What is the weight stigma?

Do you know what weight stigma is? It is a term used for discrimination towards overweight or obese people about their weight and size. The stigma represents verbal and physical abuse. This is very common in the US, where the majority of people suffer from being overweight or battling with weight bias and stigma in their environment. Weight stigma is harmful to your mental and physical health. Learn about weight stigma and ways to deal with it in this article. Log on to https://bariatricbrooklyn.com/ to learn more about weight loss surgery. 

What is the weight stigma? 

Weight stigma is a term used to discriminate against people about their weight and size. This stigma can be presented in the form of verbal and physical abuse. Surprisingly, this stigma and discrimination are more common than discrimination that happens due to race or ethnic background. Similarly, weight bias is a term used for people who hold negative ideologies toward obese people.  

These discriminations can happen in workplaces, schools, relationships, healthcare settings, or media. They point out your laziness, bad hygiene, low level of intelligence, unattractiveness, lack of willpower, or lack of moral character. Obese or overweight people have to experience verbal commentaries, teasing, or even physical assault.  

Interpersonal relationships 

People who have excess weight on their bodies frequently experience stigma from those who are closest to them, including spouses, parents, siblings, children, or friends. Studies have revealed that married couples might suffer significantly from weight stigma when focusing on romantic relationships specifically. One study, for instance, examined husbands’ and wives’ opinions of their weight and how satisfied they were with their relationships. In a one-year period, the wife’s marital happiness fell, and the couple fought more frequently when the husbands believed their wives were overweight. However, the degree of marital happiness remained unaffected when the females in the study believed their partners to be overweight. 

School 

Research has shown how people who are overweight are impacted by looking at weight bias in educational settings. According to one study, students who are overweight or obese experience unfair treatment at school more frequently than students who maintain a healthy weight. 

Another study that looked at the connection between grades and obesity discovered that overweight students submitted work of the same caliber as their peers who were of a healthy weight but were given lower marks. The survey also discovered that professors had the false impression that overweight or obese students needed more help with their academics and were typically less capable of succeeding in their classrooms than those who were not.  

Workplace 

Many people experience unfair weight-based evaluations at work. The research reports show that up to 45% of businesses are less likely to hire a new employee if they are overweight. Obese people could have difficulties while trying to climb to leadership positions. 

Healthcare 

Patients who are obese or overweight may face stigma related to their weight from healthcare providers. 

Research has identified some recurrent themes that overweight people may encounter when seeking medical attention, including: 

• Disrespect towards patients who are obese 
• Patronizing attitudes 
• Ambivalence 
• Assumptions that a patient’s present weight is the source of all health concerns 
• Communication problems 

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