What is weight stigma?
Weight stigma is a phrase that describes the negative beliefs, attitudes and actions toward people with higher weight. Both adults and kids who struggle with weight face prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination. Psychologists believe that weight stigma comes from negative, and often untrue, beliefs that people with obesity are lazy, unmotivated, unhygienic, unintelligent and unattractive.
What are some real-life examples of weight stigma in kids?
First, understand that weight stigma happens everywhere. We’ve broken it down into several different categories so you know what to look out for.
Weight Stigma in the Social Scene:
- Name calling or verbal and physical bullying
- Being ignored or excluded from activities
- More likely to withdraw from peers
- Less confidence when attempting to socialize
>Related: 6 Tips to Help Kids Deal With Peer Pressure
How Adults Encourage Weight Stigma:
- Parents and teachers may lower their expectations of kids’ performance and success. The weight stigma can mistakenly make adults believe that kids have inferior physical, social and academic abilities.
- Children with obesity may receive less academic support from teachers.
- Parents may tease their children about weight, even jokingly.
- Parents and caregivers may push dieting.
Weight Stigma and Healthcare:
- Doctors and other medical professionals sometimes assume people with obesity are noncompliant, or aren’t willing to get necessary medical care for their wellbeing.
- These medical professionals often spend less time getting to know or speaking with obese patients during office visits.
- Medical equipment may not always be size-inclusive (e.g., gowns, chairs, examination tables).
- Healthcare professionals may perceive things as worse than they actually are.
- Medical professionals who aren’t always mindful of their word choices to describe weight can actually discourage patients to seek healthcare.
Connecticut Children’s recognizes weight stigma in the healthcare environment as a nationwide problem and has taken steps to improve the situation:
- We have devoted resources to better understand the experience of patients with obesity.
- We are careful with our language, always mindful to use person-first and sensitive phrasing. Every day, we work to educate our staff on this approach.
- We have size-appropriate furniture at Connecticut Children’s facilities.
Weight Stigma and the Media:
- In children’s shows and movies, characters with obesity tend to be portrayed as clumsy, lazy, and without friends.
- Underrepresentation of people with obesity. Even though Hollywood and TV are trying to be more inclusive in their casting, we don’t see obese people too often on the screen.
