March 7, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (MST)

In epidemiologic studies, body weight or obesity is often considered as a risk factor or health behavior for many diseases and health conditions. Public Health’s focus on “obesity epidemic” and “weight loss” has increased exponentially within the last few decades. However, the stigma and discrimination toward overweight or obese individuals that came with it were often overlooked and not accounted for in research. Weight stigma can lead to adverse outcomes on psychological and physical health, and decreased quality of health care and quality of life.
A common misassumption is that weight is a behavior that results from individual’s control and choices. It reinforces negative attitudes or stereotypes toward people live with overweight or obesity such as lack of self-discipline, weak-willed, or laziness. It was estimated that the prevalence of weight discrimination increased by 66% in early 2000 in the US. The continuation of weigh stigma (also known as “antifatness” or “fatphobia”) has damaging the societal values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. To reduce its impact, weight stigma must be recognized and addressed by the public health community. The goal of this symposium is to bring awareness and understanding to this issue, while giving ample time to generate discussion on the potential implications and identification of strategies or policies for remediation.

This session will provide an overview and introduction to the subject of weight-related bias and discrimination. It will emphasize the needs of a weight-inclusive approach and engage students, researchers, and policy makers in critical thought about how to best measure health without using weight or BMI as a marker, how to focus on behaviors that impact health (i.e. nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and smoking cessation), and how given access to stigma-free health care and opportunities.