The Challenge of Weight Stigma for Women in the Preconception Period: Workshop Recommendations for Action from the 5th European Conference on Preconception Health and Care

Abstract

Weight stigma is a well-recognised public health issue affecting many members of society including women during the preconception period. The impacts of preconception weight stigma on women are significant and may result in decreased access to and uptake of healthcare, and mental health concerns. The consequences of this weight stigma may translate to negative maternal outcomes and even intergenerational effects on the child. Eliminating weight stigma is therefore imperative. The aim of this paper is to report recommendations to reduce weight stigma for preconception women produced at a workshop with clinical and academic experts on preconception health and weight stigma at the 5th European Conference on Preconception Health and Care. The recommendations are related to two key areas: general societal recommendations prompting all people to acknowledge and adjust our attitudes towards larger-bodied people; and healthcare-specific recommendations imploring clinicians to upskill themselves to reduce weight stigma in practice. We therefore call for urgent approaches to address societal weight-stigmatising attitudes and norms related to both the general population and preconception women, while providing professional development opportunities for healthcare professionals relating to weight stigma. Eliminating weight stigma for preconception women may have positive impacts on the outcomes for mothers and children during pregnancy and beyond.

Drivers and facilitators of weight stigma among preconception, pregnant, and postpartum women: A systematic review

“…In health facilities, for instance, focusing solely on obesity treatment may lead to overlooking or missing other potential diagnoses 69 . Therefore, it is recommended to redirect clinical consultations away from exclusively focusing on weight and instead centering the discussion on the overall health and well‐being of the patients 70 . Also, healthcare providers are advised to address obesity in patients based on actual indicators of poor metabolic health rather than solely relying on BMI 71,72 .…”

“…This premise also applies when working with women across preconception, pregnant, and postpartum periods who have a higher BMI. A recent expert recommendation on addressing preconception weight stigma emphasized that conveying relative risks (in comparison with absolute risk) might exaggerate the likelihood of negative outcomes associated with body weight or size while person‐centered and empathic care should be prioritized 70 . Therefore, a complete understanding of risks and delivering difficult conversations empathetically and in a sensitive manner could help address weight stigma while also acknowledging BMI‐related risks when appropriate.…”