Sadly, it seems we cannot escape the fact that many physiotherapists now believe that part of the answer to the problems now facing the profession can be resolved, at least in part, by telling people to lose weight, stop smoking, and get more exercise. The need to feel part of the move towards population-based primary health care has induced many traditional and orthodox health professionals to scratch their heads and ask what their social function will be in the future. It seems reasonably clear that traditional sources of work, like the specialist care that once took place in large hospitals, and the routine self-limiting, acute musculoskeletal disorders that made up significant … [Read more...] about Stop telling people to lose weight and get more exercise
Bodies, voice and change: exploring the construction of fat bodies in health
Each day over the next week I'll post up an abstract for a paper being presented by a member of the Critical Physiotherapy Network at the In Sickness and In Health conference in Mallorca in June 2015. (You can find more information on the conference here.) Bodies, voice and change: exploring the construction of fat bodies in health. By Jenny Setchell, Michael Gard and Irmgard Tischner Recognising the body as a colonised space brings up the question of who has the right to speak about the body. Who determines how it should look, what will make it healthy? Using the fat body within a health care context as an example, I discuss the dominant voice of health professionals in negotiating and … [Read more...] about Bodies, voice and change: exploring the construction of fat bodies in health
Interview with Jenny Setchell
Every so often we profile a member of the Critical Physiotherapy Network to find out a bit more about them and their work. In this 'interview' we asked Jenny Setchell, PhD candidate, Pilates instructor, yoga teacher and circus trainer/performer about the inspiration behind her research. Jenny works at Performance Rehab in Brisbane, Australia and has been a member of the CPN since its inception. You can find Jenny's CPN member profile here What made you look at physiotherapy and weight stigma in the first place? I have always been interested in stigma and oppression and as a physiotherapist never felt like there was a place for me to discuss this in my profession beyond one-on-one … [Read more...] about Interview with Jenny Setchell