Ending Obesity Stigma and Discrimination: Starting From Healthcare Professionals

Zhang, Wen; Mahawar, Kamal; Parmar, Chetan; Chen, Wei‐Ju; Wang, Cunchuan; Yang, Wah

doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001269

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Healthcare providers are a primary source of weight stigma ( 3 , 8 , 32 , 33 ), which can lead to spending less time with and being more critical of higher-weight patients ( 34 ), along with greater reluctance to provide routine medical care and education ( 35 ). It’s also associated with poorer patient-provider communication, loss of trust and rapport, and decreased patient engagement in care, as indicated by reduced adherence to treatment recommendations and greater avoidance of healthcare ( 7 ).…”

Section: Provider Weight Biasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dismantling weight stigma in eating disorder treatment: Next steps for the field

2023

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The authors posit current guidelines and treatment for eating disorders (EDs) fail to adequately address, and often perpetuate, weight stigma. The social devaluation and denigration of higher-weight individuals cuts across nearly every life domain and is associated with negative physiological and psychosocial outcomes, mirroring the harms attributed to weight itself. Maintaining focus on weight in ED treatment can intensify weight stigma among patients and providers, leading to increased internalization, shame, and poorer health outcomes. Stigma has been recognized as a fundamental cause of health inequities. With no clear evidence that the proposed mechanisms of ED treatment effectively address internalized weight bias and its association with disordered eating behavior, it is not hard to imagine that providers’ perpetuation of weight bias, however unintentional, may be a key contributor to the suboptimal response to ED treatment. Several reported examples of weight stigma in ED treatment are discussed to illustrate the pervasiveness and insidiousness of this problem. The authors contend weight management inherently perpetuates weight stigma and outline steps for researchers and providers to promote weight-inclusive care (targeting health behavior change rather than weight itself) as an alternative approach capable of addressing some of the many social injustices in the history of this field.

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Section: Provider Weight Biasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dismantling weight stigma in eating disorder treatment: Next steps for the field

2023

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“…These stereotypes generate the stigma of obesity and influence social interactions, resulting in a significant psychosocial and depression-related stressor in highincome countries 24,25 . Therefore, in recent years, the concept of social stigmatization and its influence on medical and psychological research has gained increasing interest [26][27][28] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Quintiliani

Sisto

Vicinanza

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Aims: Although weight-based stigmatization is widespread in everyday life, a suitable measure of weight self-stigma is currently unavailable for those with overweight/obesity whose primary language is Italian. The purpose of this study was to translate and test the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Weight Self-stigma Questionnaire (I-WSSQ) to administer it to adults with overweight/obesity. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 214 adults with overweight or obesity. Data including Body Mass Index (BMI), I-WSSQ, and Body Uneasiness Test (BUT) scores were collected from April the 2nd to July the 6th, 2021. Results: Reliability was assessed through internal consistency: the Cronbach α of the I-WSSQ was α =.814, indicating good reliability. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure of I-WSSQ (self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma, respectively) that explained 49,25% of the total variance. In addition, the I-WSSQ score directly correlated with BMI and BUT score, indicating an acceptable criterion-related validity. Conclusion: The I-WSSQ shows adequate reliability and validity. Health professionals may use the I-WSSQ to assess the weight self-stigma of adults with overweight/obesity whose primary language is Italian.

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Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Obesity and its Management in Migrants and Rural Residents in China: a Cross-sectional Pilot Study

et al. 2021

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Ending Obesity Stigma and Discrimination: Starting From Healthcare Professionals

Cited by 5 publications

References 5 publications

Dismantling weight stigma in eating disorder treatment: Next steps for the field

Dismantling weight stigma in eating disorder treatment: Next steps for the field

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

Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Obesity and its Management in Migrants and Rural Residents in China: a Cross-sectional Pilot Study

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