Amplified: Fat Voices, Bold Stories

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson speaks with Evangeline Gardiner, a researcher and advocate for weight-inclusive public health. Evie shares her personal journey navigating the health system as a fat person and how her experiences with weight stigma, disordered eating, and body image have shaped her approach to public health. They also discuss her PhD research on weight-inclusive pub...

In this episode of  Amplified , host Ellen speaks with fellow Exercise Physiologist Daniel Arbilla about the complex reality of pain and why it’s never as simple as “too much weight.” Together, they unpack the myth of “wear and tear,” exploring how pain is shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors rather than body size alone. Daniel and Ellen discuss how the belief that larger bodies...

In this episode of  Amplified , Ellen speaks with Hilary Smith, Health Promotion Lead at the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC). With over two decades in health and human services, Hilary brings deep insight into how systems can better prevent eating disorders through equitable, weight-inclusive approaches. They discuss Hilary’s lived experience as a neurodivergent person in a larger b...

In this episode of  Amplified , Ellen chats with  Sally McWilliams  a body positive personal trainer and studio owner in Meanjin/Brisbane. With nearly two decades in the fitness industry, Sally shares how she broke away from weight-centric fitness in 2017 to embrace a HAES-aligned, size-inclusive approach. Ellen and Sally discuss the realities of weight stigma in fitness spaces and their experienc...

What drives someone to become a fierce advocate for size inclusivity in health? In this episode of Amplified, Ellen sits down with Bridgette Williams, past president Size Inclusive Health Australia (SIHA), to hear how a university assignment in 2013 ignited a decade-long journey to radical fat acceptance and advocacy. Bridgette shares personal experiences navigating a medical system riddled with f...

In this episode of Amplified , Ellen sits down with Cassie, a social worker and disability advocate, to explore their evolving relationship with movement and healthcare. Cassie shares their personal journey of navigating movement and health in a larger body— unpacking the impact of rigid fitness culture and how traditional health and fitness models have often overlooked their Intersecting identiti...

In this episode of  Amplified , Ellen is joined by clinical psychologist and weight-inclusive health advocate Louise Adams for our first  Bold Story . Together, Louise unpacks the controversial Lancet article “Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical o*esity , exploring who commissioned it, how it was constructed, and the scientific and clinical flaws it contains. They also highlight what’s...

In this special cross-promotional episode of Amplified, Ellen speaks with Lily O’Hara—public health academic, body liberation advocate, and chair of the 2025 International Weight Stigma Conference. Lily shares her personal journey into weight-inclusive public health and how her lived experience has shaped her approach to ethical, liberation-focused health promotion. Together, they discuss how weig...

 In this episode of  Amplified , host Ellen Masson sits down with Ari to explore the complexities of living at the intersection of fatness and a non-binary identity. Ari shares their experiences navigating body image, societal expectations, and the gaps in healthcare and social support for people in larger bodies who don’t conform to the gender binary. They discuss moments of joy and affirmation,...

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson sits down with Claire Gasper to discuss her lived experience as a small-fat person, the body image work she does with clients, and the challenges of navigating the weight-loss grey zone within healthcare. Together, they explore the complexities of body image and the role of harm reduction in the dietetic space. Claire and Ellen unpack why it's crucia...

In this episode of Amplified, host Ellen Masson speaks with Samantha Jurkovic, who shares her deeply personal experiences with weight stigma in healthcare. Together, they explore how weight-centric care has impacted her emotional well-being, her relationship with her body, and her willingness to seek medical help. The conversation highlights the harm caused when healthcare professionals make assum...