Evaluation of factors affecting the fat phobia level

Abstract

Obesity, or being overweight, is one of the most important public health problems today, especially in developed and developing countries. Having a negative biased attitude towards overweight or obese people is defined as "fat phobia." Although "fat phobia" is commonly misunderstood because of its name, the term is defined as a person's prejudiced view towards obese people. Fat phobia is especially common among university students. [1][2][3] According to the criteria set by the World Health Organization, obesity is considered a risky disease. Obesity occurs due to excess fat deposits stored in the body which are produced when human metabolism is not able to properly consume the energy it produces. Obesity eventually results in physical and mental disorders. The primary diseases related to obesity include cardiac, pulmonary and functional disorders. Changes in body appearance due to excessively increased fat volume may also lead to many psychological problems in the individual, which can further result in reduced interactions with their

Weight stigma and fat phobia in Poland – attitudes towards people living with obesity and the level of knowledge about obesity among the social media internet respondents and medical professionals

“…The authors emphasised that overcoming prejudice can be achieved through education. While fat phobia exists at various levels, minimising it requires identifying situations of its occurrence and increasing awareness ( 22 ).…”