Dr Emily Emmott
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ehemmott.bsky.social
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social
Associate Prof in Biological Anthropology, bringing Evolution to Public Health. Director of Education at UCL Anthropology.

Profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/30051
November 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Take a look at our postgrad programmes here: www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...

We have great programmes like MSc Human Evolution and Behaviour and MSc Medical Anthropology!
Graduate Taught
Through critical, sensitive debate and analysis, students explore what it means to be human and apply their insights to today's domestic and global challenges.
www.ucl.ac.uk
November 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM
There are lots of other findings in the paper🙂

It was nice to see findings align with evolutionary approaches to public health - that people don't live their lives prioritising health - but no space for discussion about this in the paper. Will leave that for another time!
August 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
It was clear in my interviews that parental experiences in pregnancy and birth were strongly influencing how parents viewed their children's BMI measurements being taken at school as part of the National Child Measurement Programme. Depersonalised care has long-term impact!
August 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
These participants often went to great length recalling their pregnancy/birth/postnatal experiences, where medical measurements were used bluntly to place them in "high risk" categories without careful consultation. This led to poor experiences & manifested as mistrust in healthcare + measurements.
August 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
BUT: If parents had negative experiences of medical measurements in the past, they rejected the usefulness of PH initiatives to measure children's BMI.

Like other parents, they viewed BMI as uncertain, but felt suspicion and discomfort around BMI being used as a diagnosis of "unhealthy weight."
August 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Finding which I found most interesting:

Parents understood BMI as an imprecise measure.

Many parents nonetheless found it as a useful indicator to track children's growth. They accepted the uncertainty of BMI, combined it with other info, and used it to check children's physical growth.
August 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
It's so traumatising! Sorry if you've had to go through it too!
August 11, 2025 at 4:02 PM
And you tell your GP and midwife how awful it is, but they just don't... get it.

They tell you to "go to A&E if you can't keep liquid down."

But this advice is totally pointless when you are constantly drinking and constantly vomiting. Should you go to A&E... all the time???
August 11, 2025 at 3:48 PM
What a lovely memento!
August 5, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Thanks, I will flag this to the student/PI!
July 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM