Many people in our societies have long experienced weight bias. Forouhar et al. (2023) define weight bias as negative attitudes and beliefs about individuals as a result of their weight status, leading to discrimination, stigma, social exclusion, and stereotyping. It is experienced in various institutions such as schools, where learners with more weight are viewed and portrayed negatively often by physical education and sports coaches. It is also experienced by peers where weighty individuals are bullied in areas such as when engaging in physical activities and eating contexts, and to some extent, they are socially excluded in some activities and conversations. Other places where weight bias is experienced include at the family level, workplaces, healthcare centers, and the media. This work unravels the impacts of weight bias connected to real-life examples to demonstrate the extent of the vice.
Impacts of Weight Bias on People
Weight bias has had social, physical, and psychological impacts on the victims. Weight bias victims have been subjected to anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and lower self-esteem. People often associate weight gain with Obesity, citing body weight to be under one’s control. Hence, one can quickly reverse weight by changing eating habits and engaging in frequent exercise (Brown et al., 2022). Negative portrayal of body weight has been associated with adverse psychological outcomes such as poor quality of life and stigma. Stigmatized people experience low self-esteem and a perception of poor body image as a result of societal depiction of a ‘good’ body. Society and media view thinness as attractive, freedom, control, and success; hence, a weighty individual can feel shameful and develop guilt and dissatisfaction with the body’s status. A real-life example of a psychological effect is in school, where a learner is rejected or bullied by classmates of body size. Such a learner develops low self-esteem, isolate themselves, and even engage in unhealthy eating habits to be attractive and accepted by the members. To the extreme, the learner may develop depression, affecting their well-being.
Weight bias has negatively impacted affected individuals negatively by altering their relationships with parents, partners, and peers and a feeling of social isolation and rejection. As indicated earlier, the vice is experienced in workplaces, schools, and healthcare centers; the affected individuals are not given equal opportunities in aspects such as employment and access to health services. The victims also face poor interpersonal relationships as their fellows discriminate against them. They are viewed as unmotivated and less competent in workplaces (Zecher& Hippel, 2022). Some have been reported to be bullied and harassed due to their weight.
Additionally, weight bias at the societal level has led to the exclusion of individuals from societal interactions and projects, reinforcing harmful norms based on body size, promoting unrealistic body standards, and discrimination against individuals. This, in turn, results in self-isolation. A real-life example is the dating era, where a person may reject being intimate with another because of their body size. Hence, the rejected individual feels isolated. This goes beyond personal relationships to communities and workplaces.
Victims of weight bias experience physical consequences such as increased blood pressure, limited hospital visits, and poor sleeping habits. The biological consequences of weight bias have been linked to adverse health outcomes. Individuals facing weight discrimination are highly at risk of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and hormonal imbalance due to stress. The victims can also overlook adherence to medical routines. Lastly, weight discrimination has led to unhealthy eating habits, where individuals take small junks of food to regain their former weight and look thinner to be attractive. The victims exclude themselves from sporting activities due to fear of discrimination (Pearl, 2021). Unhealthy eating habits can further negatively affect one’s life, affecting the person’s overall health. This scenario is prevalent among people, particularly ladies, who tend to ‘eat small’ amounts of food to achieve a small body to look attractive. In the end, their health worsens.
Conclusion
In conclusion, weight bias is experienced at all levels, from family to workplace. Victims are always viewed negatively, affecting their overall well-being. Among the effects are social, psychological, and physical effects. These effects call for a united action to end weight stigma, and awareness should be rigorously conducted from the family level to the workplace and social media to stop weight shame. Lastly, being weighty should not be mistaken for Obesity.
References
Brown. A, Flint. S, & Batterham. R, (2021, April 21). Pervasiveness, Impact, and Implications of Weight Stigma. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101408
Forouhar. V, Edache. I, & Salas. X, (2023). Weight Bias Internalization and Beliefs about Causes of Obesity among the Canadian Public. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16454-5
Pearl. R, Wadden. T, & Jakicic. J, (2021). Is Weight Stigma Associated with Physical Activity? A systematic Review. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23274
Zecher. H, & Hippel. C, (2022). Weight-based Stereotype Threat in the Workplace: Consequence for Employees with Overweight or Obesity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-01052-5
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