Weight & Healthcare
I want to introduce you the work of someone whose writing has reshaped how I think about health, care, and the bodies we live in: Ragen Chastain MEd BCPA.
Ragen is a fat activist and researcher who brings a clear, compassionate voice to topics many of us have been taught to avoid. Through an unapologetically fat-positive lens, she provides sharp analysis of fatphobia, diet culture, and weight science. Her writing blends rigorous research with accessible commentary on fat liberation and Health at Every Size principles, helping readers see how weight stigma and bias shape so much of what we call “healthcare.”
She reminds us that what’s often labelled a “weight problem” is more accurately a reflection of systemic care problems—bias, inequity, and the persistent belief that health only looks one way. Her work is both a call to justice and an invitation to come home to your body with less fear and more trust.
“The ‘obesity epidemic’ frame is an intersection between healthism, ableism and size-ism.”
Why I’m Sharing Her Substack
Ragen’s Substack, Weight and Healthcare, is one of my favorite resources to share with clients. Each post offers research-driven insight into how fatphobia and weight bias shape medical care, and what a more ethical, size-inclusive approach can look like.
If you’ve ever felt unseen in a medical office, or if you’re tired of being told that smaller automatically means better, her writing will feel like a breath of fresh air. It’s educational, empowering, and deeply human.
You’ll find pieces that help you:
Recognize how weight stigma affects the care you receive.
Find language to advocate for yourself with confidence and clarity.
Reconnect with the idea that health is complex, relational, and never determined by size.
Remember that your body isn’t a problem to be managed.
Her work aligns beautifully with what we explore here at This Body, Now: acceptance, curiosity, and a gentler relationship with our bodies. Reading Ragen’s newsletter feels like having a knowledgeable, no-nonsense friend guide you toward liberation and self-trust.
You can subscribe to her work here: weightandhealthcare.substack.com