BODY IMAGE AND EATING DISORDERS IN THE HELPING PROFESSIONS

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: Sophomore standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Social Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Summer 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Define anti-fat bias, fatphobia, and healthism. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Identify key areas in which oppression against fat people permeates contexts across society. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Compare norms and experiences around food and body across cultural contexts and identities. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Recognize the racist roots of fatphobia. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe how intersectionality and one’s positionality are relevant in the fight for fat liberation. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Summarize the principles of the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement and Intuitive Eating (IE). Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Summarize the eating disorders listed with the DSM 5-TR and critique the criteria for these disorders based on the information in other course readings and lived experience. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 8. Compare and contrast medical and HAES/IE frameworks for conceptualizing and treating concerns related to body image and disordered eating. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 9. Assess the connection between fatphobia, anti-fat bias and the perpetuation of body image concerns and disordered eating. Identify the institutions within society that profit from this relationship. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 10. Develop a project at UW Madison to advocate on behalf of people struggling with challenges related to food security, disordered eating, body image, or anti-fat bias. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 11. Integrate course materials and concepts with current academic emphasis and scholarship. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Define anti-fat bias, fatphobia, and healthism. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Identify key areas in which oppression against fat people permeates contexts across society. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Compare norms and experiences around food and body across cultural contexts and identities. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Recognize the racist roots of fatphobia. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe how intersectionality and one’s positionality are relevant in the fight for fat liberation. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Summarize the principles of the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement and Intuitive Eating (IE). Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Summarize the eating disorders listed with the DSM 5-TR and critique the criteria for these disorders based on the information in other course readings and lived experience. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 8. Compare and contrast medical and HAES/IE frameworks for conceptualizing and treating concerns related to body image and disordered eating. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 9. Assess the connection between fatphobia, anti-fat bias and the perpetuation of body image concerns and disordered eating. Identify the institutions within society that profit from this relationship. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 10. Develop a project at UW Madison to advocate on behalf of people struggling with challenges related to food security, disordered eating, body image, or anti-fat bias. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 11. Integrate course materials and concepts with current academic emphasis and scholarship. Audience: Graduate