Weight stigma and its psychological and social consequences

Weight Sigma

Psychological and Social Consequences

Weight Loss Efforts

In-Group Devaluation

Living With Obesity-Australian Context

Rating of Overweight vs. Avg. Weight

Rating of Glasses vs. No Glasses

Rating of Overweight vs. Avg. Weight Fictional Character by Participants

Rating of Fictional Character Wearing Glasses Vs. No Glasses by Participants

Weight stigma is discrimination or categorizing based on an individual's weight, especially in case of very huge people. Weight bias is quiet prevalent in western culture. Weight bias results in unequal biased opportunities in employment, health-care and educational institutes. The basic reason for this biased attitude towards obese people is the negative stereotype that such people are lazy, demotivated, has poor willpower and is less competent. These stereotypes are prevalent to the extent that no one cares to challenge them, thus, leaving overweight and obese persons defenseless to social inequality, biased treatment, and weakened quality of life as a result of considerable disadvantages and stigma. New sections have been added to this concept of weight stigma which includes weight bias in personal relationships and the media, as well as mental and physical health consequences of weight bias.

Researchers have proved the fact that weight bias is quiet prevalent in employment settings. Majority of the overweight people are suffering the negative impact of their weight on their jobs. This weight bias is prevalent to the extent that even health professionals viewed obese patients as awkward, unappealing, ugly, and disobedient. Recent studies approve that obese patients encounter bias, inconsistency, and often times disappointing treatment in health care. Lastly, academic career is also influenced of the heavy weight students. They face significant difficulties to educational achievement throughout their educational careers ( Puhl & Heuer, 2009). These are the facts about weight stigma. This biasness is prevalent to the extent that overweight people are not just being ridiculed among their peers but are facing several other consequences as well such as mentioned above.

Psychological and Social Consequences

It has a great impact on the social life of the individuals who are facing the biasness of weight stigma. It does not stop at mockery among peers. It has other impacts as well ranging from harassment and denial from peers at school, to partial attitudes from teachers, lesser college acceptances and unfair dismissals from college. The social status of an individual is adversely affected. This biased attitude of the society towards an overweight individual can result in adverse psychological effects on the personality of an individual. The effects suffered by individuals are higher risk of depression, psychiatric disorders, low self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction, unhealthy eating behaviors, eating disorders, poorer levels of physical activity and suicidal thoughts. Weight stigma can also result in social isolation, inferior interpersonal relationships, and self-blame by those who are targeted due to excess weight. It can be interpreted from the research showing the link between low social statuses to poor health that the low status allocated to the obese is a major contributor to their additional sickness of mental health ( Puhl & Heuer, 2009).

Living With Obesity-Australian Context

Another important research done to investigate the impact of both lived experience of obesity and the influence of socio-cultural issues on people living with obesity. Community sampling methods along with purposive sampling techniques were used to ensure that a diverse range of individuals were included from Australian population. Participants negated the idea of increasing culture of 'blame' in contradiction of people living with obesity spread by media and public health messages. Majority said that they detested or hated the word obesity and would rather prefer to be called fat or overweight.

The results deduced from the research led to vital conclusions. Firstly, the experiences of obesity are varied, but there are common reasons. Secondly, people living with fatness are aware of the messages but find it difficult to act upon them. Lastly, reconsider about how to deal with obesity problems in order to avoid summarizing damaging social stereotypes and worsening social inequalities (L. & Thomas, 2008). These results proposed that ways to deal with obesity issues need to be modified in order to attain fruitful results. Although people are well aware of the risks associated with this problem but this biasness towards them leads to a failure to accomplish the goal to deal with the issue.

Harris and Bochner (1982)investigated stereotypes of physical appearance which also included obesity. In this experimental study, participants read a description of a fictitious target person. The description of the target person was manipulated across experimental conditions for weight (overweight vs. average weight) and glasses (wears glasses vs. glasses not mentioned). Following is the comparison of those ratings on the scale of 0-5

Graph-1

Rating of Overweight vs. Avg. Weight

The graph in figure 1 shows the comparison of rating done by the participants. Horizontal axis shows the attributes described in the fictional character whereas vertical axis shows the rating of the participants. It is noted that participants rated the average weight fictional character more than the overweight one, thus proving the stereotype of people.

Figure 1: Rating of Overweight vs. Avg. Weight Fictional Character by Participants

Intelligence, happy, popular and outgoing was closely rated in both variables; with fractional difference. The adjectives with largest difference among overweight and average weight are active, hardworking, attractive, successful, athletic and appropriately sex-typed. Rating shows that according to this study, overweight people are very less athletic and were not appropriately sex-typed.

Graph-2

Rating of Glasses vs. No Glasses

The graph in figure 2 shows the comparison of rating done by the participants on fictional character with altered physical appearance. Horizontal axis shows the attributes described in the fictional character whereas vertical axis shows the rating of the participants. It is noted that participants rated the average weight fictional character more than the overweight one, thus proving the stereotype of people.

Figure 2: Rating of Fictional Character Wearing Glasses Vs. No Glasses by Participants

In the variables glasses and no glasses, there was minimal difference in ratings of variables. Only active and outgoing had large difference. The study showed that people rated fictional character who wore glasses as more intelligent and more appropriately sex-typed.