liz
- Many members of my family have larger bodies. Bullying based on body size and internalized bias were highly present and had big impacts on my upbringing.
- Despite negative formative experiences around body size, I came to love sports and the physical, mental, and social benefits of movement of all kinds.
- I earned a masters in public health from St. Louis University and PhD in social work with a public health focus from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
- I have worked as a researcher since 2007 and instructor since 2011 in the field of public health.
- My early work to promote physical activity enjoyment among girls without promulgating disordered eating vulnerabilities led me initially to move toward health promotion without a focus on weight among all populations of people.
- I’m currently an Evergreen Associate Professor at the University of Oregon.
about Nichole
- I grew up in a large family of women, never far from conversations related to how we all felt about our bodies, which was rarely, if ever, positive.
- I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Virginia.
- I spent a few years working in research and non-profit organizations.
- During this time, I became increasingly aware of my intense desire to figure out how to improve our very complicated relationships with food and bodies.
- I obtained a PhD in counseling psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University.
- I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral health at the Uniformed Services University and National Institutes of Health.
- I became a licensed clinical psychologist.
- I had a daughter, further fueling my goals to change the dialogue related to health, bodies, and weight.
- I am currently an Evergreen Associate Professor at the University of Oregon.