Posts Tagged ‘weight stigma’

The simple and prevalent view of obesity is that it results from bad choices in diet and exercise. However, that view omits the role of a major factor – stress. In the Annual Review of Psychology, Janet Tomiyama offers an excellent review of the vicious cycle of stress and obesity. Multiple Pathways The connection between […]

Honestly, this one is hard to wrap our heads around. A new study in Health Psychology tells us that weight stigma during pregnancy and right after birth may be increasing the risk of depression, excess weight gain, and weight retention. Angela Incollingo Rodriguez was lead author on the study. Prospective Observations This prospective observational study […]

The president’s doctor, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, released a memo yesterday with more details on the president’s health. His cholesterol has come down a bit, but his weight is up. At 243 pounds and an official height of 6’3″, that puts his BMI at 30.4 – in the range of mild obesity. The report says nothing […]

Talk is cheap. And a new study in Psychological Science tells us that when it comes to talk about weight bias, we’re making slow progress. Explicit bias is down a bit over the last decade. But when it comes to action, this same study shows that implicit weight bias is growing, not shrinking. This new data comes […]

One of the highlights of ObesityWeek 2018 was Rebecca Puhl’s award for scientific achievement. Not just because we admire her and her pioneering work on weight stigma. But also because she rewarded us. She delivered an inspiring lecture on finding a path to less weight stigma. Stigma researcher Angela Alberga explains: It was incredible to […]

Growing up, I was the definition of meek. I also carried more weight on my frame and towered above my peers. Despite this, I was a good friend to my fellow elementary schoolers. However, In addition to my timid yet friendly nature, I was also painfully aware of my obesity from a young age, which affected […]

The anger industry is booming all over the world. Outrage seems to win arguments because many people grow tired of rage and walk away. It’s a pretty good business model for cable news right now. But it carries a risk. Anger sometimes leaves people thinking they’ve won an argument. In fact, though, they’re losing a […]

Writing in the Washington Post, dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield has a simple cure for weight stigma in healthcare. Stop weighing heavier patients, she says. Healthcare might improve. To make her point, she tells the story of Bernie Salazar. He was an “at-home” winner of The Biggest Loser. Visiting with a relatively new doctor, he felt shame and […]

Evangelism draws its primary meaning from the practice of spreading Christian beliefs. But it also carries a broader meaning of zealous advocacy. And you don’t have to spend much time dealing with obesity to run across some of those zealous advocates. So it’s no surprise that evangelical weight loss programs have sprouted in many churches. […]

Respect for human diversity is a slippery goal. You might assume that public health policies advance that goal. But a new analysis from Ximena Ramos Salas and colleagues suggests that the opposite is true. Policies aimed at obesity can contribute to bias against people living with it. Five Pervasive Themes Ramos Salas found five problem […]