This post is by Janet Zimmerman, a University of Memphis Nutrition Student and Schilling Nutrition Therapy, LLC
This summer I had the incredible opportunity interning with Binge Eating Disorder Association. With BEDA’s National Weight Stigma Awareness Week coming up September 26-30, part of my job has been compiling research on weight stigma and how it influences and effects people.
Now, you might be wondering what weight stigma entails? Weight stigma is bullying, teasing, negative body language, harsh comments, discrimination (in education, employment, healthcare, and elsewhere), or prejudice based upon a person’s body size. Now, I must admit to you that before starting all of this research I knew and believed that “fat talking” was unhealthy and that no one should be judged by their looks, BUT I never knew the extent of weight discrimination that occurs or the deep psychological effects that these discriminations have on people. I have been astounded and quite frankly overwhelmed by the stories and statistics I have come across.
So what does the research suggest?
• 1 of every 3 overweight girls and 1 of every 4 overweight boys are teased by peers about their size (starting in PRE-SCHOOL). In the higher overweight groups, the ratio is 3 out of 5 children get teased
• 47% of overweight girls and 34% of overweight boys report that they are teased and victimized by family members because of their weight
• 72% of overweight adult participants reported experiencing weight bias from family members
• 69% of overweight people report being stigmatized by doctors and 52% reported doctors stigmatizing them on more than 1 occasion
• 43% of overweight people report weight stigma by employers or supervisors
What are the consequences for weight stigma?
• The internalization of weight stigma by individuals is “positively associated with eating disorder psychopathology, fat phobia, and depression, and negatively associated with self-esteem”. Yes, you read that right. Weight stigma contributes to eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem.
• In a self-reported study of 2400+ overweight/obese women, 78% of participants coped with weight bias by eating more food.
Shaming people (aka weight stigma) into losing weight or having healthy habits does the opposite. Research actually suggests that promoting self-acceptance and body satisfaction predicts less weight gain over time.
I am all for people living healthfully by moving their bodies and nourishing themselves with healthful food. Having said this, I want to emphasize two things: a person’s size does not predominately dictate health (activity, nutrition, lifestyle, and genetics do) and SHAME HELPS NO ONE. Like the research suggests, shame surrounding weight furthers low self-esteem, depression, and disordered eating (specifically binging and emotional eating). As one of our readers, Kelly, said so well below,
“Weight stigma is a gravely harmful yet endemic prejudice that continues to be enacted in almost every facet of American life, from the personal to the political.” Let’s work to change the weight focus and stigma to a focus on health and self-care. Everyone, of all shapes and sizes, deserves to feel loved, valued, and accepted. Everyone is worthy of working toward health (not a number) and caring for their body’s unique needs. Remember the wise words of Mother Theresa, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Judgments are harmful and judgments made about weight are no exception.
Do you make judgments about yourself or others based on weight? Weight stigma effects each one of us in one way or another. The change to end weight stigma begins with each one of us confronting our own biases and talking out about the harm that weight stigma does. For more information, check out the weight stigma blog carnival, Yale RUDD center weight bias research, and BEDA‘s National Weight Stigma Awareness Week!
Born to Eat® 