Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2026

Building workforce capability to initiate non-stigmatising health and wellbeing conversations with people living with obesity: insights from Queensland health professionals (144035)

Thilini Gunawardena 1 , Clare Johnson 1 , Joanna Munro 1
  1. Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Milton, QLD, Australia

The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity highlights the need for sensitive, non-stigmatising conversations about health behaviours and contributing factors. Weight stigma and bias are recognised barriers to care, delaying treatment and negatively impacting physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Due to the complex drivers of obesity - genetic, biological, behavioural, and environmental factors - health professionals often report low confidence in initiating these conversations without harming therapeutic relationships. 

A brief intervention tool, the BRAVE Framework (Build Relationships, Raise Respectfully, Ask about Attitudes, Validate Values, Engage and Enable), was developed to support health professionals in initiating non-stigmatising, health-focused conversations.1 A recent literature review, including the 2024 Lancet Commission on Clinical Obesity2, identified strengths in the Framework and areas for refinement. 

An interactive workshop, and survey of Queensland health professionals (n=153) explored perceptions of weight stigma, training needs, and barriers to incorporating preventive weight-related conversations into routine care. While most respondents rated their understanding of weight stigma as 'Good', 76% reported challenges in initiating weight-related conversations due to concerns about upsetting patients, limited resources, and fear of disrupting therapeutic relationships. Only 11% of respondents rated their confidence initiating non-stigmatising conversations as 'Excellent'. Participants suggested enhancements to the BRAVE Framework; incorporating motivational interviewing, readiness for change assessment, and referral pathways. Preferred training modalities included: online modules (70%), digital resources (48%), and short videos (43%), with three training priority areas identified: managing eating disorders in people living in larger bodies, supporting health behaviour change alongside pharmacological treatments, and addressing weight stigma. 

Findings underscore the need for accessible training and resources to build workforce confidence and capability. The BRAVE Framework provides clinicians with a valuable tool to integrate non-stigmatising, health-focused conversations into routine practice, and foster trust to improve health outcomes for people living in larger bodies. 

  1. Canfell, O.J., Cotugno, J., Munro, J., Woods, L., Littlewood, R. & Walker, J.L. (2025). Raising the Topic: Clinical Needs Assessment and Co-Design of Targeted Clinical Resources for Primary Healthcare Practitioners to Prevent and Manage Childhood Obesity. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 36: e70033. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.70033 
  2. Rubino, F., Cummings, D. E., Eckel, R. H., Cohen, R. V., Wilding, J. P. H., Brown, W. A., Stanford, F. C., Batterham, R. L., Farooqi, I. S., Farpour-Lambert, N. J., le Roux, C. W., Sattar, N., Baur, L. A., Morrison, K. M., Misra, A., Kadowaki, T., Tham, K. W., Sumithran, P., Garvey, W. T., . . . Mingrone, G. (2025). Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 13(3), 221–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00316-4