Weight Stigma in Health Care: Reasons to Ditch Diets

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blue tape measuring on clear glass square weighing scale

We all know that first impressions matter. But, what if (and some of you may have experienced this) you we’re judged on how someone perceived you based on the size of your body? Nothing else. Only contributing to different treatment in comparison to your smaller bodied counterpart. Weight stigma is present not just among our friends and family but even is engrained deeply into the lives of health care professionals.

Doesn’t seem fair at all, right? So, how did we get here? Its pretty apparent that thin bodied individuals show in television, advertising, and in our gym/health care facilities. Therefore, impacting the way we perceive those that look different.

woman in white medical robe — Photo by Jeff Denlea on Pexels.com

As, I progressed through my schooling to be a dietitian, I realized how the thin ideal was preferred in all my classes. I saw first hand how my own biases prevented others from feeling safe when working with them. If I’m being 100% honest its one of the reasons I walked away from dietetics for awhile.

Since, starting a nutrition coaching program at Texas State University, I have come back with the goal of creating weight inclusive spaces. I recently found a great article by “Today’s Dietitian” that breaks down weight stigma and its impact of health.

Summarizing the Effects of Weight Stigma

According to the article over 40% of the population has experienced weight stigma. Specifically, these individuals have experienced poor treatment, discrimination, and teasing based on weight. These examples cover only the external forms of weight stigma. Basically, someone else stigmatizing the other individual.

Weight stigma is not just external, but can also be considered internal. Internal weight stigma occurs once a person comes to accept stereotype based on weight to be true of themselves. Failed diets and numerous attempts to be “ideally” thin only reinforce these beliefs.

It is a cycle, the more people to believe in a stereotyped view of themselves the more they will fall into unhealthy behaviors that actually worsen their own health. To make matters worse the health care system is set up to be “fat-phobic” in the weight loss is prescribed by doctors to solve complicated health problems. This approach aligns with the trend that weight is able to be altered by controllable, environmental factors. Essentially, ignoring other possibilities such as genetics, the physical environment where a person resides, or even socioeconomic status.

How to Ditch Weight Stigma in Health Care

The article lays out three ways in which to ditch weight stigma:

Check Yourself

What are your own personal biases. Becoming more self aware is extremely important to understand how your actions and words towards others may effect them. Understanding yourself will also help you to become more compassionate and better health care professionals.

man working from home — Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Educate Yourself

Take time to read research, the approaches we learned in school and the science is constantly changing. Then change your approaches to fit research and best practice. Educate yourself on inclusive language as well to have more productive sessions with clients and patients.

Check Your Environment

Does your practice or workplace make all people feel welcome. Is it available to people of various sizes? If not what changes can you make in layout, seating, or standard procedures so that it is accessible to people of all sizes?

All You Need to Know

Basically, all you need to know is, people that have bodies different from you are still people. Still have emotions, skills, and flaws just like you have your own. However, their weight is not a flaw and does not dictate the person that they are. Whether you work in health care or not, try and become more conscious of those facts. And well, just be a nice and kind person to everyone.