No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Weight Stigma and Discrimination: A Call to the Media
... Calls to reduce the use of dehumanizing, stigmatizing and stereotypical depictions of obesity in media coverage are multiplying (Cooper 2007;Flint et al. 2018;Pausé 2013;Ralston et al. 2018). Television news in particular overuses larger-sized bodies and often crops out heads or faces (Bonfiglioli 2015;Puhl et al. 2013). ...
... Journalists have been exhorted to conform to the codes of ethics (Flint et al. 2018). In this analysis of a key moment in the history of obesity news, the specific elements of journalism, such as news angles, sources and images, that build the framing of obesity are clearly identified. ...
... Scholars note that ethical codes exhort journalists to avoid stereotyping people and to refrain from publishing material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination. They call on media to avoid contributing to weight stigma and discrimination by accurately portraying obesity; refraining from publishing articles that stigmatize and discriminate against people with obesity; using non-stigmatizing images; and publicly condemning actions and statements that stigmatize or discriminate against people of size (Flint et al. 2018). Ralston and colleagues (2018) called for a new narrative that recognizes that obesity requires a complex, systemic approach; that the language and images need to be changed to focus blame on the 'upstream' drivers of obesity; that childhood obesity should be a priority in addressing social and physical determinants of obesity; and that obesity is a chronic disease deserving of universal health coverage. ...
Overweight and obesity are significant health issues for Australians. Fat people make up the majority of the population, yet they experience significant discrimination. Analyses of weight-related news demonstrate that blame for obesity is most often laid at the feet of fat people, despite a large body of evidence demonstrating the power of environmental drivers of obesity beyond individual control. There is growing criticism of how news frames obesity and illustrates news with ‘headless fatties’. This study is the first to analyse the ethics of reporting obesity using current journalists’ codes as the analytical framework. It reports an original ethical analysis of a unique dataset of weight-related news from a moment in history when obesity was framed as a crisis and coverage was unprecedented. Using the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) code of ethics as an analytical framework, the extent to which coverage meets standards of journalism ethics and professionalism and performs the watchdog role is interrogated. The analysis identifies how an opportunity to highlight for the public the power and significance of those drivers of weight gain beyond individual control was briefly seized and then dropped in the face of the dominant discourse of individual responsibility. Despite numerous calls to improve reporting of obesity and representations of people of size, the news media do too little to hold industry and government to account, and the paucity of voices of people of size suggests a lack of opportunity for reply. Strategies for a more ethical approach to obesity news are offered.
... Such reporting has recently generated concern in The Lancet, with a call issued to the mass media to avoid derogatory (stigmatising) coverage (Flint, Nobles, & Gately, 2018). Although well-intended, the call seems inattentive to how biomedicine is itself implicated via the application of offensive labels, such as obesity (Aphramor, 2009a), or how medical authorities also employ melodrama when pontificating about fat to journalists and the public. ...
... First, whilst there appears to be greater sensitivity to weight stigma and moves towards benign representations in the mass media and public health (e.g. the obese as worthy figures of redemption through the make-over or as victims of the obesogenic environment), problems persist. For instance, it is not enough for contributors to medical journals to lament the stigmatising effects of mass media (Flint et al., 2018) without recognising how biomedicine is itself implicated. Second, it is important to engage social scientific critique of moral panic theory as applied to media representations of obesity. ...
Discourses regarding a ‘global obesity crisis’ and alternative frames (e.g. weight‐inclusive approaches to health) have proliferated through various media of communication. These media range from traditional print and visual formats (e.g. newspapers and television shows) to digital media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube), which enable different publics to produce, and not just consume, text, images and other data relating to the body. Reflecting a sociological understanding of educational practices as extending beyond formal schooling, mediated obesity discourse and counter‐movements have also been conceptualised as public pedagogies, which instruct people how to relate to their own and other's bodies, health and subjectivities. This article examines what is critically known about various media at a time when governments and agencies are reinvigorating the global war on obesity, with populations being ‘advised’ to become and remain conscientious weight watchers. In conclusion, the article underscores the salience of social studies of the media when seeking to rethink obesity, incorporating critical reference to moral panic theory and the need to better understand what media can ‘do’ as enactments of public pedagogy.
... Hence, and in demonstrating the relevance and intersections of the social and health sciences, Rethinking Obesity grapples with the structural conditions under which weightrelated issues are produced, interpreted or ignored, the pedagogical modalities of anti-obesity policies and their embodied yet frequently misrecognised effects and affects. On the latter point, note, for example, how contributors to a medical journal issued a call to the media to avoid weight stigma and discrimination (Flint et al., 2018). Yet, these authors ignored how high-profile physicians, including England's Chief Medical Officer, publicly enacted such stigma. ...
... We echo the call of others that this must change if there is to be a reduction in stigmatising content on media and, ultimately, a reduction in weight stigma across society. 7,131,132 To change the discourse on weight, content creators and distributors, policymakers, and other parties need to take action to avoid or minimise stigmatising content on media, with greater emphasis on how to address weight stigma proactively through mass media-based interventions. Our review found that using positive language and images of people with overweight or obesity may assist in minimising stigmatising content. ...
Background:
The lack of a comprehensive understanding of the role of mass media in perpetuating weight stigma hinders policy formulation. We reviewed the influence of mass media on weight stigmatisation and the effectiveness of media-based interventions designed to prevent or reduce stigma.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic review across seven databases from inception to December 2021. Included studies assessed exposure to or impact of weight stigma in mass media or examined interventions to reduce stigma through media in populations 12+ years. We synthesised data narratively, categorising studies based on similarity in focus to produce a set of integrated findings. The systematic review is registered in PROSPERO (No. CRD42020176306).
Findings:
One-hundred-and-thirteen records were eligible for inclusion from 2402 identified; 95 examined the prevalence of stigmatising content in mass media and its impact on stigma. Weight stigma was prevalent across media types, with the dominant discourse viewing overweight and obesity as an individual responsibility and overlooking systemic factors. Exposure to stigmatising content was found to negatively influence attitudes towards people with overweight or obesity. Few studies considered methods of reducing stigma in the media, with only two testing media-based interventions; their results were promising but limited.
Interpretation:
Weight stigma in media content is prevalent and harmful, but there is little guidance on reducing it. Future research focus needs to shift from assessing prevalence and impacts to weight stigma interventions.
Funding:
None.
... This is limiting and makes generalization difficult in that literature suggests other potentially influential causes of weight stigma experiences such as health-care providers, store-clerks, authority figures, and the media Puhl & Brownell, 2006;Tomiyama et al., 2018), and these experiences may have differing associations with mental health in youth. The Lancet recently published a call for media to refrain from publishing stigmatizing or discriminatory images and information related to persons with obesity (Flint et al., 2018). Future research on how the media may be disseminating weight stigma to youth, how youth may internalize weight bias from media outlets, and the potential mental health sequelae are crucial to study as it may empower social media creators and policymakers to create safeguards to protect youth from hurtful messages. ...
Objective
Over the past two decades, there has been a steady increase in research focused on the association between weight-based stigma and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between weight stigma and mental health in youth.
Methods
A systematic search of PubMed, PsychInfo, and Embase databases was conducted in January 2020. Inclusion criteria included the following: (a) examined an association between weight stigma and a mental health outcome, (b) mean sample age <18 (+1 standard deviation) years, (c) written in English, and (d) peer reviewed. Forty eligible articles were identified. The moderating effects of age, sex (percent female), weight status (percent with overweight/obesity), and study quality were examined.
Results
Overall, meta-analytic findings using a random-effects model indicated a statistically significant moderate association between weight stigma and poorer mental health outcomes (r = .32, 95% confidence interval [0.292, 0.347], p < .001). Age and study quality each moderated the association between weight stigma and mental health. Generally, the study quality was fair to poor, with many studies lacking validated measurement of weight stigma.
Conclusions
Although there was a significant association between weight stigma and mental health in youth, study quality hinders the current body of literature. Furthermore, findings highlight the lack of consideration of internalized weight stigma in child populations, the importance of using validated measures of weight stigma, and the need for increased awareness of how these associations affect populations of diverse backgrounds.
... However, evidence suggests that such bias/discrimination is within the realms of possibility (Flint et al., 2016;Pomeranz & Puhl, 2012;Puhl & Brownell, 2012), may be field specific (Flint et al., 2016;Puhl & Brownell, 2012), and impact women more than men (Puhl & Brownell, 2012). Media, through dissemination of messages that stigmatize and discriminate against those with overweight or obesity appear to be partially responsible for popularizing and reinforcing the beliefs that those with overweight or obesity are lazy (Flint, Nobles, Gately, & Sahota, 2018). Moreover, the misconception that individuals are responsible for their weight means that some consider such beliefs to be justifiable, and that by holding such beliefs they may somehow inspire those with overweight and obesity to adopt a healthier lifestyle (Puhl & Heuer, 2010). ...
Background: Colleges are uniquely positioned to influence both the short and long-term health and well-being of students through implementation of interventions to prevent and/or treat obesity among students; and have a vested interest given obesity has the potential to impact students' matriculation, graduation, and career prospects.
Aim: To illustrate the essential roles of colleges to influence obesity prevention and treatment given the potential to influence the students' matriculation, graduation, and career prospects.
Methods: The discussion begins with an overview of the prevalence and societal implications of obesity. Next the implications for higher education with respect to matriculation and graduation, the influence of higher education on lifestyle behaviors, and the influence of obesity on academic performance. This is followed by the influence of obesity on students' post-higher education lives, including potential discrimination when seeking employment, and the impact that the nature of the jobs that graduates attain may have on their health and well-being.
Results: There exists a great need to reduce the prevalence of obesity and colleges are well positioned to provide leadership and direction.
Conclusions: Implications for colleges are set forth, with ways in which they can play a role in promoting student health detailed.
... In a study conducted among high school teens, the majority of respondents reported that overweight students were teased in a mean way, ignored, avoided and ostracized from social events [40]. The widespread societal belief that overweight and obese individuals are lazy, and that weight stigma is a beneficial incentive for weight loss, may explain the victimization experiences associated with adiposity [41][42][43]. But the notion that weight stigma is beneficial lies in contrast to the research literature that shows that it precipitates deleterious effects such as binge eating, social isolation, decreased physical activity, and excessive weight gain [44,45]. ...
Objective
Adult women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Existing evidence on the sociocultural context remains unconsolidated. In this qualitative research synthesis, we aggregate research literature on contextual factors that potentially predispose adult women and adolescent girls to overweight and obesity to inform research, policies and programs over the life course.
Methods
PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, ProQuest Central, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched to locate qualitative research articles conducted in SSA countries beginning in the year 2000. After assessment for eligibility and critical appraisal, 17 studies were included in the synthesis. Textual data and quotes were synthesized using meta-aggregation methods proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute.
Results
The synthesized studies were conducted in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Botswana. The three overarching themes across these studies were body size and shape ideals, barriers to healthy eating, and barriers to physical activity, with cultural and social factors as cross-cutting influences within the major themes. Culturally, the supposedly ideal African woman was expected to be overweight or obese, and voluptuous, and this was associated with their identity. Although being overweight or obese was not acceptable to adolescent girls, they desired to be voluptuous. Healthy food choices among women and adolescent girls were hampered by several factors including affordability of nutritious foods and peer victimization. Both adult women and adolescent girls experienced ageism as a barrier to physical activity.
Significance
This is the first qualitative research synthesis to amplify the voices of women and girls in SSA countries highlighting the challenges they face in maintaining a healthy body weight. Sociocultural, institutional and peer-related factors were powerful forces shaping body size preferences, food choices and participation in physical activity. Our study findings provide insights for the design of contextually appropriate obesity prevention interventions and lay the foundation for further research studies.
... Media portrayal of obesity (both in images and in text) has typically been stigmatising and derogatory, encouraging discrimination. This has led to calls for the media to improve the portrayal of obesity, including its disrespectful and inaccurate representations (Flint et al. 2018). Stigma and discrimination associated with health conditions such as HIV and AIDS, and more recently mental health, have been reduced by changes in their portrayal in the media, and it is hoped that similar action for obesity will have an equally positive impact. ...
The pervasiveness and negative impact of weight stigma and discrimination has highlighted the need to intervene across many levels of society. Instances of discrimination impinge on peoples’ human rights and societal values of equality, raising important questions for policymakers and legislators. The ingrained nature of weight stigma and discrimination throughout society means the systemic change that is warranted will not be easy or rapid. Within this article, several actions are suggested to reduce weight stigma and discrimination and in doing so, address this social justice issue. The article represents a long overdue call to end weight stigma and discrimination for the betterment of society.
... La surcharge pondérale résulte d'une balance énergétique positive, causée par un déséquilibre entre l'apport et la dépense énergétique [2]. Le culte de l'image et du corps a amené les individus, obsédés par la minceur, à rechercher de résultats rapides à travers des régimes dits « populaires » [3,4] qui garantissent une perte de poids importante dans un délai très bref et sans fournir d'effort particulier [5]. Dans cette optique, le marché de la perte de poids a connu un accroissement considérable, en réponse à la demande et comprend maintenant un certain nombre de plans/programmes diététiques commerciaux, des livres d'auto-assistance écrits par des médecins « à statut de célébrités », des applications et des sites Web diététiques mobiles et du marketing de bouche-à-oreille. ...
Introduction. Le surpoids et l'obésité constituent un problème de santé publique qui peut nécessiter le suivi d’un régime alimentaire dans le cadre d’une prise en charge par un professionnel de santé. Toutefois, les régimes amaigrissants sont souvent suivis, en l'absence de surpoids ou d’indication médicale, pour des raisons essentiellement esthétiques et peuvent exposer les individus obnubilés par la minceur à des éventuels dangers sur leur santé. Objectif. Caractériser les régimes à viseée amaigrissante et évaluer la perception et les pratiques alimentaires d'amaigrissement, chez une population oranaise. Sujets et méthodes. Des adultes (16 hommes (H) et 51 femmes (F)), âgés entre 18 et 65 ans ont été recrutés dans différentes institutions, quartiers et salles de sports de la ville d’Oran. Le recueil des données a été réalisé à l’aide d’un questionnaire anonyme portant sur le type et la perception du régime amaigrissant pratiqué ainsi que les conjonctures de son adoption. Résultats. 64,7% des F et 62,5% des H ont déclaré avoir suivi, dans leur vie, au moins un régime amaigrissant; 25% des H et F ont suivi un régime amaigrissant pendant au moins 3 mois ; 37,5% des H et 21,6% des F ont pratiqué un régime amaigrissant au moins pendant 1 an et 55,5% des sujets ont suivi un régime hypocalorique. Le régime le plus fréquemment cité est la méthode de Cohen. Pour le régime avec diminution ou suppression des féculents, 54,8% des sujets ont déclaré l’avoir suivi, parmi eux 25% des H et 13,7% de F ont préféré la méthode de « Low carb ». 44,7% des sujets ont choisi le régime dissocié, 12,5% des H ont pratiqué la méthode de Montignac. Pour le régime avec augmentation des protéines, la méthode la plus citée était celle de Dukan chez 43,8% des H et 21,6% des F Pour la méthode particulière les régimes les plus fréquents sont respectivement, pour les H: moins de sucres (25%), moins de graisses (18,8%), citron-detox et végétarien (12,5%) et pour les F, moins de sucres (43,1%), moins de graisses (39,2%), soupe au choux (35,3%), citron-detox (31,4%). Conclusion. La pratique des régimes amaigrissants dans la population oranaise est comparable à celle retrouvée dans les populations européennes. Une politique de prévention pour notre population doit être proposée pour mieux identifier les éventuelles conséquences néfastes des régimes amaigrissants pratiqués s’ils sont menés sans recommandation ni suivi d'un spécialiste.
... Within this literature, it has become apparent that the media has, at times, become, even if unwittingly, instrumental to the spread of stigma and prejudice [72]. Examples of this include the media's role in the development of stigma towards mental illness [29], body weight [73], sexuality [74,75], and HIV [76]. ...
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective, though sometimes stigmatized, strategy for HIV prevention. With the goal of examining how PrEP stigma can be addressed, this study examined the media’s handling of stigma related to PrEP by searching the Canadian Newsstream and Daily Xtra news databases for key terms related to PrEP. Overall, 101 media articles were thematically coded in triplicate; 36.3% of which included mentions of PrEP stigma. LGBT media sources were more likely than mainstream sources to have included content coded as relating to PrEP stigma (p = 0.02). In these articles, uncertainty regarding PrEP, and neo-liberal attitudes towards sexual responsibility were major factors associated with media discussion of PrEP stigma. We discuss the role that heuristics play in shaping lay readers perceptions and interpretation of PrEP media coverage and discuss methods for overcoming stigma using evidence-based communication strategies.
... In Response to "Normalization of Plus Size and the Danger of Unseen Overweight and Obesity in England" Stuart W. Flint 1 , Sarah Le Brocq 2 , and James Nobles 1,3 TO THE EDITOR: In the July edition of Obesity, Muttarak wrote that the normalization of overweight and obesity leads to the underestimation of overweight and obesity (1). These data are based on self-perceptions of weight across an 18-year period. ...
... Among a vast amount of studies, significant relationship between chilhood obesity and risk of devolping cardiovascular diseases has been commonly seen [7]. Furthermore, obesity might lead to social consequences as well, such as discrimination at school and in social events [8] The quality of diet and poor lifestyles is considered the number one reason related to obesity in Saudi Arabia. A descriptive cross sectional study carried in Hail have shown that among 5000 Saudi civilians living in Hail region selected from 30 primary health care centers, a high overall prevalence of obesity was seen (63.6%), with a significant higher prevalence rate among females, compared to males and in higher rates at middle ages 41-55 years. ...
Communicating with children, teens, and families about obesity can feel like walking a tightrope between the responsibility to promote health while also preventing harm. Providers use weight and BMI to guide screening, diagnosis, and treatment decisions. At the same time, there are real potential harms if conversations with children and families focus solely on weight and weight loss due to pervasive weight bias and stigma. Children and families benefit when providers treat obesity using a weight-inclusive approach with a holistic view of health and an understanding of the complex pathophysiology of obesity. Providers are challenged to find effective ways to support patients and encourage health behavior change without causing harm.
In this chapter, providers will learn: (1) the definitions, prevalence, and consequences of weight bias and stigma; (2) how to identify and critically evaluate personal and professional biases; (3) recommendations for setting up a weight-inclusive clinical practice; and (4) motivational interviewing techniques that can be used to help empower patients and families to engage in positive behavior change without inducing stigma.
Firstly, it is described that the relational aspects with the patient and his/her parents or companions should be maintained during the clinical follow-up. Then, specific aspects of the anamnesis and examination, anthropometry, and fixed scrutiny, respectively, are considered as basic points in this protracted course. Next, the clinical picture of pediatric obesity is described but considering the aspects that are influenced by obesity: puberty and associated disorders, sleep, stigma, and musculoskeletal alterations. Comorbidities are dealt with in the following chapter. Finally, we analyze complementary determinations: biochemical, genetic, diagnostic imaging, and physical activity assessment.KeywordsDiet scoreOverall and truncal obesityEndocrinological patternSleep patternStigmaBone alterations
Weight stigma and weight bias are pervasive in our society and are based on wrong assumption that obesity derives basically from a lack self-discipline and personal responsibility, obviating recent evidence showing that obesity is a prevalent, complex, progressive, and relapsing chronic disease that results from the interaction between behavioural, environmental, genetic, and metabolic factors. This narrative review provides an overview of recent research on this problem, mainly focused on the negative impact of weigh stigma on health. Overall, recent evidence shows that weight stigma can contribute to worsening obesity-related problems and creating additional barriers to effective obesity care and prevention. In addition, a brief description of some of the most important international initiatives to address the weight stigma is provided.
Resumen
El estigma de la obesidad está generalizado en nuestra sociedad, y se basa en la suposición errónea de que la obesidad se deriva principalmente de una falta de autodisciplina y responsabilidad personal, obviando la evidencia reciente que muestra que la obesidad es una enfermedad crónica prevalente, compleja, progresiva y recidivante, que resulta de la interacción entre factores conductuales, medioambientales, genéticos y metabólicos. Esta revisión narrativa proporciona una visión general de la investigación reciente sobre este problema, situando el énfasis en su impacto negativo en la salud. En general, las evidencias recientes muestran que el estigma de la obesidad puede contribuir a empeorar los problemas asociados a la obesidad y a crear barreras adicionales para un tratamiento y prevención efectivos. Además, se facilita una breve descripción de algunas de las iniciativas internacionales más importantes para abordar el problema del estigma de la obesidad.
In Western society, weight moralization is reflected in the belief that weight is controllable across the weight spectrum. However, the effect of holding such beliefs is unclear. We therefore propose that these beliefs affect people differently depending on their BMI. When confronted with negative, self-related feedback, people's coping strategies are often reflected in the ways they relate to their self. We examine three such self-to-self relations (i.e., reassured, inadequate, and hated self). Extending prior research, we predict that weight controllability beliefs are related to positive self-to-self relations for adults with a low, and to negative self-to-self relations for adults with a high BMI. Accordingly, we expected that weight controllability beliefs would be associated with defensive avoidance among people with a high, but not with a low BMI. We tested our hypotheses in a sample of 348 adults who participated in an online survey. Weight controllability beliefs were associated with increased defensive avoidance in people with high BMI, and with decreased defensive avoidance in adults with a low BMI. Forms of self-to-self relating fully mediated this association, demonstrating positive effects on adults with a low, and negative effects on adults with a high BMI. Additionally, in an open ending section, we found seven social settings that deprive people from satisfying their need to belong and to be accepted due to their weight. We discuss our findings against a call for a less moralized public discourse about overweight and obesity that is particularly relevant in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Obesity is a major medical health challenge; however, the associated stigma represents a harmful and obstructive obstacle to treatment. This study’s purpose was to explore the portrayal of obesity in U.K. national newspapers. A purposive sample of 312 editions (weekday: n = 208; weekend: n = 104) from 6 newspapers (3 broadsheet; 3 tabloid) was analyzed. All text related to obesity was content analyzed. In total, 349 articles were analyzed. Weight stigmatization and the portrayal of overweight and obesity as a moral digression were evident. Findings demonstrate that U.K. national newspapers attribute obesity to controllable causes. Caricatured portrayals of overweight and obesity were evident and may play a pivotal role in the formation and maintenance of antiobesity attitudes.
The aim of this study was to investigate discrimination against obese job candidates, and to examine whether widely used measures of implicit and explicit antifat attitudes are related to or predict antifat discrimination.
One hundred university students made job candidate suitability ratings of resumes submitted for a bogus managerial position. Photos attached to each resume portrayed the job candidate as either obese or normal weight, by using pre- and postprocedure photos of individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery. To assess discrimination, job candidates' ratings were compared between obese and normal-weight targets. Implicit and explicit antifat attitudes were also assessed.
Participants rated obese job candidates as having less leadership potential, as less likely to succeed, and as less likely to be employed than normal-weight candidates. Obese candidates were also given a lower starting salary and ranked as less qualified overall than candidates portrayed as normal weight. Neither implicit nor explicit antifat attitude measures were significantly related to antifat discrimination.
This study found strong evidence of employment-related discrimination against obese individuals. Commonly used measures of antifat attitudes do not appear to be adequate predictors of antifat discrimination. Improved questionnaire measures may be needed to better predict actual prejudiced behavior.
This study conducted a content analysis to examine the types of images that accompany online news stories about obesity and to determine how obese people are portrayed in news photographs. Images were selected from news articles about obesity obtained from 5 major news Web sites, during a 2-week period in September of 2009. Images accompanying news stories about obesity (N = 549) were systematically coded. Of 441 individuals identified in news photographs, 65% were overweight/obese and 27% were nonoverweight. Overall, 72% of images that depicted an overweight or obese person were portrayed in a negative, stigmatizing manner. Overweight/obese individuals were significantly more likely to have their heads cut out of the photos, to be portrayed showing only their abdomens or lower bodies, and to be shown eating or drinking than were nonoverweight individuals. Overweight/obese individuals were significantly less likely to be shown fully clothed, wearing professional clothing, or exercising than were nonoverweight individuals. Obese individuals are frequently stigmatized in online news photographs; this phenomenon has important implications for public perceptions of obese persons and may reinforce pervasive prejudice and discrimination.
Experiences with weight stigma negatively impact both psychological outcomes (e.g., body dissatisfaction, depression) and behavioral outcomes (e.g., dieting, exercise). However, not everyone is equally affected by experiences with weight stigma. This study examined whether internalized societal attitudes about weight moderated the impact of weight stigma. Adult participants (n = 111) completed measures of experiences with weight stigma, as well as two indexes of internalized societal attitudes (the moderators): Internalized anti-fat attitudes and internalization of societal standards of attractiveness. Psychological outcomes included self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimic symptoms; behavioral outcomes included avoidance of exercise and self-reported exercise behavior. Weight stigma was positively correlated with body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimic symptoms, and was negatively correlated with state and trait self-esteem. Both indexes of internalized attitudes moderated the association between weight stigma and avoidance of exercise: Individuals high in anti-fat attitudes and high in internalization of societal standards of attractiveness were more motivated to avoid exercise if they also experienced a high degree of weight stigma; individuals low in anti-fat attitudes and low in internalization were relatively unaffected. Avoidance of exercise was negatively correlated with self-reported strenuous exercise. These findings suggest that weight stigma can negatively influence motivation to exercise, particularly among individuals who have internalized societal attitudes about weight. Reducing internalization might be a means of minimizing the negative impact of weight stigma and of facilitating healthy weight management efforts.
This study examined experiences of weight stigmatization, sources of stigma, coping strategies, psychological functioning, and eating behaviors in a sample of 2671 overweight and obese adults.
The total sample was partitioned into two subsamples for investigation. Sample I was comprised of 2449 adult women, and Sample II was a matched sample of adult men and women (N = 222) that was disaggregated to investigate gender differences. Both samples completed an online battery of self-report questionnaires measuring frequency of weight stigmatization and coping responses to deal with bias, the most common sources of the bias, symptoms of depression, self-esteem, attitudes about weight and obesity, and binge eating behaviors.
Experiences of weight stigmatization, in many forms and across multiple occasions, was common in both samples. A variety of coping strategies were used in response. More frequent exposure to stigma was related to more attempts to cope and higher BMI. Physicians and family members were the most frequent sources of weight bias reported. No gender differences were observed in types or frequency of stigmatization. Frequency of stigmatization was not related to current psychological functioning, although coping responses were associated with emotional well-being.
These findings raise questions about the relationship between stigma and psychological functioning and have important implications for obesity treatment and stigma reduction intervention efforts, both of which are discussed.
The Portrayal of Obesity in U.K
- Flint S.W.
- Hudson J.
- Lavallee D.