News

Internationally recognised dietitian to host talk on compassion and body respect for overcoming eating struggles

29 February 2016

An internationally renowned dietitian is to give a lecture at the University of Derby on overcoming eating struggles and body confidence issues to find peace with food.

Dr Lucy Aphramor developed the Well Now course – an eight session programme that helps people feel better about their eating and weight using a non-diet approach, which is now used across the NHS. 

Her lecture, called "Eat. Taste. Peace. The Well Now way approach to making peace with food”, takes place on Wednesday (March 2) at the University’s Kedleston Road site and will discuss how focusing on health gain and body respect can transform people’s relationship with food

Dr Aphramor said: “Anxieties concerning eating and weight are widespread and debilitating.

“Fear, confusion and guilt around food, and intense body shame, occur regardless of our lifestyle or body mass index (BMI), and are not confined to those with eating disorder diagnoses.

“Listening to people’s stories of failed diets encouraged me to find an alternative. I also developed something that took account of how social factors, including stigma, can impact our health. The result is the Well Now way.

“I am very much looking forward to talking at the University of Derby and hope people will walk away curious, enthused and questioning.”

Dr Aphramor, a former NHS cardiac dietitian in Coventry, first ran the Well Now approach in 2006.

The approach, which is adopted by NHS Highland as their healthy weight policy, is unique in integrating weight science, food and mood, body respect, social justice and size awareness.

Lucy Aphramor

Dr Fiona Holland, a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology department at the University of Derby, said: “I’m thrilled to host Dr Lucy Aphramor at the University of Derby as she has been a leader in questioning some of the long-held assumptions about diet, health and weight over the last 15 years as both a practitioner and a researcher.

“As a dietitian, Lucy has seen first-hand how people struggle with food, body size, self-esteem, social inequalities and health. She has developed an evidence-based approach to support people in focusing on their health behaviours, rather than external measures of health such as a scale or a BMI chart.

“Lucy’s awareness of the complexities of behaviours and external factors that influence eating, body size and health have helped her to shape an approach that is inclusive, compassionate and respectful for people of all ages, shapes, sizes and histories.

“Lucy’s work has influenced my thinking and research about body image and behaviour change and I can’t wait to see her talk here at Derby as part of the Psychological Research Centre's series of external speakers.”

The event is free and no booking is required.