Weight Discrimination – Is your health being affected?

Purdue University researchers conducted a study to evaluate the impact of weight discrimination on health declines for obese individuals. The purpose of the study was to show that extra pounds alone don’t account for all the health problems and overweight or obese individual lives with. It is theorized that individuals with a higher body mass index are more likely to feel discriminated against due to their weight. The more an individual believes they are a victim of weight discrimination the more their health is impacted.

Study results found the heavier participants became the more likely they felt they had been victims of weight discrimination. Almost 11% of participants with a BMI between 30 to 34.9 reported weight discrimination and 33% of individuals with a BMI greater than 35 reported being the victim of weight discrimination. Less than 5% of individuals who were not obese reported being discriminated against due to weight.

Individuals who had experienced weight discrimination were more likely to feel even heavier and consider themselves to be very overweight. These individuals also reported greater health declines. Individuals with a body mass index greater than 30 rated their health to be worse after one decade than normal weight participants. The study indicated a moderate impact on health declines being more significant for participants who felt they had experienced weight discrimination.

Are you overweight or obese? Have you been discriminated against due to your weight? Do you feel this has impacted your overall health?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share below.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
https://lisanelsonrd.com