By Bill and Terri Weitze

CONTENT NOTE: Some articles featured in the Media & Research Roundup may refer to stigmatizing events or use stigmatizing language. Websites hosting the articles linked below may allow advertisements for weight loss products and/or otherwise problematic ads.

January 7, 2026: A new study finds stopping weight loss drug injections is followed by rapid weight regain, as much as four times faster than weight regain from cessation of dieting and exercise.

January 8, 2026: More and more Australians are accessing GLP-1 drugs through private sources like telehealth, where no face-to-face contact takes place, causing concern about possible abuse by people suffering from eating disorders. The study is linked here.

January 13, 2026: Researchers find that pregnant women with higher body weight are more likely to have weight stigmatizing language documented in their hospital birth admission records. The study is linked here.

January 23, 2026: Debbie Kaufman is interviewed about her Oregon-based group, Body Liberation for Public Health. The organization’s focus is dismantling systems that create weight stigma and bias.

January 23, 2026: Researchers find that workplace weight stigma is deeply embedded in hiring practices and how workers are evaluated and rewarded, affecting employees’ entire career experience, and employee well-being.

January 26, 2026: Buyers Beware! Disreputable sources may provide counterfeit GLP-1 drugs that can be fatal.

January 28, 2026: An article in Psychology Today dives into how healthcare practitioners should choose the language they use with patients regarding weight and body size, providing a brief history of the medicalization of fat and why words matter.

February 3, 2026: A recent study looks at weight stigma experienced by fat patients when receiving dental care, and no surprise, weight stigma exists there too.

February 4, 2026: An opinion piece in The Collegian discusses how the assumption that higher weight equals poor health is harmful and is a barrier to healthcare for many.

February 5, 2026: Psychology Today offers a discussion on why education programs for children, starting as young as possible, should include lessons on body acceptance, weight discrimination and stigma, and more comprehensive nutrition.

February 10, 2026: An article explains what was wrong with the Mike Tyson Super Bowl ad regarding “healthy eating” and the potential harm it may have caused.

February 12, 2026: Even in states where abortion is legal, fat people experience delay and/or denial of care because of clinic policies that rely on outdated BMI restrictions.

February 14, 2026: Researchers look at weight stigma among various ethnic groups, suggesting the information can be used to develop culturally appropriate education or intervention for fat people because, apparently, the problem is not the stigma, it's being fat.

February 16, 2026: A Darwin Aboriginal Kungarakan woman discusses going to a conference on weight stigma and the difficulties she encountered in a non-fat friendly environment.

February 16, 2026: Like all the other diets, intermittent fasting doesn’t work. Anyone surprised? The study is linked here.

February 24, 2026: A study finds that weight-based teasing can lead to responses that may contribute to comorbidities associated with high BMI. This study seems to get it right: it’s not the fat, it’s the stigma associated with being fat.

February 26, 2026: Ester Manas is a high-end clothing company with a mission of high fashion for every body. Ester Manas, the designer for the company, pulls the curtain back to showcase the long term fatphobia in the fashion industry.

February 27, 2026: A doctor who is not weight-focused provides good information on how to make your doctor appointments about health goals instead of weight.

February 28, 2026: Tess Holliday is a fat woman. At age 40, she doesn’t smoke or drink, has no health issues, takes no medications, and works out regularly. Still, she was denied life insurance based solely on her BMI.

March 2, 2026: The popular TV show The Pitt’s episode on the care and treatment of a fat patient highlights the difference between the care a fat person can expect and a non-fat person can expect. Fortunately, the show’s writers landed on a story that allowed a fat person to receive effective, non-judgmental care.

March 4, 2026: Zabe Sharpcat, founder of End Weight Bias, explains how they came to form the organization and to create International Fat Liberation Day, in protest of World Obesity Day.

March 6, 2026: A discussion on ways to avoid diet and weight loss talk and embracing your body “as is” in the age of Ozempic offers lots of good advice on how to find and maintain a community of body acceptance.

March 6, 2026: A quick talk about the body positivity movement and why it is important that it doesn’t fade away in the face of body neutrality and anti-fat societal pressures.

March 7, 2026: Two fat passengers go public with their experiences with Southwest, whose new customer of size policy allows any Southwest employee to require a passenger to purchase an additional seat. With no clear guidelines, the policy puts passengers at risk of blatant discrimination and fat bias.

March 8, 2026: Psychology Today reminds us that complimenting weight loss is complicated and it is better to compliment the person, not the body.

March 10, 2026: A plus-sized registered dietitian explains how the body positivity movement’s message has been diluted. The movement is not anti-health; it is anti-shame and that difference is important to understand.

March 13, 2026: A psychologist working as a body image scientist tells us why the body positive movement is still relevant.

March 23, 2026: A woman talks about how her self-care experience involving rest and being cared for was changed when the salon sent her an email offering weight loss services, and why safe places from judgment are important and hard to find.

March 23, 2026: Ozarks at Large hosted the NWA Fat Fashion Show, an opportunity for fat folk to gather, enjoy fat fashion, and support one another.

March 24, 2026: Mark this study for possible future use! A recent study finds that BMI should not be used to restrict access to joint replacement, but rather the decision should be based on individual assessment of benefit and risk.

March 30, 2026: This New York Times article spotlights Plus-Size Park Hoppers, a group of five fat women who love Disney parks and create content for fat people who want to visit the parks, offering advice on how to navigate the rides and other venues in a larger body.

April 6, 2026: Ragen Chastain, Angela Meadows and Louise Adams have published a paper in Fat Studies questioning GLP-1 medications and the marketing of these drugs.

April 8, 2026: Japan’s body positivity movement is social media driven, with the community supporting its members to reduce size bias; and Japan’s first fashion magazine for fat people, La Farfa, provides access to stylish clothes that fit larger bodies.