Study finds evidence of obesity stigma

[David Baxter PhD]

Study finds evidence of obesity stigma
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., Mayo Clinic
September 5, 2008

I need to state right up front that it is not my intent to offend anyone. Instead, I share my thoughts in the spirit of openness and concern. I also hope that by doing so that each of you who decides to respond will also share your views in a caring and constructive fashion.

There is an interesting study in the July 2008 International Journal of Obesity whose objective was to develop a tool that would measure and compare biases that we all have to varying degrees.

A clarification is called for here. "Bias" according to my on-line thesaurus is also known as: prejudice, partiality, unfairness, preconceived notion, foregone conclusion. The study also is up front in stating that they use the terms bias and prejudice interchangeably.

What? We all have prejudice? Sure we do ? and to varying degrees. I personally have a strong bias against violence. We all have preconceptions and both tolerance and intolerance for any number of issues. These feelings can be weak or strong.

This study developed a tool that could be used to measure bias, and to also rank biases from being a strong bias relative to others that are weaker. The three targets of bias that were chosen to measure and compare were: obesity, homosexuality, and Muslims. Why did they choose these targets? The authors chose these three because each are widely known minority groups ? and like it or not, they are documented targets of discrimination.

What emerged was that that there was strongest prejudice against obesity, followed next by bias against homosexuals, and then against Muslims. (If you wish to see the statistical details and strengths of the rankings you may access the using the link below.)

Laws and other protective policies have been put into place over the years to discourage ? even punish ? discrimination against race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It is pointed out that there is widespread documented evidence of weight bias in employment, educational, interpersonal ? and yes ? in medical settings. However unlike these other targets, no laws or protective policies are in place to discourage or punish bias against obesity.

The study concludes that weight bias is significantly stronger than bias against homosexuals and Muslims. It also concludes that much more research is needed in the area of prejudice and its causes and solutions.

For now, at the least, don't you think social advocacy is needed to decrease the disproportionate attitude ? and acceptance ? of bias toward obese individuals? The authors ? and I ? applaud the efforts and progress made in protecting other minority groups against prejudice and discrimination. And, I also agree with the authors that "it is unacceptable that the obesity stigma is still so pervasive, strong and under recognized."

What are your feelings?

 

[Lana]

I remember an article that was published in a paper a while ago citing a study that supported the notion that fat friends can make you fat also. I wasn't mad...I was irate! In this day and age, given the blatant bias and discrimination, to publish something like that was unthinkable. I actually printed the article and wrote a letter to editor. *ahem* I never sent it. I never send anything written when I am raving. :blush:

I'd love to do a study on weight bias. Did you know, that if you have perfect health, and pass each and every medical test with flying colors, no cholesterol, no blood pressure issues, no history in cancer, diabetes, or stroke, or heart disease, Insurance companies will still raise your rate by 75% because of your weight. Ugh!:hissyfit:

 

[Daniel E.]

From a good article from 2004:

The commonly held belief that obese individuals can ameliorate their condition by simply deciding to eat less and exercise more is at odds with compelling scientific evidence indicating that the propensity to obesity is, to a significant extent, genetically determined. The heritability of obesity is equivalent to that of height and greater than that of almost every other condition that has been studied--greater than for schizophrenia, greater than for breast cancer, greater than for heart disease and so on. Although environmental factors contribute to changes in the incidence of obesity over time, individual differences in weight are largely attributable to genetic factors. So, although the current environment, in which almost everyone has essentially unlimited access to calories, can account for an average weight gain of 7-10 pounds over the past decade in the United States, it is genetics and not the environment that accounts for a large proportion of the marked differences in individual body weight in our population today.

...All of the above indicates that morbid obesity is not a personal choice but a disease.

Modern Science vs. the Stigma of Obesity