Chapter 2 – Cultural Attitudes and Biases Towards Obese Persons
Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Describe the prevalence and harmful effects of weight bias in Western society
Identify and use the main assessment tools of weight bias in adults and children
Assess and describe their own attitudes towards weight
Describe settings in which weight bias and discrimination occur and the major
consequences to adults and children
5. Recognize gender and cultural differences in weight bias
6. Describe and use coping strategies that will enable them to assist people who
experience weight bias
7. Explain causes of weight bias and describe the main approaches used to change
bias
Understanding Obesity: Biological, Psychological and Cultural Influences. Edited by Sharon Akabas, Sally Ann Lederman
and Barbara J. Moore. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter 2 – Cultural Attitudes and Biases Towards Obese Persons
Answers
1. Prevalence rates of weight discrimination have been found to be as high as rates
of racial discrimination, and among women, weight discrimination is higher than
racial discrimination. The rates of weight discrimination have increased by 66%
over the past decade . Given the increasing prevalence of obesity in adults and
youth, practitioners can anticipate that many patients presenting for weightrelated treatment have encountered such prejudice. Experiences of teasing and
discrimination are common in multiple settings.. Practitioners can anticipate that
many patients presenting for weight-related treatment have encountered such
prejudice.
2. In adults, weight bias is most often assessed using questionnaire methods.
Several widely used questionnaires include subscales assessing dislike of obese
people, character disparagement, or the extent to which obese people have
different personalities or social problems. These measures also assess the extent
to which obese people are to blame for their weight. It is also possible that
admitting to prejudice may be difficult for some adults. Implicit measures of bias
are designed to overcome the possibility that social desirability may inhibit the
honest reporting of bias. . The implicit association test (IAT) measures the
strength of association between objects represented in one’s memory.
3. Providers can utilize standard assessment tools outlined in Q #2, and can ask
themselves the following questions:
What are my own attitudes towards obese people?
Do I hold any stereotyped beliefs about their character,
intelligence, or worth?
Do I speak sensitively and appropriately with obese patients?
Do I take into account their needs and vulnerabilities?
Do I notice and intervene when a co-worker stigmatizes an obese
patient?
4. Negative attitudes towards overweight and obese adults occur in 1)
employment, 2) health care, and 3) interpersonal settings.
5. Research findings on gender differences in weight bias are mixed. Some studies
have shown no differences in obesity stigma between males and females,
particularly in children , but others have shown that girls dislike obese peers
more than boys do. Weight-related teasing and victimization were more
commonly reported by overweight adolescent girls than by overweight
adolescent boys. On the other hand, some research in adults has found more
Understanding Obesity: Biological, Psychological and Cultural Influences. Edited by Sharon Akabas, Sally Ann Lederman
and Barbara J. Moore. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
weight bias expressed by males. Women may hold as much or more bias than
men, but potentially stronger social desirability effects in women may keep them
from expressing this bias. Limited evidence suggests that weight bias might be
lower in certain ethnic groups, such as African American women, Mexican
children, Asian American women and men, and Japanese children .
6. Obese individuals often face bias and prejudice without assistance or support.
Factors like age, sex, self-esteem, personality characteristics, perceived control
of stigma, problem solving skills, and social group identification can influence
coping responses. Obese individuals may attempt to avoid weight stigma by
engaging in weight loss attempts, especially if they believe that body weight is
within personal control. Some individuals may cope with the negative emotional
experiences of weight bias by turning to food. Several assertive coping strategies
have been identified to respond to weight bias.
Although a range of responses are used by obese persons to cope with weight
stigma, little research has examined these strategies, and methodological
limitations of existing studies leave many questions unanswered.
7. Little research has investigated how the denigration of obese individuals is
transmitted within a given culture. Limited evidence suggests that parents may
transmit negative beliefs about obese people to their children. The popular
media may also contribute to the transmission of weight bias and stereotypes.
The most widely researched theory of the maintenance of weight bias in today’s
society is attribution theory, which posits that obese individuals are disliked
because they are blamed for their condition. Thus, obesity may differ from other
group categorizations based on ethnic group, sexual orientation, or physical
disabilities, in which group members’ status or condition is attributed to forces
beyond their own control.
Three bias-reduction strategies that have received attention in the literature are
1) methods to change attitudes by addressing attributions about the causes of
obesity, 2) evoking empathy towards obese individuals, and 3) changing
perceptions about the normative acceptability of weight-based stereotypes.
Understanding Obesity: Biological, Psychological and Cultural Influences. Edited by Sharon Akabas, Sally Ann Lederman
and Barbara J. Moore. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.