Experiences of weight stigmatization: A review of self-report assessment measures

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obese persons are vulnerable to frequent stigmatization and discrimination because of their weight. Despite widespread prejudice towards obese persons, many questions remain regarding the nature, extent, and impact of weight-based stigmatization experienced by so many people. However, improving our knowledge in this area will only be as good as the measures we have to study this phenomenon. Our paper is the first to provide a comprehensive summary of published quantitative self-report measures available for assessing experiences of weight stigmatization in children and adults. Methods: This review examined 22 measures of self-reported weight stigmatization and highlights the strengths and limitations of existing assessment. Results: Existing measures contain a number of limitations and have been assessed in samples lacking diversity. Improvements in measurement are needed to achieve a clearer understanding of the nature and extent of self-perceived weight stigmatization and to develop measures that accurately reflect this type of stigmatization. Conclusions: Specific directions for future research that will help improve measurement of self-perceived weight stigmatization and advance this area of study are highlighted. © 2012 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.