Obesity Stigma: Causes, Consequences, and Potential Solutions

Abstract

Purpose of Review This review aims to examine (i) the aetiology of obesity; (ii) how and why a perception of personal responsibility for obesity so dominantly frames this condition and how this mindset leads to stigma; (iii) the consequences of obesity stigma for people living with obesity, and for the public support for interventions to prevent and manage this condition; and (iv) potential strategies to diminish our focus on personal responsibility for the development of obesity, to enable a reduction of obesity stigma, and to move towards effective interventions to prevent and manage obesity within the population. Recent Findings We summarise literature which shows that obesity stems from a complex interplay of genetic and environment factors most of which are outside an individual’s control. Despite this, evidence of obesity stigmatisation remains abundant throughout areas of media, entertainment, social media and the internet, advertising, news outlets, and the political and public health landscape. This has damaging consequences including psychological, physical, and socioeconomic harm. Summary Obesity stigma does not prevent obesity. A combined, concerted, and sustained effort from multiple stakeholders and key decision-makers within society is required to dispel myths around personal responsibility for body weight, and to foster more empathy for people living in larger bodies. This also sets the scene for more effective policies and interventions, targeting the social and environmental drivers of health, to ultimately improve population health.

Weight Bias in Reproductive Medicine: A Curiously Unexplored Frontier

“…As Westbury argues, in a departure from trends seen in other public health issues such as tobacco use, attempts to make obesity socially undesirable have not successfully reduced obesity rates and have actually increased harm for people with obesity. 22 Such a society and such a culture have created fertile ground for the growth and entrenchment of weight stigma.…”

Commercial weight‐loss diets, greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater consumption

“…Individuals of all sizes attempt weight loss, but attempts become more frequent as body mass index increases 1 . Individual motivations for losing weight commonly include improving short‐ and long‐term health and comfort; aesthetic preferences; and reducing experiences of bias, stigma and challenges with systems maladapted to people of greater size 3,4 . Losing even 5%–10% of body weight can result in improved health outcomes, 5 and participating in organised weight‐loss programmes can increase losses 6–8 .…”

“…Newer weight‐loss medications may also alter this landscape. Social and medical pressures for slimness, the difficulty of maintaining weight loss and the culture around weight‐loss dieting can reinforce stigma and emotional pain for those whose bodies are considered too large 4,12 …”

Living in society, living with migraine: Editorial for the 2022 Members' Choice Award paper

“…These results were not surprising. They joined multiple other reports describing the negative health consequences of stigma in chronic illnesses broadly, [9][10][11] and migraine specifically. 12,13 Several lines of research are needed to better understand and ultimately reduce migraine stigma.…”

“…These results were not surprising. They joined multiple other research reports describing the negative health consequences of stigma in chronic illnesses broadly, 9–11 and migraine specifically 12,13 …”