The Impact of Weight Bias
Weight bias refers to negative attitudes and discrimination aimed at people because of their body weight.Â
In the WebMD webinar âThe Impact of Weight Bias,â Joe Nadglowski explained itâs common in our society â even among doctors and other health care providers.Â
âSomehow, we’ve made the people living with obesity ‘bad’ â and that’s a problem,â he said. âIt’s actually making this issue even worse for those of us who live with obesity.â
It can affect almost every aspect of your life:
Career. When you live with obesity, research shows employers often think youâre:
- Less likely to have leadership potential
- Unlikely to have job success
- Less qualified
And if you’re hired, research shows youâre likely to have a lower starting salary. This bias affects women even more.Â
âThis discrimination isnât illegal in most places,â said Nadglowski. âSo itâs important that we actually educate hiring managers around these unintentional biases they have toward people with obesity.â
Health. You may not expect to find weight bias among health care providers, but studies show itâs not uncommon.
âWe actually don’t teach most health care providers about obesity in their training,â said Nadglowski.Â
This can lead to less quality care for people living with obesity, he said. Doctors may not spend as much time with you, and they may offer you fewer treatment options than they give other patients, research shows.
So itâs not surprising that people living with obesity are more likely to delay or cancel medical appointments, to avoid judgment from medical professionals, studies show.Â
But tools and training are increasingly available for obesity health care. Hopefully this will help diminish weight bias in medical settings, Nadglowski says.
Family, friends, and society. Sadly, itâs common for people living with obesity to face the most weight bias and stigma from their own friends and family.Â
This includes:
- More social rejection from their peers
- Lower quality of personal relationships
- Fewer successes at school or workÂ
While some may feel they need to âmotivateâ or pressure you to lose weight, Nadglowski says thatâs actually harmful.
âThe data is very clear. If you stigmatize, blame, and shame someone because of their body weight, theyâre not going to lose weight,â he said.
âIn fact, the opposite is going to happen, because they’re going to binge eat, engage in some unhealthy weight control, or cope with the stigma by eating more food.â
Of the different media types listed in a webinar poll, about half of the respondents said they notice weight bias most in TV shows. Over 30% said they notice it most in fashion magazines.
In another poll, one-third of the respondents said they were surprised to learn weight bias can lead to obesity.
âWhat’s the first step if you feel you’ve experienced weight bias from a doctor?â
âWhat’s the best way to find a doctor who isn’t weight biased?â
âWhat’s your advice for someone dealing with the dual discriminations of weight and mental health biases?â
Ask your doctor if your treatment options would be different if you had a smaller body size. If so, ask to be given the same care.Â
In some cases, this may help your doctor realize they have weight bias. It may help them think differently. But if they continue to show bias, it might be good to find another doctor.Â
To find doctors with training in obesity, ask if they have an American Board of Obesity Medicine certificate. Or, look for locations known as a Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence and call them for a list of qualified doctors. You can also use the Obesity Action Coalitionâs provider locator at obesitycareproviders.com.
Itâs extra hard to deal with weight bias and mental health bias at the same time. If youâre living with both conditions, you might take meds for your mental health that make it harder to manage or lose weight. Nadglowski says itâs crucial to find a doctor who understands all of your needs.
You might have to try a few doctors before you find a good fit.
 âItâs often a little bit of a hit and miss,â he said. âFind one who treats you with compassion, dignity, and respect. It makes all the difference in the world.â
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âWhat’s the best approach for someone living with obesity whose family members are stigmatizing rather than supportive?”
âAs a mother who is overweight, how can I be a healthy role model for my children about accepting my body, but also wanting to lose weight?â
If you have family members who arenât supportive, itâs important to address the issue upfront.
Nadglowski says it may help to share some of the information from this webinar. That may help them reframe the way they look at obesity. Tell them itâs unhelpful and hurtful to hear unsupportive comments.Â
âIt’s important that you put your foot down in those situations,â says Nadglowski. âAnd if you need additional resources on how to do that, or resources to share with your family, reach out to us at obesityaction.org.â
To set a good example for young people in your life, model healthy behaviors. If youâre on a weight loss journey, focus on good habits that support weight loss instead of a certain âidealâ body size, your appearance, or the scale.
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âHow does weight bias affect educational opportunities and achievements?â
âHow does weight bias impact those trying to recover from anorexia and other eating disorders?â
A study on weight bias tracked graduate-level students based on their body size, grades, and acceptance into graduate programs.Â
âThe study showed that the people with obesity had better grades, but they had lower interview scores, and actually had less acceptance into graduate programs,â said Nadglowski. This shows how assumptions about the character and behavior of people living with obesity can impact decisions.
Weight bias doesnât only affect those living with obesity. âBias and stigma actually work both ways,â he says. âWhen we talk about weight bias, it could be for people who are underweight as well.â
Health consequences of being underweight are often like those of being overweight. Communities that work with eating disorders support efforts to fight weight bias.
âPeople’s body size is their business,â says Nadglowski.Â
âUnless you’re invited to comment on someone’s body size, Iâd encourage you not to engage in that. Even if you might think you’re being complimentary â people might be losing weight because they have an eating disorder. People might be losing weight because they have cancer. Itâs not always appropriate to compliment somebody based on these issues.â