Body Image Research Lab - Publications

Nutter, S., Waugh, R., McEachran, E. et al. The legality of weight discrimination in Canada: an environmental scan of case law and the limits of Canadian legislation. Int J Equity Health 24, 244 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02606-z

Wong, K., Myre, M., Moules, N.J., Lefebvre, D., Morhun, J.M., Saunders, J., Estefan, A., & Russell-Mayhew, S.* (2022). The enigma of weight: Figures, fitting in, and flux. Frontiers In Psychology Research Topic: Thinking About Bodies in Societies, 13 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.930360   

Russell-Mayhew, S., Estefan, A., Moules, N.J., Lefebvre, D., Morhun, J.M., Saunders, J.F., Wong, K., Myre, M. (2022). The optics of weight: Expert perspectives from the panopticon and synopticon. Psychology & Health, 1-15, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08870446.2022.2117810  

Nagpal, T., …(13) Russell-Mayhew, S., (3) (2022). Exploring weight bias internalization in pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22, 605-613. https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-022-04940-4

Nutter, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Saunders, J. F. (2021). Towards a sociocultural model of weight stigma. Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity, 26, 999-1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00931-6 

MacInnis, C., Alberga, A. S., Nutter, S., Ellard, J. H., & Russell-Mayhew, S.* (2020). Regarding obesity as a disease is associated with lower weight bias among physicians in Canada: A cross sectional survey study. Stigma & Health. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000180 

Nutter, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., Ellard, J. H., & Arthur, N. (2020). Reducing unintended harm: Addressing weight bias as a social justice issue in counselling through justice motive theory. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 51(2), 106-114 https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000279  

Alberga, A. S., Nutter, S., MacInnis, C., Ellard, J. H., & Russell-Mayhew, S.* (2019). Examining weight bias among practicing Canadian family physicians. Obesity Facts, 12(6), 632-638. https://doi.org/10.1159/000503751

Alberga, A., Edache, I., Forhan, M., & Russell-Mayhew, S.* (2019). Weight bias and health care utilization: A scoping review. Primary Health Care Research & Development,  20(e116), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46473

Nutter, S., Ireland, A., Alberga, A., Brun, I., Lefebvre, D., Hayden., A., & Russell-Mayhew, S.* (2019). Weight bias in educational settings: A systematic review. Current Obesity Reports, 8(2), 185-200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-019-00330-8

Singh, K., Russell-Mayhew, S., von Ranson, K. M., & McLaren, L. (2018). Is there more to the equation? Weight bias and the costs of obesity. Canadian Journal of Public Health. 110(1), 17-20. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0146-2

Nutter, S., Alberga, A., MacInnis, C., Ellard, J. H., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2018). Framing obesity a disease: Indirect effects of affect and controllability beliefs on weight bias. International Journal of Obesity. 42(10), 1804-1811. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-018-0110-5 

Nutter, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., Arthur, N., & Ellard, J. H. (2018). Weight bias as a social justice issue: A call for dialogue. Canadian Psychology, 59, 89-99. https://hdl.handle.net/1880/119208 

Nutter, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., Arthur, N., & Ellard, J. H. (2018). Weight bias and social justice: Implications for education and practice. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling. 40(3), 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-018-9320-8 

Romas-Salas, X., Alberga, A., Cameron, E., Estey, L., Forhan, M., Kirk, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Sharma, A. (2017). Addressing weight bias and obesity discrimination: Moving beyond raising awareness to creating change. Obesity Reviews, 18, 1323-1335. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12592 

Alberga, A. S., McLaren, L., vonRanson, K., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2016). Weight bias: A call to action. Journal of Eating Disorders, 4(34). https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46460 

Nutter, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., Alberga, A., Arthur, N., Kassan, A., Lund, D., Sesma Vazquez, M., & Williams, E. (2016). Positioning of weight bias: Moving towards social justice. Journal of Obesity, Article 3753650, 1-10.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3753650  

Alberga, A. S., Pickering, B., Hayden, K. A., Ball, G. D. C, Edwards, A., Jelinski, S., Nutter, S., Odie, S., Sharma, S., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2016). Weight bias reduction in health professionals: A systematic review. Clinical Obesity, 175-188. https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12147

Kendrick, A., Tay, M., Everitt, L., Pagaling, R., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (2024). A longitudinal multi-method inquiry of educational workers use of interventions for positive mental health and wellbeing. Healthcare, 12, 2200. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12222200

Williams, E. Tingle, E., Morhun, J., Vos, S., Murray, K, Gereluk, D., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (2022). “Teacher burnout is one of my greatest fears”: Interrupting a narrative on fire. Canadian Journal of Education, 45(2), 428-453. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v45i2.4919  

Nutter, S., Saunders, J. F., Brun, I., Exner-Cortens, D., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2022). Changes in pre-service teacher personal and professional attitudes following a comprehensive school health course. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne De l’Éducation, 45(1), 227-245. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v45i1.5033 

Baker, E., Exner-Cortens, D., Brun, I., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2021). Validation of the moral disengagement for adolescent dating violence prevention scale with teacher trainees. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 37(3), 271-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/08295735211063990  

Ireland, A., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (2021). Working Together? A Situational Analysis of Combining Prevention Efforts Targeting Obesity and Eating Disorders in Schools. The Qualitative Report, 26(5), 1427-1443. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4737 

Ireland, A., Russell-Mayhew, S., Wullf, D., & Strong, T. (2021). ‘One-size-fits-none’: Understanding weight-related issues in schools. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.   https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.1930253  

Saunders, J. F., Nutter, S., Brun, I., Exner-Cortens, D., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2021). The efficacy of a comprehensive school health course in changing pre-service teachers’ attitudes and reactions toward weight-related teasing. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0829573520974916

Williams, E.P., Russell-Mayhew, S., Gereluk, D., Murray, K., & Ireland, A. (2019). It takes a village: The role of counselling psychology in advancing health and wellness in a faculty of education. Proceedings from the 2018 Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference, 176-183. https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/111420  

Wilson, W.A.O., Thai, M., Williams, L., Nutter, S., Myre, M., & Russell-Mayhew, S.* (2023). A scoping review of school-based anthropometric measurement. Obesity Reviews, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13610

Tingle, E., Saunders, J. F., Nutter, S., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2023). Taking weight out of the equation: Unintended harms of weight-focused health promotion in schools. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 94(2), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2022.2146818  

Russell-Mayhew, S., Ireland, A., Murray, K., Alberga, A. S., Nutter, S., Gabriele, T., Peat, G., & Gereluk, D. (2017). Reflecting and informing a culture of wellness: The development of a comprehensive school health course in a bachelor of education program. Journal of Educational Thought, 50(2&3), 156-181. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26372402?seq=5#metadata_info_tab_contents  

Russell-Mayhew, S., Ireland, A., & Klingle, K. (2016). Barriers and facilitators to promoting health in schools: Lessons learned from educational professionals. Canadian School Counselling Review, 1(1), 49-55. 

Russell-Mayhew, S., Moules, N., & Estefan, A. (2022). War on weight: Capturing the complexities of weight with hermeneutics. Journal for Applied Hermeneutics. https://doi.org/10.55016/ojs/jah.v2022Y2022.75127  

Saunders, J. F., Nutter, S., & Russell-Mayhew, S*. (2022). Examining the conceptual and measurement overlap of body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma in predominantly female samples: A meta-analysis and measurement refinement study. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 3, 877554. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2022.877554 

Kassan, A., Nutter, S., Arthur, N., Green, A., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Sesma Vazquez, M. (2020). Capturing the shadow and light of researcher positionality: A picture-prompted poly-ethnography. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920977325 

Kassan, A., Goopy, S., Green, A., Arthur, N., Nutter. S., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Silversides, H. (2020). Becoming new together: Making meaning with newcomers through an art-based ethnographic research design. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 17(2), 294-311. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1442769 

Tkachuk, M., Russell-Mayhew, S., Kassan, A., & Dimitropoulos, G. (2019). Adapting descriptive psychological phenomenology to include dyadic interviews: Practical considerations for data analysis. The Qualitative Report, 24(2), 352-370. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol24/iss2/13/  

Green, A. R., Kassan, A., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Goopy, S. (2018). Exploring newcomer women's embodied selves: Culturally responsible qualitative research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(4), 518-538. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2017.1411545 

Williams, E. P., Russell-Mayhew, S., Moules, N. J., & Dimitropoulos, G. (2018). Not quite this and not quite that: Anorexia nervosa, counselling psychology, and hermeneutic inquiry in a tapestry of ambiguity. Journal of Applied Hermeneutics. https://doi.org/10.11575/jah.v0i0.53321

Lacroix, E., Alberga, A. S., Russell-Mayhew, S., McLaren, L., & von Ranson, K. M. (2017). A systematic review of the characteristics and psychometric properties of self-report questionnaires to assess weight bias. Obesity Facts, 10(3), 223-237. https://doi.org/10.1159/000475716

Arthur, N., Lund, D. E., Russell-Mayhew, S., Nutter, S., Williams, E., Sesma Vazquez, M., & Kassan, A. (2017). Employing polyethnography to navigate researcher positionality on weight bias. The Qualitative Report, 22(5), 1395-1416. https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46463 

Renert, H., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Arthur, N. (2013). Recruiting ethnically diverse participants into qualitative health research: Lessons learned. The Qualitative Report, 18, Article 23, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2013.1542

Green, A.R., Kassan, A., Charania, F., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Goopy, S. (2024). Feminist understandings of newcome women’s embodiment. Acta Psychologica, 250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104554 Full text https://tinyurl.com/4j7wwy5r

Alberga, A. S., Edache, E., Sigal, R. J., von Rason, K., Russell-Mayhew, S., G.P. Kenny, Doucette, S., Prud’homme, D., Hadjiyannakis, S., Cameron, J. & Goldfield, G. S. (June, 2022). Effects of the HEARTY exercise randomized controlled trial on eating behaviours in adolescents with obesity. Obesity Science & Practice. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.620

Conradson, H.E., Hayden, A., Russell-Mayhew, S. Raffin Bouchal, S. & King-Shier, K. (2022). Positive Psychological well-being in women with obesity: A scoping review of qualitative and quantitative primary research. Obesity Science & Practice. http://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.605   

Brun, I., Russell-Mayhew, S., Klingle, K., & Nutter, S. (2021). Making meaning of overt parental restrictive feeding: A retrospective examination of childhood experiences. Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity, 26(7), 2407-2411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01036-w

Williams, E. P., Russell-Mayhew, S., Moules, N. J., & Dimitropoulos, G. (2020). “My whole world fell apart”: Parents discovering their child has anorexia nervosa. Qualitative Health Research.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732320939508

Brun, I., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Mudry, T. (2020). Last Word: Ending the intergenerational transmission of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: A call to investigate the mother-daughter relationship. Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2020.1712635 

Alberga, A. S.,  Sigal, R. J., Sweet, S. N., Doucette, S., Russell-Mayhew, S., Tulloch, H., Kenny, G. P., Prud’homme, D., Hadjiyannakis, S., & Goldfield, G. S. (2019). Understanding low adherence to an exercise program in adolescents with obesity: The HEARTY trial. Obesity Science & Practice, 5(5), 437-448. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.357

Taylor, K., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (2018). Working to balance: A preliminary constructivist grounded theory of young women’s positive embodiment. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 52(4). https://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/article/view/61230

Williams, E., Russell-Mayhew, S., & Ireland, A. (2018). Disclosing an eating disorder: A situational analysis of online accounts. The Qualitative Report, 23(4), 914-931. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol23/iss4/14