Discrimination against overweight individuals isn't merely heartless, it also complicates weight loss efforts.
Relentless Weight Stigma: A Stealthy Saboteur of Slimming and Health
Maybe you think the internal critic berating you or others about body size is just pushing for weight loss, right? Wrong, according to the experts.
"There's a long-held misconception...that if you shame people about their weight, they'll eat less, exercise more, or make healthier choices to lose weight," says Dr. Rebecca Pearl, an associate professor of clinical and health psychology at the University of Florida. However, she adds, "research consistently shows the opposite effect."
Weight stigma unfolds across various spheres, entrenched in US culture, personal relationships, and even healthcare settings. In fact, a recent study published in the journal Health Psychology found that experiencing continued weight stigma after bariatric surgery is associated with higher risks of depression, anxiety, and disordered eating like binge eating. Conversely, individuals exposed to less weight stigma were more likely to maintain weight loss.
So, what exactly is weight stigma?
Weight stigma thrives on societal misconceptions that every person has complete control over their weight. "People should be able to eat healthy and lose weight on their own," explains Pearl, who wasn't involved in the study. But when a person faces barriers to achieving the so-called 'ideal' body, such as limited access to healthy food options or lack of physical activity opportunities, their struggles are wrongly interpreted as a sign of moral failure.
Dr. Alexis Conason, a psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist in New York City who didn't participate in the new research, agrees. "Weight stigma pigeonholes individuals and suggests they are to blame for their body shape."
Navigating weight conversations with kids
Weight-related messages can take the form of images or narratives on TV and social media, direct comments from people you know, or bullying and discrimination. When children internalize these derogatory comments about their body weight, they can develop an unhealthy self-image and succumb to negative eating and physical activity patterns.
Weight stigma's impact on physical activity
Despite the importance of exercise for healthy aging, depression management, better sleep, and lower cancer risk, many people find it hard to get moving due to gym intimidation or feelings of inadequacy. For those grappling with weight stigma, the prevailing judgment can be particularly discouraging. A study revealed that experiencing and internalizing weight stigma is associated with less motivation and enjoyment of physical activity, less confidence, and less frequent exercise.
"Gyms are often a hotbed of weight stigma and fat shaming," explains Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama, a professor of psychology at UCLA. "If you've been stigmatized due to your weight, the last thing you want to do is put on tight clothes and go to a gym."
The impact of weight stigma on eating
Not only does weight stigma hinder physical activity, but it also impedes efforts to make healthy food choices. "When someone is teased or criticized for their body, it's stressful," says Pearl. "Stress eating is a common way that people cope with stress--including animals--and it's not something we should judge or shame."
Research links exposure to weight stigma and unhealthy, disordered eating behaviors like binge eating, purging, and unhealthy restriction. Critically, these behavior patterns hinder overall health.
Building resilience against weight stigma
The pervasive nature of weight stigma makes it challenging to eliminate entirely, but there are steps that can be taken to help individuals cope. For instance, healthcare professionals could de-emphasize body mass index, or BMI, as an important marker of health since it often wrongly classifies healthy people as unhealthy.
When working with clients, Conason focuses on building resilience by fostering greater self-compassion, educating clients about the impact of weight stigma on their lives, and promoting self-acceptance.
If you suspect that internalized weight stigma is impacting your behavior, seeking support from a mental health counselor specializing in disordered eating or a weight-inclusive dietitian may be a helpful first step.
- Science shows that weight stigma, a societal misconception rooted in the belief that people have complete control over their weight, often leads to the opposite of intended effects, discouraging healthy choices such as eating less, exercising more, or maintaining weight loss.
- Medical-conditions, chronic diseases, respiratory-conditions, digestive-health, eye-health, hearing, and mental-health are all areas affected by weight stigma, which can lead to disordered eating, binge eating, purging, unhealthy restriction, and other unhealthy patterns.
- Fitness-and-exercise can be a particularly challenging domain for individuals affected by weight stigma, as gyms often perpetuate weight stigma and fat shaming, leading to less motivation, enjoyment, and frequency of exercise.
- Hearing stories about the struggles of others dealing with weight stigma and learning about the impact of weight stigma on family-health, skin-conditions, autoimmune-disorders, neurological-disorders, and skin-care can help build understanding and empathy.
- Mens-health and womens-health can both be affected by weight stigma, which can lead to lasting mental-health problems like depression and anxiety.
- Parenting that includes weight stigma can have a negative impact on a child's eye-health, hearing, and overall health, leading to lower self-esteem, poorer eating habits, and reduced physical activity.
- Therapies-and-treatments that focus on promoting self-compassion, body positivity, and holistic health can help individuals build resilience against weight stigma and cultivate a healthier approach to weight management.
- Nutrition plays an essential role in overall health, and weight stigma can hinder efforts to make healthy food choices, leading to stress eating, binge eating, and other unhealthy behaviors.
- The importance of skin-care to overall health and wellness can be overshadowed by weight stigma, making it essential to recognize the connection between self-care and overall health.
- Weight-management, an essential aspect of family-health and wellness, can be hindered by weight stigma, which can lead to negative self-talk, disordered eating, and other unhealthy patterns.
- CBD, a natural compound gaining popularity as a potential treatment for various conditions, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, may offer a potential alternative to traditional treatments for those struggling with weight stigma and its associated mental-health and physical challenges.
