iaedp™ Institute CE Webinar – “Why Weight Stigma Matters for Eating Disorder Professionals and What We Can Do About It”
Friday, September 27, 2019 – 12:00pm-1:00pm/ET
Why Weight Stigma Matters for Eating Disorder Professionals and What We Can Do About It
By Dr. Lesley Williams, CEDS
Working as an eating disorder professional within a weight-obsessed healthcare culture can be challenging. Many ED professionals attempting to provide patient-focused weight neutral care find that the medical providers in their community do not fully understand or support their approach. Even worse, uninformed healthcare professionals may say things that are damaging or confusing for our vulnerable patients. This webinar seeks to investigate some of the origins of weight bias within the medical community, explore the evidence that supports ways it can exacerbate disordered eating patterns and suggest strategies eating disorder professionals and patients can use to combat weight stigma in their local communities.
Bio: Dr. Lesley Williams is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and board certified Family Medicine physician. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency training at Mayo Clinic Arizona. She has worked exclusively with eating disorders for over 15 years in the full spectrum of treatment settings. Dr. Williams recently established Williams Wellness Medical Group, an outpatient eating disorder focused medical practice in Phoenix, AZ. She is also currently the Medical Team Lead for Banner Behavioral Health Hospital in Scottsdale, AZ. She was recently selected to be a 2020 fellow for the University of California Irvine’s Primary Care Psychiatry Program.
Her areas of special interest and expertise include: Health Equity and Health at Every Size Advocacy. Dr. Williams is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and member of iaedp™African-American Eating Disorders (AAEDP) Committee. She was recently appointed to the Academy of Eating Disorders Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Due to her hard work and dedication to the field, in 2018 Dr. Williams was named as one of the Top 80 Female Eating Disorder Leaders in the United States.
