Book Me

You can book me to speak at your school, organization, or business.  Just e-mail  booking@danceswithfat.org and we’ll work out all the details.

For full information about my speaking and writing, check out www.SizedForSuccess.com

You can also join my mailing list to be updated about projects and upcoming appearances.  See below for topics and speaking resume:

During her interactive 60 minute keynote she shared her personal story via clever jokes, Power Point slides, statistical research, answering audience questions, and weaving advocacy all while being inclusive of all identities. She is TERRIFIC!!!!”
Shaashawn Dial-Snowden, Lead College Advisor and First Year Experience Coordinator, Central Penn College

Speaking Topics

Ragen uses a mixture of humor and hard facts to entertain, educate and motivate a wide array of organizations and age groups. Ragen speaks on a number of topics including:

• The Positive Body:  Real Options for Heath, Happiness, and High Self-Esteem starting wherever you are, right now.

• Public Health and People of All Sizes:  A look at what public health really means and how we can make public health messaging and services accessible and welcoming to people of all sizes.

• Athletes at Every Size– An inspirational talk from a fat athlete about finding and embracing movement at any size.

• Wellness Care for People of Size – a look at how to best provide accessible, stigma-free, evidence-based wellness care for people of all sizes.  (For all wellness professionals and students.)

• The Business of Happy Bodies:  Increasing client satisfaction, retention, and your bottom line with a Health at Every Size approach. (for Gyms, Spas, Fitness Centers, and Fitness Professionals etc.)

• Big Bodies, Big Business – You’ve probably heard that 60% of Americans are fat.  Are you leaving our money on the table?  People of size have money to spend for businesses that welcome us.  Learn how to attract and keep customers of size. (For retail businesses and any business that wants to work with customers of size)

Dance Workshops

Ragen’s classes are suitable for people of all ages, sizes and abilities.

• Dance for Every Body– Have fun, move, and appreciate your awesome body with a fun choreographed dance class appropriate for all sizes, ages, and abilities.

• Teaching from a Health at Every Size Perspective: How to coach and teach dancers with bigger bodies

• Custom Workshop:  We’ll be happy to build a workshop to suit your needs. Just ask!

For more information about speaking for Universities click here

For more information about Corporate Speaking click here

Bio

Ragen Chastain is a trained researcher, three-time National Champion dancer and marathoner who writes and speaks full-time about self-esteem, body image, and health. Ragen is the author of the blog DancesWithFat and the book Fat: The Owner’s Manual, and her writing has been published in forums including the Huffington Post, Calgary Herald, Jezebel.com and The Frisky.com. She has been a guest on programs including Fox News, Alberta Primetime, HuffPost Live, NPR, BBC, and NBC News, and has been featured as an expert in media including The Associated Press, Bloomberg Businessweek, FITNESS, and the Chicago Tribune. She is the editor of the multi-volume anthology The Politics of Size – Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement, due out for Praeger in 2015.

Her work is regularly translated into multiple languages (most recently Icelandic!) and her blog has had readers on all seven continents. She is a body image and women’s health blogger for NBCs iVillage/today.com and a columnist for Ms. Fit Magazine. Ragen is a feature interviewee in the documentaries “America the Beautiful 2 – The Thin Commandments,” released by Warner Brothers in 2011, “A Stage for Size” released in 2013 by USC Films, and “Ragen’s More Cabaret” released in 2014 by PBS Independent Lens.

Speaking Experience (Partial List)

Universities

Dartmouth
Keynotes: The Positive Body, Athletes At Every Size
Key Staff Session: Public Health For People Of Size, Healthcare For People Of Size

CalTech
Keynote:  Public Health and People of Size
Key Staff Session: Healthcare for People of Size

Long Island University
Keynote:  Healthcare for People of Size
Key Staff Session:  Teaching Healthcare for People of Size

University of Florida
Keynote:  The Positive Body
Key Staff Session: Public Health for People of Size

Michigan State University
Keynote:  The Positive Body
Key Staff Session:  Public Health and People of Size

Texas A&M University School for Rural Public Health
Keynote: Public Health and People of Size

University of Southern California
Keynote:  The Positive Body – Real Options for Health, Happiness and High Self-Esteem

The University of Texas at Austin Love Your Body Week
Keynote:  Nobody Hates Themselves Healthy – The Health at Every Size Option

Conferences

Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists National Conference
Breakout: Joyful Movement for Higher Weight Bodies

Multi-Services Eating Disorders National Conference
Keynote: Size Acceptance and Eating Disorders – A Crucial, Critical, Core Conversation

International Weight Stigma Summit
Keynote: Elimination is oppression: The ill-advised fight against obesity

GenAustin – We Are Girls Conference
Keynote: The World Is Messed Up, You Are Fine

Corporations

Google Heaquarters
Apple
Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman

If you are interested in bringing me to your organization just e-mail ragen at danceswithfat dot org.  You can also click here to join the DancesWithFat mailing list to be updated about public talks, workshops and more through the monthly Newsletter.

Ragen bridges the gap between the research of Health At Every Size (HAES) and the reality of living healthy regardless of size. After hearing Ragen speak, my students better understand HAES and felt a need to advocate for health (rather than body size or weight) among their peers. Ragen is inspirational, motivational, and presents a much needed message in the field of health! Bethany A. Dario, RD, LD; Health Education Coordinator, University of Texas at Austin