Weight stigma, also known as weightism, weight bias, and weight-based discrimination, is discrimination or stereotyping based on one's weight, especially very large or thin people. The term is a misnomer

Misnomer

A misnomer is a term which suggests an interpretation that is known to be untrue. Such incorrect terms sometimes derive their names because of the form, action, or origin of the subject becoming named popularly or widely referenced—long before their true natures were known.- Sources of misnomers...

 as the stigma arises from the condition of being obese or schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. This German word is used as a loanword in English and some other languages, and has been calqued in Danish and Norwegian as skadefryd and Swedish as skadeglädje....

 arising from the suffering from the disease, and not the mass of the individual stigmatized in this manner. Weight stigma reflects internalized attitudes towards the obese that affects how these people—the targets of bias

Bias

Bias is an inclination to present or hold a partial perspective at the expense of alternatives. Bias can come in many forms.-In judgement and decision making:...

—are treated.

A person who is stigmatized possesses a weight that leads to a devalued social identity, and is often ascribed stereotypes or other labels denoting a perceived deviance which can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Common, “weight-based”, stereotypes are that obese persons are lazy, lack self-discipline, and have poor willpower, but also possess defects of intelligence and character. Common weight-based stereotypes of non-obese persons are that non-obese persons are unattractive, anorexic, unhealthy, diet and/or exercise excessively. There is no experimental or scientific evidence to indicate that these stereotypes are true, although pervasive social portrayals of obesity

Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...

 create and reinforce biased attitudes.

History

In centuries past, a degree of plumpness has been seen as indicative of personal or family prosperity: "Calories were scarce, physical labor was hard, and most people were as lean as greyhounds." In particular, a married woman who was thin was pitied, as her shape showed that her husband could not afford to feed her properly; conversely, having a fat wife was a status symbol: there was plenty to eat, and she did not need to work hard. Only in the early 20th Century did fatness lose this appeal. The connection of fatness with financial well-being persists today in some less-developed countries. Indeed, it may be on the rise.

Types of weight stigma

Weight stigma and bias can be:

• practical (for instance, medical equipment or seats in most public places that are too small to accommodate obese persons);
• verbal (such as insults, ridicule, teasing, stereotypes, derogatory names, or pejorative language); or
• physical (such as bullying or other aggressive behaviors).

In some cases stigma results in discrimination

Discrimination

Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...

, such as employment discrimination wherein an obese employee is denied a position or promotion solely or primarily due to aesthetic revulsion at his or her appearance, despite the individual being appropriately qualified.

Causes of weight stigma

The causes of weight stigma are complex, as many factors seem to play a role. For instance, the degree to which heavy people are stigmatized (or revered) is highly variable across cultures and historical periods. However, research on social stigma

Social stigma

Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...

 offers some clues. According to many researchers, there are three basic forms of stigma (physical deformity, poor personal traits, and tribal outgroup status). Given the common stereotypes that are applied to fat people (unattractive, lazy) and thin people, it seems that two of the three basic forms (physical deformity, poor personal traits) may apply to the case of weight stigma.

Several studies conducted by social psychologists have found that the perception of laziness or lack of willpower is a strong determinant of weight stigma. For instance, people who more strongly believe that fatness results from lack of willpower are more likely to be prejudiced against fat people. People who believe that thiness results from poor body image are more likely to be prejudiced against thin people.

Common contexts and settings of weight stigma

Obese and thin children and adults are vulnerable targets of weight stigma from a variety of sources. In employment settings, overweight employees are ascribed many negative stereotypes and may suffer wage penalties, as they tend to be paid less for the same work. Obese employees are more likely to have lower paying jobs, and are less likely to be promoted than are thinner employees with the same qualifications. ^{citation needed}

In medical facilities, weight stigma toward obese patients has been documented by physicians, nurses, psychologists, dieticians, and medical students. One consequence of bias by health care professionals is that obese patients may avoid obtaining medical care because of these negative experiences. However, one must take care when reading such studies, as genuine concern from a doctor about a patients weight may be reported by the patient as weight stigma. This may be due to the real discrimination obese people experience in their day-to-day lives, leaving them more sensitive to perceived discrimination (whether real or not).

Even family members may express stigmatizing attitudes towards loved ones who are obese. Children who are overweight and obese may confront stigma by parents and siblings, and obese adults may experience stigma from spouses and other relatives.

Consequences of weight stigma

Weight stigma has negative consequences for emotional and physical health. Children who are overweight and obese may be especially vulnerable. Negative attitudes towards obese children develop as young as three years old, and throughout preschool, elementary school, and high school, obese children are attributed multiple negative characteristics by their peers including being mean, stupid, ugly, unhappy, lazy, and having few friends. Obese youth who are victimized by peers because of their weight are at risk for poor body image, unhealthy eating behaviors, eating disorders, lower levels of physical activity, lower self-esteem

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...

, higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. Weight stigma can also lead to social isolation, poorer interpersonal relationships, and self-blame by those who are targeted. It can be inferred from data linking low social status to poor health that the low status assigned to the obese is a significant contributor to their excess morbidity.

External links

• Weight Bias: Nature, Consequences, and Remedies
• Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University
• Rudd Sound Bites, the Rudd Center blog
• Yofi Tirosh, Weighty Speech: Addressing Body Size in the Classroom Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies Vol. 28(3-4) 267-280 (2006).