Ethical Issues Surrounding Weight Bias and Stigma in Healthcare

Abstract

With the recognition of obesity as a global epidemic (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012), there has been increased interest in the study of weight bias and stigmatization (Ashmore, Friedman, Reichmann, & Musante, 2008; Puhl, Schwartz, & Brownell, 2005). Weight bias is a highly prevalent form of discrimination, perhaps as common as racial bias (Shkolnikova, 2008). Occurring in a wide variety of settings, weight bias may produce adverse effects in social relationships, education, employment, and health care (Durso & Latner, 2008), with the result that obese or overweight persons are socially marginalized and stigmatized.