2026 Bridge Conference

Exposure to weight stigma, especially during the delicate time of adolescence, can have lifelong consequences. Youth today navigate relentless messages that their bodies are not “good enough”. This workshop helps youth-serving professionals to create safer, more inclusive spaces that better align with their organizational values and where all young people can thrive. Beginning with the history of weight stigma and its roots in anti-Black racism, participants will learn to identify the ways that youth encounter weight stigma day to day, from casual comments between peers to social media influences, and from health care to the locker room.