"Just Lose Weight": Weight-based Medical Bias and Experiential Expertise in Intracranial Hypertension

Paper Presentation

Kelly Moes
Weight Stigma Conference, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 2025 Jul

DOI: 10.31076/2025.o10

Cite

APA Click to copy
Moes, K. (2025). "Just Lose Weight": Weight-based Medical Bias and Experiential Expertise in Intracranial Hypertension. Griffith University, Gold Coast: Weight Stigma Conference. https://doi.org/10.31076/2025.o10

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Moes, Kelly. “&Quot;Just Lose Weight&Quot;: Weight-Based Medical Bias and Experiential Expertise in Intracranial Hypertension.” Griffith University, Gold Coast: Weight Stigma Conference, 2025.

MLA Click to copy
Moes, Kelly. &Quot;Just Lose Weight&Quot;: Weight-Based Medical Bias and Experiential Expertise in Intracranial Hypertension. Weight Stigma Conference, 2025, doi:10.31076/2025.o10.

BibTeX Click to copy

@conference{kelly2025a,
  title = {"Just Lose Weight": Weight-based Medical Bias and Experiential Expertise in Intracranial Hypertension},
  year = {2025},
  month = jul,
  address = {Griffith University, Gold Coast},
  institution = {Weight Stigma Conference},
  doi = {10.31076/2025.o10},
  author = {Moes, Kelly},
  month_numeric = {7}
}

Abstract:

Drawing on findings from a doctoral study of 563 adults with Intracranial Hypertension (IH), a complex neurological disorder, I show how weight bias shapes healthcare experiences and demonstrate how first-person perspectives are crucial in IH research and management.

Despite limited causal evidence linking weight to IH pathophysiology, and indications that weight changes may result from associated pituitary/hormonal dysregulation, the dominant medical message maintains weight as the primary cause, and subsequently weight loss as the only ‘disease modifying factor’. Yet, key findings demonstrate that 81% of people with IH report being told weight loss would 'cure' their condition, yet most receive inadequate support and advice for weight management, and any previous or developing disordered eating or body dysmorphia remains unaddressed. Of particular concern is the increasing push toward bariatric surgery as a curative intervention, with many participants reporting no improvement or worsening symptoms.

The collective expertise of people with IH demonstrates critical experiential insights that are devalued or dismissed in research and management of the condition. I argue for the importance of centring patient voices in weight-inclusive approaches that address the full complexity of IH, while considering how weight stigma intersects with gender bias and medical authority to shape healthcare experiences.