by JoFarmer | Sep 1, 2019 | My story
As the train doors close at Melbourne Central, a family push their way on. A single, solitary drip falls from the father. It isn’t raining; they aren’t carrying anything. Parliament station. Where did the drip come from? I stare at the drip trying to work...
by JoFarmer | Jun 24, 2019 | My story
I recently went to a public health conference. In addition to leaving with the world’s most ironic dose of gastro, I came away thinking about what it means to be a fat person working in a public health landscape focused on obesity prevention. An off-the-cuff...
by JoFarmer | May 19, 2019 | My story
I’ve lost a lot of weight recently. Almost 40kg this year. It’s one of the common side effects of having most of your stomach removed, and is, after all, the reason I did it. Actually, that’s not quite true. The main reason I chose to have a gastric...
by JoFarmer | Apr 20, 2019 | My story
On an average day at work (in any of the jobs I’ve worked at), it wouldn’t be uncommon for someone: to comment on how (un)healthy another’s lunch is – “You’re being good with a salad!”; “Hot chips are my weakness”...
by JoFarmer | Mar 4, 2019 | My story, Sector insights
One of the most important practices I have incorporated into my daily life is that of gratitude. It might sound like new-age nonsense, but at its heart is the simple premise that we should look for the good in life, even amongst the bad. And even when life is...
by JoFarmer | Feb 23, 2019 | My story
About ten years ago, I went to a big debating competition in the US with some of my now-closest friends (yes, I’m cool). It was an incredible trip filled with new experiences, wonderful people, and we performed really well in the competition. Yet, it became a...
I’m a policymaker and evaluator focused on improving the health and wellbeing of all Australians, particularly those who experience mental illness and complex disadvantage.