Policies to address weight discrimination and bullying: Perspectives of adults engaged in weight management from six nations

Abstract

Objective Across the world, it remains legal to discriminate against people because of their weight. Although US studies demonstrate public support for laws to prohibit weight discrimination, multinational research is scarce. The present study conducted a multinational comparison of support for legislative measures to address weight discrimination and bullying across six countries. Methods Participants were adults (n = 13,996) enrolled in an international weight‐management program and residing in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US. Participants completed identical online surveys that assessed support for antidiscrimination laws and policies to address weight bullying, demographic characteristics, and personal experiences of weight stigma. Results Across countries, support was high for laws (90%) and policies (92%) to address weight‐based bullying, whereas greater between‐country variation emerged in support for legislation to address weight‐based discrimination in employment (61%, 79%), as a human rights issue (57%), and through existing disability protections (47%). Findings highlight few and inconsistent links between policy support and sociodemographic correlates or experienced or internalized weight stigma. Conclusions Support for policies to address weight stigma is present among people engaged in weight management across Westernized countries; findings offer an informative comparison point for future cross‐country research and can inform policy discourse to address weight discrimination and bullying.

Importance of most frequent needs of the disabled in shaping areas of support in public health. Part. III. Scopes of locomotor capabilities of the disabled from the aspect of demographic and social conditioning and problems hindering daily functioning

“…In their study conducted in a group of 13,996 adult participants of the weight control programme living in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States Puhl et al confirmed that 58% of the participants experienced stigmatization related with weight. The researchers showed a high support for the policy of counteracting bullying because of weigh [38]. A study by Subu et al on patients in Indonesia demonstrated that not only the disabled with mental diseases struggle with negative experiences in the sphere of discrimination, but also employees of health care, mainly nurses involved in the care of metal health [39].…”

Prejudice associated with weight images in health communication in the social networks

“…Simple language modifications (e.g., talking in the first person, replacing the word "obese" with "obese person") and image changes (e.g., people with their families, exercising and having fun) seem to reduce weight-bias. and to bring people closer to health information messages [40][41][42][43].…”

Predictors of support for anti-weight discrimination policies among Canadian adults

“…Previous studies have assessed public support of anti-weight discrimination policies among adults in the U.S. (21,23,(26)(27)(28), Germany (29), Australia (21,28), Iceland (21), France (28), and the UK (28). Results from these previous studies demonstrated support for anti-weight discrimination policies and showed that variables such as age, race, gender, BMI, income, political orientation, experiences of weight stigma, WBI, and the beliefs regarding the causes of obesity significantly predicted policy support or opposition (21,23,(26)(27)(28)(29). Particularly, younger age, higher BMIs, identifying as a woman, experiencing WBI and weight stigma, a liberal political orientation, and endorsing physiological causes of obesity predicted support of these policies.…”

“…Previous studies have assessed public support of anti-weight discrimination policies among adults in the U.S. ( 21 , 23 , 26 – 28 ), Germany ( 29 ), Australia ( 21 , 28 ), Iceland ( 21 ), France ( 28 ), and the UK ( 28 ). Results from these previous studies demonstrated support for anti-weight discrimination policies and showed that variables such as age, race, gender, BMI, income, political orientation, experiences of weight stigma, WBI, and the beliefs regarding the causes of obesity significantly predicted policy support or opposition ( 21 , 23 , 26 – 29 ).…”

“…However, the Canadian sample of this study was not intended to be representative of the Canadian public as the sample consisted of health professionals who were members of Obesity Canada (formerly known as the Canadian Obesity Network) and known for their advocacy initiatives to reduce weight bias and discrimination ( 21 ). A more recent publication examined support for these policies across six countries, similarly with a sample of Canadian adults, however this study was also limited to a sample of treatment seeking adults belonging to the WW community ( 28 ). Consequently, there are currently no studies assessing public support and predictors of support for anti-weight discrimination policies among a sample of Canadian adults taken from the general population.…”