Ms Alison Harwood
Research Ethics Officer (Human)
Research Services
Division of Research and Innovation
My research identified and analysed ethical issues that arise and in relation to Public Health interventions to address obesity.
As part of of the Australian National Preventative Health Agency (ANPHA)-funded HealthyLaws research project, my research examined the ethical implications of the prevention of childhood obesity with the use of regulation and law.
The governments of Western democratic countries such as Australia and the United States of America continually identify obesity as a public health concern. I argue that this identification constitutes an action that itself requires ethical justification, and propose several criteria that ought to be met to provide ethical justification whenever the government identifies a public health concern, focusing on obesity as a case study.
I also develop a spectrum to categorise the approaches to weight stigma, found in academic literature, identifying and discussing nuanced variances between each position. I demonstrate that weight stigma ought to be combatted directly, and provide suggestions for weight stigma-reducing interventions.
My research identified and analysed ethical issues that arise and in relation to Public Health interventions to address obesity.
As part of the Australian National Preventative Health Agency (ANPHA)-funded HealthyLaws research project, my research examined the ethical implications of the prevention of childhood obesity with the use of regulation and law.
The first chapter of this thesis focuses on whether the government is ethically justified in its identification of obesity as a public health concern. I propose that the government identification of obesity as a public health concern is an example of performative identification: it constitutes an action, and moreover it is an action of the sort that requires ethical justification. To determine if the government was ethically justified in its identification of obesity as a public health concern, I then propose three criteria by which this ought to be judged.
The second chapter closely examines the issue of weight stigma to answer the question of what ought to be done about weight stigma to improve health. To answer this question, I provide a critical review of relevant literature and develop two tools that can be utilised in a public health setting: the Spectrum of Approaches to Weight Stigma (hereafter referred to as the Spectrum) and the Matrix for Anti-Stigma Intervention Strategies (the Matrix).
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2018 - 2018 Research Project Officer (HE07) The University of Adelaide 2017 - ongoing Human Research Ethics Officer (HE06) The University of Adelaide -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2013 - 2017 The University of Adelaide Australia Master of Philosophy (Public Health) 2010 - 2012 The University of Adelaide Australia Master of Philosophy (Philosophy) 2009 - 2009 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) 2005 - 2007 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Social Sciences -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2022 Harwood, A., Carter, D. A., & Eliott, J. (2022). A public health framework for reducing stigma: the example of weight stigma. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 19(3), 511-520.
Scopus13 WoS5 Europe PMC6 -
Theses
Year Citation 2017 Harwood, A. (2017). An ethical analysis of obesity, weight stigma, and public health. (Master's Thesis, The University of Adelaide). 2012 Harwood, A., Carter, D. A., & Louise, J. (2012). The role of emotion in rational decision-making. (Master's Thesis). 2012 Harwood, A., Carter, D. A., & Louise, J. (2012). The role of emotion in rational decision-making. (Master's Thesis).
2010 – 2018 Tutor: Medical Personal & Professional Development (First year 'medical ethics')
2013 – 2015 Assessor: Medical Personal & Professional Development II Pt I (Second year 'medical ethics')
July 2012 Tutor: Bioethics Policy – Winter School Intensive Course
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