Appearance Matters: The Podcast!

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! In this month’s episode, Kat speaks to Dr Aisha Sobey. Aisha is a Research Associate at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, where she studies the ethical implications of Generative AI and digital health systems, especially focusing on the impacts on non-normative bodies, employing Political Economy, Science and Technology Studies, Fat Studies, and Disability Studies theories in her work. Read more about Aisha’s work here: https://www.lcfi.ac.uk/people/aisha-sobey Read Aisha’s study on GenAI and weight bias here: Sobey, A. (2025). The thinness of GenAI: Body size in relation to the construction of the normate through GenAI image models. AI and Ethics, 5(4), 4181–4196. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-025-00684-x If you’re interested in hearing more about the Appearance Matters Conference, hosted by the Centre for Appearance Research (9th – 11th of June 2026), click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference Cover image by Trevor James Episode image by Yutong Liu & Digit / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Kat Schneider

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! In this month’s episode, Ella speaks to Research Fellow Dr Emma Waite and Visiting Professor Dr Amy Slater from the Centre for Appearance Research about their work on social media and visible difference as part of the VTCT Foundation Programme of Research at CAR. They are also joined by Laure Dedecker, a PhD student at the Media Psychology Lab at KU Leuven in Belgium who researches the role of social media in body image development among young individuals with a visible difference. They talk about the social media experiences of people with visible differences, how social media might be used in a positive way, and discuss Australia’s new social media ban for under 16s. The social media resources discussed will be coming soon to the Visible Difference Support Hub: https://visibledifferencesupporthub.com/ Journal article (Guest et al., 2025) exploring the experiences of adults with visible differences in relation to social media: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0324938 Journal article (Dedecker et al., 2025) examining content and responses to influencers with visible different: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144525000725?via%3Dihub If you’re interested in finding out more about the Appearance Matters Conference, hosted by the Centre for Appearance Research (9th – 11th of June 2026), click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference Cover image by Armin Rimoldi via Pexels Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Ella Guest

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! In this month’s episode, Kat speaks to Zali Yager, an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University, Australia, and the founder and executive director of the Embrace Collective. The Embrace Collective: https://theembracehub.com/ If you’re interested in hearing more about the Appearance Matters Conference, hosted by the Centre for Appearance Research (9th – 11th of June 2026), click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference Appearance Matters 11 early bird registration is available until the 31st of January! Cover image by Trevor James Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Kat Schneider

Welcome back to Appearance Matters the podcast! This month we are kicking off our Appearance Matters 11 conference series. This month Maia speaks with Phyllida Swift CEO of Face Equality international about her inspirational work with the organisation, her path into working into the visible difference field, some highlights of her career so far, as well as goals for the future. Phyllida also speaks about her previous AM conference highlights and key messages she hopes to share in her keynote in June. Join us for a really reflective and insightful discussion about combining the personal and professional in the non-profit sector and to hear some teasers for Appearance Matters 11. To find out more about the work of Face Equality International click here: https://faceequalityinternational.org/ Registration for Appearance Matters 11 is now open! Early bird registration fees will be available until the 31st of January 2026! For more information about Appearance Matters 11 click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference or follow this link to go directly to the registration page: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference/registration

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! In this month’s episode, Ella speaks to Dr Kerry Montgomery, who is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Appearance Research, about the STAR Project. Kerry’s work explores how people with conditions that affect appearance and that can be passed on to their children make decisions about starting a family. They talk about research Kerry has carried out with prospective parents who have visible differences and genetic counsellors. Please be aware that this episode contains discussion of pregnancy, family planning, and termination, which might be sensitive for some listeners. If you’re interested in hearing more about the Centre for Appearance conference, Appearance Matters 11 (9th – 11th of June 2026) click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference Photo by Warren Umoh on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/a-chain-link-fence--qycBqByWIY?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! In this month’s episode, Kat speaks to Dr Luciana Zuest (Towson University, US) and Dr Eva Pila (Western University, Canada) about weight bias and weight stigma in sport and exercise settings, and how to make physical activity spaces more inclusive for all bodies. Dr Eva Pila: https://www.uwo.ca/fhs/kin/about/faculty/pila_e.html Body Image & Health Research Lab: https://bihlab.com/, @bihresearch (Instagram) Dr Luciana Zuest: https://www.towson.edu/chp/departments/kinesiology/facultystaff/luciana-zuest.html Weight-Inclusive Thinking for Fitness Spaces: https://www.weightinclusivethinking.com/ If you’re interested in hearing more about the Appearance Matters Conference, hosted by the Centre for Appearance Research (9th – 11th of June 2026), click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference Appearance Matters 11 abstract submissions are now open and the deadline is the 7th of November! Cover image by Trevor James Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Kat Schneider

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! In this month’s episode, Maia speak to Prof. Di Harcourt about the development of The Visible Difference Support Hub, a brand new website that is aims to provide easy access to evidence-based support for people with visible differences and their families which has been developed at CAR. Di and Maia talk about the research that has gone into creating these support resources, the development process of the support hub, and the kind of materials people can find on the website. If you’d like to explore or share The Visible Difference Support Hub please follow this link: https://visibledifferencesupporthub.com/ If you’ve spent time on The Visible Difference Support Hub and would like to provide us with some feedback, please click here: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57m45grMC7LHeWa If you’re interested in hearing more about the Centre for Appearance conference, Appearance Matters 11 (9th – 11th of June 2026) click here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/news-and-events/am-conference Appearance Matters 11 abstract submissions are now open and the deadline is the 30th of October!

Welcome to our 2025 Summer Short Series! We're back with bitesize episodes showcasing recent work from our team at the Centre for Appearance Research! In this episode, we are joined by Dr Maia Thornton, Senior Research Fellow at CAR, who tells us about her recent paper entitled: The Visible Difference Parenting Toolkit: development of an ACT-based intervention to improve the well-being of parents and caregivers of children with appearance-affecting conditions and injuries. Maia discusses a support intervention for parents of children with visible differences, which she developed during her PhD. In this episode, we also introduce two new podcast hosts. Dr Kat Schneider and Dr Ella Guest are both Senior Research Fellows at CAR who will be joining the podcast team. Read Maia's open access paper: https://academic.oup.com/jpepsy/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf054/8205549 Find out more about the Visible Difference Support Hub https://visibledifferencesupporthub.com/ Cover image by Trevor James Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Maia Thornton & Ella Guest

Welcome to our 2025 Summer Short Series! We're back with bitesize episodes showcasing recent work from our team at the Centre for Appearance Research! In this episode, we are joined by Emma Waite, Research Fellow at CAR, who tells us about her recent paper entitled: “Make sure that everybody feels there is a space for them”: Understanding and promoting appearance inclusivity at university." Emma discusses this qualitative piece of work and what it tells us about how we can improve appearance inclusivity in universities in a meaningful way. To read the full paper follow this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144524001311 Cover image by Nada via Unsplash Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Maia Thornton

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: the podcast! In this episode, Maia speaks to Ginny Ramseyer-Winter, an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, and Savannah Roberts, a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh. This episode focuses on appearance and body image through the lens of sexuality, sexual health, and gender. Tune in to hear a great discussion reflecting on the role of appearance ideals and body image in the context of sexual health and relationships, appearance norms across different sexualities and genders, and the importance of intersectionality. To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Cover image: Igor Rand via Unsplash Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed and produced by Maia Thornton

Nadia, Kirsty and Harriet from CAR talk about an exciting project focused on boosting young children's body image. Links: Blippi's Wonderful Talent Show on Neflix https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81910281 Blippi's Wonderful Talent Show on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h281Ojvs0Bc Research Papers Protocol: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20869-z Outcomes: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101851 Nadia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadia.craddock/ Nadia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-craddock/ Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Episode developed & produced by Nadia Craddock

Welcome back to Appearance Matters: The Podcast! This month’s episode focusses on a project aimed at providing peer support for young people with cleft lip and/or palate. Abbi is joined by Kenny Ardouin, a speech language therapist and lecturer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. As part of his PhD, Kenny has been involved in running a youth camp for children with cleft aged 10-18. In the episode, Kenny discusses his research background, how this project came about, the practical implications of running a camp and evaluating the camp’s impact on the campers’ wellbeing. Thanks for listening! Episode links: • Kenny's website: www.kennyardouin.com • Paper (open access): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10556656251329297 • Camp resources (freely available): https://kennyardouin.com/supplementary-materials/ • Previous episode featuring Kenny: 58. Expanding Support for Adults with a Cleft Lip and/or Palate https://soundcloud.com/appearance-matters/expanding-support-for-adults-with-a-cleft-lip-andor-palate To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On X: x.com/CAR_UWE • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. Thank you! Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Cover photo kindly shared by Kenny Ardouin. Episode developed and produced by Abbi Mathews

Maia speaks to CAR's own Christine Ramsey-Wade (Associate Professor in Counselling Psychology) about her PhD exploring whether mindful eating programs can be beneficial for people experiencing disordered eating. Maia and Christine discuss the research, reflect on the PhD process, and even practice a mindful eating exercise together. Content warning: Mindful eating exercise starts at 28:52 If you’re currently in recovery for anorexia, the mindful eating exercise focuses on sensations around your stomach which may be triggering and so this exercise might not be for you. To find out more about mindful eating or try some exercises yourself: The mindful eating mini meditation: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/appearance/resources The mindful eating micro-intervention created and trialled during Christine's PhD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih1gQTIdvNU To access the ED support app for Eating Disorder self-help: https://www.expertselfcare.com/eating-disorder-support-app/

This Girl Can turned 10 this year so to celebrate, we are sharing an episode from deep in our archive (ep 20!!) on exercise and body image with with Tanya Joseph - architect of Sport England's 'This Girl Can' Campaign and body image & body functionality researcher, Assistant Professor Jessica Alleva. To find out more about CAR: www.uwe.ac.uk/car Follow CAR on Twitter: twitter.com/car_UWE For more on 'This Girl Can': www.sportengland.org/our-work/women/this-girl-can/ WATCH 'This Girl Can' Ads: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoXyIxqFRc www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsP0W7-tEOc Follow Tanya Joseph on Twitter: twitter.com/tanyajoseph For more on Jessica Alleva: www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/jessica.alleva twitter.com/JessicaAlleva Episode written & produced by Nadia Craddock, reviewed by Phillippa Diedrichs (Associate Professor at CAR)

Happy New Year from Appearance Matters: The Podcast! New year, new episode. Today, we are joined by PhD candidate and Associate Lecturer Mia Morgan from the University of Derby, who is conducting a body of research into the benefits of nature connectedness for individuals who are experiencing disordered eating / eating disorders. Mia shares the results of her PhD so far, including a literature review and interviews. Mia is now developing a nature connectedness intervention to support recovery for those with eating disorders. Learn more about Mia’s research University of Derby https://www.derby.ac.uk/staff/mia-morgan/ First Steps https://firststepsed.co.uk/training/research-and-expertise/ LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mia-morgan-182998134?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F Email m.morgan16@unimail.derby.ac.uk Mia is recruiting people with disordered eating for her final study, which invites people to try out a simplified version of the intervention discussed in this episode. If you would like to take part, or have any questions, please email Mia [Study closes April 2025]. To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On X: x.com/CAR_UWE • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. Thank you! Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Cover photo credit - Shane Rounce via Unsplash Episode developed and produced by Abbi Mathews

This month Maia speaks to local Bristol artist, Gail Reid, and visible difference advocate, Amit Ghose, about a project which focussed on representing visible difference through art. Gail was commissioned to paint a portrait of Amit which was unveiled at CAR's AM10 conference in June 2024. We discuss the process of Gail, Amit and CAR working together to create the portrait and reflect on the unveiling. To learn more about Gail's work: Gail's online portrait gallery and stories behind them: https://www.gailreidartist.com/portrait-gallery Gail's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/gailreidartist Gail's Instagram account: www.instagram.com/gailreidartist To learn more about Amit's work: Amit's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amitghosenf1 Amit's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amitghosenf1 To see the livestream recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu8SPzjIEZ4

On this episode, Abbi speaks with Dr Nicole Paraskeva and Sharon Haywood, both researchers at the Centre for Appearance Research, about an emerging research area harnessing the power of social media influencers to deliver body image interventions. Papers discussed: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-56578-1 https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/v83ht https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144524000755 Animation mentioned in episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUBS97hZZfs To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On X: x.com/CAR_UWE • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. Thank you! Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Cover photo credit - Oleg Ivanov via Unsplash Episode developed and produced by Abbi Mathews

On this episode, social psychologist and lecturer at Brighton University Dr Jamie Chan speaks with Nadia about body image and social class. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did! For more on Jamie: https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/jamie-chan To read Jamie's Thesis: https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/thesis/Beyond_resources_how_social_class_contexts_shape_women_s_body_image_in_the_United_Kingdom/25574445?file=45565752 To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On X: x.com/CAR_UWE • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. Thank you! Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Cover photo credit - Jessica-Podraza via Unsplash Episode developed and produced by Nadia Craddock

Welcome back to Appearance Matters the Podcast! In this episode, we share the recording of one of our Appearance Matters 10 Keynote talks, delivered by Prof. Phillippa Diedrichs. Please note, the sound quality isn't the best as this was a live recording, but we hope it's good enough. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did! To find out more about Phillippa, visit her website: http://phillippadiedrichs.com To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On X: x.com/CAR_UWE • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. Thank you! Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Cover photo credit - Jessica-Podraza via Unsplash Episode developed and produced by Nadia Craddock

Welcome back to Appearance Matters the Podcast! In this episode, we share the recording of one of our Appearance Matters 10 Keynote talks, delivered by Prof. Kathleen Bogart. Kathleen's keynote was entitled: 'Putting a Face to Appearance Research: Representation of understudied visible differences'. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did! If you'd like to find out more about Kathleen's work, check out the links below: - Disability Advocacy and Research Network (DARN) https://darndisability.org/ - Kathleen's Psychology Today blog https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disability-is-diversity - Kathleen's journal article on self-relevant research https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00056-x - Kathleen's recipe blog! https://perfectrecipeproject.blogspot.com/ To find out more about the Centre for Appearance Research, follow us: • On X: twitter.com/CAR_UWE • On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. Thank you! Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com Cover photo provided by Kathleen Bogart Episode developed and produced by Maia Thornton