Weight stigma and obesity‐related policies: A systematic review of the state of the literature

Abstract

Weight stigma is an important issue colliding with obesity-related policies; both have population health and social impacts. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature that combined the concepts of stigma, obesity, and policy. We searched PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles amalgamating terms relevant to stigma, obesity, and policy. Of 3219 records identified, 47 were included in the narrative synthesis. Two key types of studies emerged: studies investigating factors associated with support for obesity-related policies and those exploring policy implementation and evaluation. We found that support for nonstigmatizing obesity-related policies was higher when obesity was attributed as an environmental rather than individual problem. An undercurrent theme suggested that views that blame individuals for their obesity were associated with support for punitive policies for people living in larger bodies. Real-world policies often implicitly condoned stigma through poor language choice and conflicting discourse. Our findings inform recommendations for policy makers that broader socioecological stigma-reduction approaches are needed to fully address the issue of weight stigma in obesity-related policies. Efforts are needed in the research and policy sectors to understand how to improve the design and support of nonstigmatizing obesity-related policies.

Pervasiveness, impact and implications of weight stigma

“…The use of stigmatising terms, combative language and emphasis on ‘personal responsibility’ is widely evident in public health policies. 26 , 84 …”

Alternative and online weight loss interventions during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown

“…Interestingly, a review paper published in Obesity Reviews in 2021 argues that top-down interest in solving the obesity problem is No 2 Alternative and online weight loss interventions during Covid-19 pandemic higher the more the public perceives obesity as an environmental rather than an individual problem. This paper highlights the need to support non-stigmatizing policies about obesity to contribute to a broader discussion of the problem [6]. In addition, it is worth noting that the isolation imposed by many countries promotes reduced spontaneous and planned physical activity.…”

Application of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) in Subjects with Overweight and Obesity living in Italy

“…Obesity is a significant public health problem worldwide, with numbers rapidly growing in Italy as well 1,2 . Not only weight excess leads to physical complications, some of which are well established [3][4][5][6] and some others are emerging 7,8 , but it also substantially affects the psychological 9,10 , emotional 11 and social dimensions 12,13 . The simple imbalance between energy intake and expenditure explains a small part of the obesity pandemic we face, and several other factors, such as endocrine disruptors, epigenetics, infections, increased maternal age, and medications, may play a significant role [14][15][16] .…”