Foundational Research on Weight Stigma
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
The field of research on weight stigma is well established. Weight stigma has informed much of the work in diabetes stigma research. The more we understand about the stigma and discrimination people with obesity and overweight experience, the better informed we will be to address diabetes stigma. Here are key research findings from leading experts in the field.
The Stigma of Obesity: A Review and Update
Takeaways
This systematic review expands upon previous findings of weight bias in major domains of living, documents new areas where weight bias has been studied, and highlights ongoing research questions that need to be addressed to advance this field of study.
Puhl, R. M., & Heuer, C. A. (2009). The stigma of obesity: a review and update. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 17(5), 941–964.
Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity
Takeaways
People with obesity experience pervasive, harmful social stigma that results in physical and psychological harm, worse health care, and discrimination in social settings. A multidisciplinary group of international experts, including representatives of scientific organizations, reviewed the available evidence on the causes and harms of weight stigma and developed a joint consensus statement with recommendations to eliminate weight bias and encourage a new public narrative about obesity that is more in line with modern scientific knowledge.
Rubino, F., Puhl, R. M., Cummings, D. E., Eckel, R. H., Ryan, D. H., Mechanick, J. I., Nadglowski, J., Ramos Salas, X., Schauer, P. R., Twenefour, D., Apovian, C. M., Aronne, L. J., Batterham, R. L., Berthoud, H. R., Boza, C., Busetto, L., Dicker, D., De Groot, M., Eisenberg, D., Flint, S. W., … Dixon, J. B. (2020). Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity. Nature medicine, 26(4), 485–497.
Impact of weight stigma on physiological and psychological health outcomes for overweight and obese adults: A systematic review
Takeaways
A systematic review resulted in 33 studies highlighting that weight stigma was associated with negative physiological and psychological outcomes, including, but not limited to:
- Obesity
- Diabetes risk
- Eating disturbances
- Depression
- Anxiety
Wu, Y. K., & Berry, D. C. (2018). Impact of weight stigma on physiological and psychological health outcomes for overweight and obese adults: A systematic review. Journal of advanced nursing, 74(5), 1030–1042.
A Meta-Analysis of Weight Stigma and Health Behaviors
Takeaways
A meta-analysis of 54 studies including over 40,000 participants from 11 countries showed that weight stigma is positively related to unhealthy behaviors and negatively related to healthy behaviors. This was consistent regardless of stigma type, the focus of the health behavior, and the sample characteristics.
Zhu, X., Smith, R. A., & Buteau, E. (2022). A meta-analysis of weight stigma and health behaviors. Stigma and Health, 7(1), 1–13.